Minimum Wage
If it was so simple to help out the poor by raising minimum wage, then I would be all for it, as would most people. While it may seem intuitive on the surface, most things work backwards from what seems intuitive. By allowing wages to fall, employment will increase, thereby increasing demand for workers so companies are forced to pay higher wages to compete for employees. As the job market tightens, we see notorious minimum wage employers (like Walmart) voluntarily raising wages to get and keep employees. This method may not provide the instant gratification of an artificial wage increase, but the long term consequences work out much better for everyone, and in effect negate the need for minimum standards. The only reason companies pay minimum wage is because people will work for minimum wage. The only reason people will work for minimum wage is because they usually have no choice, due to there being more workers than jobs. Increase worker's options by increasing employment and wages will rise. Minimum sounds the like compassionate thing to do, but in reality it's rather cruel. Minimum wage actually protects big business by reducing employment and limiting worker's options so they'll work for minimum wage. Then big business publicly fights against minimum wage increases, creating opposition. The opposition (minimum wage supporters) then do all the work for them. Funny how that happens. Lenin's famous "useful idiots" phrase comes to mind.
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