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Obama is deluded. He and his wonks say popular things like “Raise the minimum wage!” even though they know it makes unskilled workers worse off.
http://confoundedinterest.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/vat-is-das-minimum-wage-unemployment-and-investor-driven-housing-recovery/

Obama certainly may be delusional, although I tend to think him far less intelligent and perceptive than he quite evidently thinks himself to be.

But many, if not most of his policy analysts and economists actually believe that government, not private enterprise, is the locus of wealth creation in an economy. They also believe that minimum wage laws do not result in lost jobs, and will happily show you "statistics" that purport to make that very case.

Along the same lines, I might show you analytical models that "prove" that socialist societies are happier than capitalist ones. Selective information, informed by presumption and shaped by desire can be shown to demonstrate anything. People believe what they choose to believe in the absence of objective, empirical evidence when they profit (however temporarily) by such belief.

Progressive/collectivist economists are now in vogue; their theories hold sway with all the (right) powerful people. Democrats want to raise the minimum wage because it enables them to buy votes, claim to be helping people, and demonize those who oppose such measures.

To have "experts" in their corner, however mistaken or deluded, means nothing when the entire popular culture now cheers them on in unison and gleefully joins in each Two Minute Hate directed against the other side.

Who will be the real beneficiaries of raising the minimum wage? The UNIONS. In most, if not all, of their contracts is a clause that gives them an automatic raise every time the minimum wage is increased.

So, was the Emperor really concerned with the well being of the people at the bottom end of the economy? Or, was this just another payoff to his primary source of money - the UNIONS?

I know which way my “vote” goes. What about yours?