[dikdik]

I absolutely agree, but if much of the "value" you provide is via protectionist legislation then all we are saying here is that blue collar workers should lobby for extremely high entry points and credentials for their jobs so they "have the right" to earn decent salaries.

I think that's just a terrible idea all around. You should be able to earn a great wage without suppressing the market to justify it. Or rather, people should not be rewarded for building/propagating high entry points to their careers. I get WHY it works out the way it does (bc capitalism), but it seems that in the end we all lose out.