[quote=no_such_reality]
I like the idea of a living wage, not because the worker is doing something that earns it, but because the citizens deserve not to have companies employing people that need government aid for the basics.
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Labor is a product that businesses consume. Just like when I go out shopping I can pick a cheap product that will probably break in a year or two or one that will last for longer, businesses make that same choice. McDonald’s goes for the cheap route, In and Out goes for the quality route.
Do you like the idea that government could force you as a consumer to go out and buy a Telsa if you make over $100K a year and your car has more than 100K miles on it. Almost all the arguments made about how it would be good for labor if you increased the pay could be made about forcing you to buy a Tesla. It would be good for the economy. It would be good for job creation, etc.
We as consumers have just as big of a role in the outsourcing of jobs to China because we chose to buy that crap. We chose to support Walmart’s labor practices by shopping there.
If McDonald’s, Jack in the box, and the rest of the big fast food places colluded to raise prices we’d be outraged and yet when labor unions collude to force wages higher for workers we cheer.
In the past 50 years the primary purpose of unions has been to protect workers from the natural competitive forces of the economy. Nobody wants to be forced to pay $100 for a Sony Walkman today because there’s better options out there, but we demand businesses be forced to do this with their labor force.
Think about the other side of the balance sheet for a little bit.