US minimum wage map

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Of course they do, emsworth, as the voters should expect it, for the simple reason that the vast majority of them will live in poverty without such interventions.

Firstly, I disagree that a majority of the People will live in poverty. Such was definitely not the case before the U.S. established a minimum wage. And, it is not relevant if a few people live in poverty or not. The greater principle--opposition to coercion--is far more important.

It is always relevant that people are living in poverty.  We will never be able to win the war on poverty, but we should always fight the battle to ensure that those who work hard are able to put food on the table for their families.

I strongly favor a minimum wage, though I believe it has to be balanced with the cost of living in any particular region, as well as the need to ensure that small businesses are not hurt by sharp increases in these wages.

A minimum wage would not be necessary if and when companies pay their employees an appropriate wage that they can live on.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

With the greatest possible respect, htmldon, the fundamental purpose of government should not be to wage a war on poverty.

The responsibility of our government, as expressed at the time of its founding is "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".  When people are not able to pursue happiness because of rampant poverty, government has no choice but to act.

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What you describe is not freedom, it is indentured servitude.  You talk about a job as if you are entering into a contract to buy a sportscar or purchase a plasma screen TV.  Many Americans have not had the opportunity to think of a job in this way.  Far too many Americans work well over 40 hours a week, at jobs that many folks on this forum would never consider doing, just so that they can put beans on the table and cheap clothes on the backs of their spouses and children.  They do not have a choice in the matter, they simply have to take whatever job they can find.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

The responsibility of our government, as expressed at the time of its founding is "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".  When people are not able to pursue happiness because of rampant poverty, government has no choice but to act.

In that case, we would have to agree to disagree. I am fundamentally opposed to coercive governments.

And I am fundamentally opposed to economics that promote poverty and indignity.

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The government is not forcing anyone to enter into a contract to work. It is not punishing anyone for working or not working. Rather, any decision to work is purely voluntary, not the product of coercion by the government. They do not "have to" take the job; they choose to take the job.

Labor should not be regarded any differently than any other article of commerce. Just as the government should not control the minimum price of food or houses or cars, so too should it not control the price of labor. If someone wants to voluntarily sell his car for one dollar, he should be allowed to do so. If someone wants to voluntarily sell his labor for one dollar an hour, he should be allowed to do so.

I appreciate your ability to think and discuss these things in such stark terms, but the world simply does not work this way.  Most Americans do not have the ability to think of labor as a commodity.  We are talking about human beings here, not cattle.

People have families to feed here.  They cannot "voluntarily" decide to sell their labor for whatever they choose.

We must work every day to lift our fellow man up and ensure that every human being has the decent standard of living and dignity that a good job offers.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

People have families to feed here.  They cannot "voluntarily" decide to sell their labor for whatever they choose.

I beg to disagree. They make their decisions based on their own personal desires to improve their families. They do not do so out of fear of punishment or direct harm by the government or by anyone else. Thus, their action is voluntary, not coerced.

On the whole, I would say that no-one is "owed" a living. A company exists to make profits: that is its sole social responsibility (excluding legal responsibilities, of course, such as the responsibility not to defraud the consumer). Harsh as it may seem, a company is not responsible for providing people with a "decent living." It does not "owe" a decent wage to anyone; all it owes is profits to the investors.

No one is "owed" a living.  Thats why we talk about "working for a living", meaning that when people work, they should expect to be able to live.  A company has a responsibility to the community that it serves and has a responsibility to the individuals that work hard so that it can suceed.

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If you mean we as a society, I would not disagree. But if you mean we as in the government, I would.

When society fails, someone has to step up to the plate.  Sometimes, the best agent for that purpose is government.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Why are the Democrats here more economically conservative than the Republicans?

Emsworth is a sort-of DINO - he sounds more like a Libertarian then anything else.  HTMLDon, on the other hand, is a Republican, albeit not a very conservative one (somewhat like Bush Sr., i guess).

Thank you for comparing me to the father of my favorite President

Emsworth is just a radical libertarian, and like all radical libertarians has trouble finding a home in the two major parties. 

Keep in mind that I am not advocating any sharp raise in the minimum wage, I just advocate continuing the policy of having such a wage.

I am a big believer in Capitalism, but Capitalism will fail if left completely to its own devices.  There has to be a moderating implement on the wild pendulum swings between boom and bust.

The same could certainly be said of socialism.  Socialism, embraced wholly and left to its own devices, is a miserable failure because there is no opportunity for growth or reward for risk.