[RhodoYolo]

Do you think the 19th century is a good anecdote for what would happen nowadays? Setting minimum wage seems to create this standard that may do more harm than good. Increasing the 'standard' harms the 'middle-class' and this 'standard' may set the wages lower than entitled per job.

[birdyrooster]

Wealth inequality is a problem you can’t fix by reducing the income of the poor.

[cloudinshape]

Which is exactly the problem: wealth inequality can't be solved by fixing wages.

Asian or "factory" countries (not necessarily from Asia but for illustration) have an "artificially" held minimum wage, which indirectly subsidizes the US minimum wage. This is happening to all wages not just minimum wages mind you, so the market needs rebalancing. Wages need rebalancing, taxes need rebalancing, but most wages, including the minimum wage need to come down (in real terms not necessarily in fiat terms).

[RhodoYolo]

I never said that or really proposed a solution, simply stated a problem as i saw it - Which makes sense why i got downvoted. I don't really know the answer with minimum wage but i tend to lean more 'darwinistic' in my philisophies. I wish there was more inherent economic incentive, where everyones salary was more closely tied to their contribution and efforts but I guess thats too much to ask for in this world where non performers and non-productive members of society are given this 'unalienable right' to live off the products of society just for being human.

[nemothekid]

>I wish there was more inherent economic incentive, where everyones salary was more closely tied to their contribution and efforts but I guess thats too much to ask for in this world where non performers and non-productive members of society are given this 'unalienable right' to live off the products of society just for being human.

It's hard to parse what you are asking for - what more economic incentive would you imagine there to be; I think the problem with this line of thinking is that you are taking a far too simplistic model of the world where our problems are caused by people being "lazy". I think the world you are wishing for existed - it's probably the hunter/gatherer model; any more sophisticated organization of civilization requires some level of socialization. I think your "darwinistic" approach is a flawed philosophy upon which it build a nation or a global superpower.

It's interesting because the article posits, and makes a very good case for, systemic issues that has caused the erosion of manufacturing base - however politically we are unable to move beyond simply understood talking points such as "minimum wage".

[bawolff]

As a general rule, yes, i think all things being equal, history tends to repeat itself.

Of course, all things aren't always equal, but if you're going to argue its going to be different this time around, i think there is some onus to argue why the present would be different from the past.