[JohnMakin]

> Working-class people are undoubtedly annoyed by low wages, despite the fact that real wages have been rising at the bottom of the distribution for a decade now. Working for $16 an hour is better than working for $12.502, but it’s still not amazing, and low-paid workers still tend to get treated poorly in many workplaces. I’m sure that fuels plenty of online complaints. Most of those workers would probably rather just get paid more and get treated better, but I’m some would accept a UBI-supported life of leisure as an alternative.

This is often the retort of certain types of privileged people have when you bring up the fact that wages across the board have historically in the last ~30 years severely lagged behind inflation, especially at the lowest levels. It's like telling someone who just got in a horrible car accident that involves the amputation of a limb and the death of a child "hey but you're not dead, right?" It's little consolation. Go look at rent to income ratios in practically any US city or state and tell me how much of the country you can live and meet your needs on $12-$16 hourly wages, let alone the federal minimum wage. It is seriously depressing.