this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2024
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Raising a child costs between $13k[2] and $35k[1] per year in the USA – depending on where you live and who you ask.

With a minimum wage job ($7.25/hr) you need to work about 5 to 13 hours per day to make that much – before taxes.

[1] https://smartasset.com/financial-advisor/cost-raise-child-2023

[2] https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/090415/cost-raising-child-america.asp

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[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

And again, that’s just wage slavery done up in a different bow.

Payment for a job is you not wanting to do it or being unable to do it, so you hire someone to do it. If they do the job, they can’t do something else, so you pay them enough to make it worth their time. You support them so they can help you. If you can’t pay them enough to support them, then do the damn job yourself.

Seriously, why are you so against people getting a living wage? It used to be even grocery checkstand workers could afford a decent place. Back then our economy was better too.

We’ve done it before, and it worked. Other countries today do it and it works - see the wages for McDonald’s workers in Denmark as an example.

The only thing taking away living wages does is force people into wage slavery to line the pockets of the rich to a ridiculous degree. It’s not sustainable and it benefits no-one but a few people who don’t need that money anyways.

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml -4 points 8 months ago (2 children)

First problem is that "living wage" is a meaningless term because it will very by multiples depending on where you live and your family size/structure. The next problem is that people dont just do a job that needs to be done, they can literally be worth less than you pay them. If they keep making mistakes, or you cant trust that they will correctly do the job or whatever. It can just not be worth the money or extra labor to employ them.

[–] Zoot@reddthat.com 6 points 8 months ago

What you should do your in your scenario is fire them, not exploit them.

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Right, which is, as the other person said, why you fire them if they don’t do a good job. You don’t keep a mistake-maker and pay them less, you hire someone who can do the job and pay them well.

And how is it ‘meaningless’? You just defined it: a wage allowing someone to live in the place they’re located. So yes, it changes from place to place. That’s not ‘meaningless’, it’s ‘regional’. And you should still pay someone a living wage.

I don’t understand why you’re so opposed to it. Why do you want people suffering and in poverty for providing services? If you work, you should be able to eat and live, full stop. Even if it’s only in the cheaper parts of your town.

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml -2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Exactly, so what do you do with people that are not valuable enough to pay a "living wage"?

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

For the love of…

I guess I need to use simple words and shorter sentences with you.

If you hire a person, you pay them a living wage.

If they’re not doing their job right, train them better.

If they still don’t work out, fire them.

There. Is. No. Reason. Not. To. Pay. Workers. A. Living. Wage.

None.

And you still haven’t answered my question. Why are you so enamored of exploiting workers?

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml -2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Great, we are back to exactly where we were. What does society do with people that are not valuable enough to pay a “living wage”?

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Still didn’t answer my question.

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Your question has nothing to do with what I said and is a strawman. How about my question or are we just doing strawmen now?

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It has everything to do with it as you are very insistent on underpaying people for some reason. You have yet to state that reason.

To answer your question I would need more information. Exactly what do you mean by ‘not valuable enough to earn a living wage’?

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It has everything to do with it as you are very insistent on underpaying people for some reason.

Strawman

Some people are not valuable enough as workers to get paid a living wage, what do they do for employment or income?

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Define ‘not valuable enough’ and I’ll answer you.

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Meaning they dont bring in enough money or value to justify the amount they earn.

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Its actually more of what they dont do than what they do.

If you didnt eat breakfast yesterday, how would you feel?

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

No. Give me concrete examples, please.

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

If you didnt eat breakfast yesterday, how would you feel?

Some obvious examples would be someone with a mental disability that cant do work very well.

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Again the vagueness. ‘Can’t work very well’. Define that. Are we talking someone who’s not mentally apt enough to do NASA rocket science but still can ring up groceries just fine? Are we talking someone wheelchair-bound so they can’t stock shelves? What level are we talking here? Because those people could still do jobs and earn a living wage.

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

If you are not able to get it by now, then I dont think its worth me explaining it again.

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

No, you’re just being purposely vague for some reason. And you really want to pay people substandard wages for some reason.

But if you legit can’t come up with any concrete examples and have to fall back on things like eating food, then fine, we can end the discussion.

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml -1 points 8 months ago

Yes I am being vague because there are many different ways people cant be worth their cost, and you dont get it because you dont understand business and are not able to do basic logic tests.