[formerkrogeremp]

Minimum wage increases decreasing unemployment were still taught as dogma at my college four years ago up until senior evel courses. When I was working at minimum wage and could barely afford school and rent, my own coworkers with the same costs of living were advocating against minimum wage increases because they claimed minimum wage increases unemployment and increases inflation dramatically.

My college's entire department relied on grants largely funded by private libertarian think tanks who promulgated nonsense like removing the minimum wage. Correct economic theory and practice are cold comfort when they're still routinely applied decades after the field has moved forward allegedly. Especially as incorrect and dogmatic economics are used to justify screwing over people living paycheck to paycheck decades onwards.

I don't doubt the applications of economics and its uses, but the suffering, inequality, and excesses caused in its name (even if economics is being applied incorrectly) are where others and I angrily and perhaps justifiably ascribe economics and economists blame. One can blame politics or lobbying or what-have-you, but one cannot deny the culpability in part of economics and its (incorrect) application. What others and I rightly critique is the practice and promulgation of economics that cause suffering for the benefit of the those funding these economists.

I highly doubt I'll change anyone's mind or that there's much point in my discussing this further. Others more articulate than me have tried already.