[QuercusMax]

If your business can't survive paying employees a living wage, you're closer to slavery than you are to a proper economic model - i.e. your business is unsustainable.

If your cost of raw materials is too high, you can't just stiff your suppliers or steal from them. Why should labor be any different?

[tick_tock_tick]

Labor/Employment requires two willing parties don't diminish slavery by claiming paying lower then a living wage is close to it; that's beyond bullshit and you know it.

You also avoided answering the question. What happens to these people now? You took away their job and now their quality of life is going to be even lower are you happy?

[toomuchtodo]

Increase taxes and put in place real social safety nets vs the Rube Goldberg machine of government subsidizing shareholders and businesses through underpaid labor? Perhaps an option some may not be a fan of, but an option as gig work and other industries relying on disadvantaged labor continues to be ground down by regulators.

[tick_tock_tick]

> Rube Goldberg machine of government subsidizing shareholders and businesses through underpaid labor?

You have it backwards here the government is forcing shareholders/businesses to subsidize labor. But in general yes I agree we should have some degree of a universal basic income and the government should get out of the minimum wage game.

Everyone gets enough to live; find someone willing to pay you if you want luxuries.