• Illecors@lemmy.cafe
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    2 months ago

    It’s easy to shit on everything, so I’ll try to avoid doing that.

    I do genuinely not understand the blind “minimum wage should be this” angle. All raising the minimum wage does is raise expenses for everything. It’s pretty much like fuel costs: price of fuel goes up - your bakery, pharmacy, grocer, etc all raise prices and in the end it is those on the lowest income that get impacted the most.

    A bit of a mind dump:

    • Most of us live in a capitalist system. You can dislike it all you want, but as someone who’s seen what happens when ownership is shared, everyone is equal, a cook should be able to run a country - fuck that. I’ll take bad capitalism over that nonsense any day.
    • Everyone should strive to improve themselves. Every day. Doesn’t have to be monetarily driven improvement - it’s the mindset of constant improvement that I want. And when that happens - aiming for minimum wage becomes a thing of the past.
    • Everyone is not equal. Everyone must be given equal opportunity. We’re good at different things, we absolutely suck at different things. Doesn’t mean we’re bad/wrong/mistreated if we try those things. What is wrong, however, is someone claiming they deserve something (great salary) when they suck at doing whatever they’re doing. Just go do something else; preferably something you’re good at.
    • Deep inside - we’re apes. We need to keep ourselves busy as otherwise brain starts overcompensating for lack of activity and we end up being idiots on the internet. Given enough time that leads to us being idiots outside the internet as well.
    • Mental health issues are real. They’re abused waaaay too much as an excuse to rot in the basement. Been there, done that. Start small, increment daily. Small, iterative steps. Everything takes time. Your choice on what gets your spend.
    • Don_alForno@feddit.org
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      2 months ago

      If you work 40 hours a week you need to earn enough to live in the city where you do said work. Period.

      Also, wages are only a small part of costs for pretty much everything. +10% wages does NOT mean +10% total costs for whatever that worker provides, and so does NOT mean +10% price, if the company is honest.

      • AA5B@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Now that my teens are working, I’m a bit uncomfortable with this. Does my teenager, whose living expenses are still fully paid by me, really need a living wage? We’re a $15 minimum wage so He’s excited about the money he’s making, but part of me feels like he’s taking some of that from someone who needs it

        I guess it comes down to that it’s a job, that anyone can fill. Also that some teenagers may need a living wage

        • Stalinwolf@lemmy.ca
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          2 months ago

          It’s certainly not my intent to judge you or make assumptions, but that seems like kind of a weird perspective, to believe your kid should make less than their peers for providing the same labor. There are plenty of households who humbly ask their working teens to contribute a portion to bills.

          • AA5B@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            I don’t know whether to upvote you on the difficulty of defining a kids job or downvote on thinking there’s some sort of a lesson different than: he’s a kid with a temporary part time job, not an adult or independent.

            Obviously I’m all for him earning more and wish him every success. However speaking from a much more general perspective: should there be any exceptions to livable wages annd is this one? Is there a reasonable way to even do that?

        • Don_alForno@feddit.org
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          2 months ago

          Does my teenager, whose living expenses are still fully paid by me, really need a living wage?

          Thank god it’s none of my employer’s business what my living conditions are. If I can make do with a lot less because of personal circumstances then that’s good for me, but that can’t be the metric to measure other people against.

          part of me feels like he’s taking some of that from someone who needs it

          He’s taking it from his employer who certainly doesn’t “need it more”, otherwise they wouldn’t employ your son.

        • orcrist@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          Think about the natural conclusion to the problem that you’re trying to address. What if we pay teenagers who don’t need the money less than everyone else. That would incentivize employers to … check notes … only hire teenagers who don’t need the money. Everyone else, who actually does need the money, they would have trouble finding a job. Facepalm.

          Also. Because your teenagers are getting lucky, in that they have a family that’s paying all of their bills, you somehow wish that they weren’t getting lucky, and that some rich person was getting richer? Do I understand that correctly?

          Furthermore. There might be value to your teens in working less so that they can do other things when they’re still teenagers. That might be something you would want to explore, since your family’s finances are in a solid state.

          And hey, if you think your teenager is being overpaid, why don’t you encourage them to donate some of their money to charity?

          In many other families, finances aren’t so strong. Maybe the parents can pay the bills, but if the kids want to go to college, they’ll have to take out student loans. Or they could start saving in high school, and use that money for college, or to get an apartment if they have to move out, or to buy a car, or whatever else they need after they graduate high school. All of a sudden the extra money sounds really important, doesn’t it.

          • AA5B@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            No, I’m saying that while I agree that essentially every job should have a livable wage, I can’t. Reconcile that with a teenager’s part time job while living at home.

            I’d entertain the idea of an exception to livable wages, even if it hurts my family. However I don’t see a reasonable way to apply that without affecting everyone

    • farngis_mcgiles@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      All raising the minimum wage does is raise expenses for everything.

      Demonstrably false. Prices will always go up regardless. Nobody should have to work for less than a liveable wage. If you disagree with me you are a piece of shit.

      • ObjectivityIncarnate@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Demonstrably false. Prices will always go up regardless.

        Uh, this is a total non-sequitur. It’s like arguing that also getting shot will not affect the situation of someone who’s been stabbed.

        Just because prices are going up does not mean that something else can’t also make them go up (more/faster), what a bizarre assertion.

        Nobody should have to work for less than a liveable wage.

        Should people be forced to hire workers who cost more than they produce?

        I don’t see how both of these conditions can be met simultaneously, and unless they both are, there is still unresolved unfairness to contend with. What do you suggest?

        If you disagree with me you are a piece of shit.

        You’re not nearly as omniscient as you think you are, to make such an arrogant statement.

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      2 months ago

      but as someone who’s seen what happens when ownership is shared, everyone is equal, a cook should be able to run a country - fuck that. I’ll take bad capitalism over that nonsense any day.

      Nice strawman… You sure showed that completely made up political/economic philosophy who’s boss!