Posted on 05/26/2005 6:27:37 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Because of Wal-Mart's inadequate wages and benefits, Wal-Mart employees are eligible for $2.5 billion in Federal assistance, which comes from your tax dollars.
(Excerpt) Read more at wakeupwalmart.com ...
Goodnight!
I won't be checking back till tomorrow afternoon.
To me this thread is not so much about caring about people who are poor (through their own stupidity, laziness, or bad luck) as it is about whether employers should be forced to pay for someone else's religious or political belief system on what constitutes fair pay.
And whether young people should have it all without working their way up the pay scale or working and saving for years to get it.
Ok, thanks
But that would take all the fun out of it for them.
It's one of the big reasons I shop there.
What a bizarre "reasoning"! By the same way would would deny the fact that there is such thing as "living food ration". Good that you are not setting the rules for the army, otherwise US soldiers would die out of malnutrition.
People like you listen too much to Hysh Limbo, I heard him advancing this nonsense. You cannot think on your own and he is putting trash into your brains.
What an inane analogy.
Military men and women are giving their all for you and your ilk. I owe them and whether you know it or not, so do you and we owe them the very best.
On the other hand, people who will not work deserve nothing and I owe them nothing.
Yawn!
The Union Thugs should take over and they would be out of business in short order.
There are times and situation in history when the living wage was not possible also and when governments were not able to provide assitance. These were the times of civil wars, revolutions, natural calamities or insane rules.
But you guys think that if the invisible hand of free market were not hindered there would be no wars and no revolutions. Dream on!
You freemarket guys make one fundamental error. You assume that economy/market exists on its own and is not a part of the larger social/political body.
Living wage is not an economical element. It exists in the biological/political/cultural sphere.
And yes, you are right in that in the there might be times when the economy/market is not ABLE to sustain living wage for many workers. It is exact moment when the illusory wall of separation between market economy and the other spheres of social life gets ruptured.
Are you saying that the night riders in the non-union south were forcing union members in the north to do business with loan sharks for the benefit of northern union leaders.
How exactly are you going to persuade the state and hungry people to keep their hands away from your wallet? By converting them to the free market cult? By bribing/buying the government officials? By hiring the security and body guards? (The last two measures are being used in Latin America)
How will you convince young men to die in the defence of the country which you decided to grace with your splendid presence? By telling them that they should make the highest sacrifice for the open market place so the most clever/lucky freemarketeers can prosper?
So am I but it doesn't turn me to socialism.
My reference was to your 'guestimate' that the "living wage" would be sixteen dollars an hour.
This illustrates the fallacy of central planning. You, as an all-knowing socialist planner, just arbitrarily choose a number and think it will apply in all places. When this is really enacted then there will be political struggles because 16 won't be enough in Manhattan and will be more than sufficient in Podunk. If there is anything that is clear in 20th century history it is the FAILURE of central planning. Out of the struggles will come the dictatorship because someone will have to force the one solution.
You analysis of cost of living is simply circular and again ignores market forces. Costs of living escalate when there is so much competition. High talent is drawn to metropolitan markets by demand, not freeing poor people who are "trapped" or "enchained".
You will understand the world much better when you learn something besides a Marxist world view.
Not subjective, but relative. Relative to the place you live in. You said it yourself when you mentioned "densely populated urban area".
You need warm clothes and heat in Canada or northern Russia, you do not need them in Central America. Relative thing can be objective at the same time. (Opposites: objective - subjective, absolute - relative).
Subjective can be real too BTW. For example the real pain is subjective and real. Misperception is subjective but not real. Being small or big is a relative real property - like the size of dog. Color is an absolute property - that something is blue or red is not based on comparison.
My low wage people aren't imaginary. They are real. So you admit there millions and millions of people on low wages. Now we are getting somewhere. I'll bet you like to have them wait on you and clean up after you.
Your low wage imaginary people have above average IQ's, make all the right choices (don't smoke, don't do drugs, don't take out 50 percent payday loans, marry and stay married) and still work at minimum wage. The noble poor screwed by 'the system'
My more global view of low wage people include those that are of marginal intelligence and the handicapped but still can contribute as citizens. It includes retirees who just want an activity and a couple extra dollars. It includes college students who will earn 100 grand per year right after they graduate. It includes the poor inner city kids who were raped by a failing educational system. These people are all making choices if working in a low wage environment.
Your attempt at personalizing this discussion to make me an exploitive upper class person is truly laughable. I am unemployed. Last time I was unemployed I chose to work part time for below your 'living wage' because I wanted to get out of the house.
Here try this on. When your vision is complete and our dear leader decides how much each citizen is allowed "according to their need", it will be you, in the "Vanguard of the Proletariat" that will be taking bribes, stealing houses, and executing the kulaks. It is always you enlightened ones who take the heavy burden of leadership and the spoils (Nomenklatura).
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