The Stagnant Working Class

[Bofferbrauer2]

RaptorChrist said:

Pemalite said:
Either way... The evidence says that universal healthcare is cheaper... And provides higher quality care, It's blatantly that simple, there isn't even a debate to be had on this point anymore unless you are living in blatant ignorance.

As for Minimum wage... If someone works flipping burgers and earns $19 an hour, then someone who works in say... Carpentry are going to be earning even more than that as they are viewed as a more valuable worker.
And considering that there are 10's of millions of Americans on minimum wage... If they got a big minimum wage increase, then spending will increase across the low-income earners... Meaning more economic activity, companies profit, government gets taxes... And so on.

Higher minimum wages also means that people can get out of poverty, afford to further their education, gives them more opportunities in life and become successful...

A stagnant minimum wage means that over time people actually earn less... As a dollar actually ends up depreciating in value over time... Which isn't actually a good thing... No one should need 4-5 jobs to make ends meet, that's not a good thing.

I often ponder about the impacts of drastic changes to the minimum wage. People in this world are too greedy. Or at the very least, Americans are too greedy (as I've never been anywhere else). So what would happen if there was no minimum wage? How much would McDonalds be paying it's workers. Why is it that Americans put up with such low wages and why is it that people need this sort of government intervention in the form of policing the minimum amount of money that one is to be paid. I think I understand why, but am moreso disturbed that this is the reality we live in.

I live near Chicago, and recently the minimum wage in the city has been set up such that by 2025 it will be $15 per hour. I think right now it's $12 per hour.

I'm not super big into politics, but if little 'ol me had control over things, I would think that taxing the upper 1% would solve many more of our problems. It's astonishing how many loopholes there are such that some of the biggest companies in the world oftentimes owe zero dollars on taxes at the end of the year.

I would imagine that the solution to the problem is simple, but passing laws to put said solution into motion is the difficult part, as the wealthy are using their dollars to keep things the way they are (or make things more lopsided). In a majority rules system, why is the majority getting screwed by such a small percentage of people? Does every member of congress get bribed by large corporations?

What sort of shenanigans went on to allow for net neutrality to be tossed away...

The problem with that is that the Republicans would roll them back as soon as they could. Pretty much every Republican president since WW2 cut the taxes to the rich. But they can't do that with a minimum wage, as that would be political suicide and pretty much considered as stealing from the poor.

So, if you can't do it the way you should, at least they try the next best thing.