NationStates Jolt Archive

Great work there. You use one example of a horribly fucked up economy and society that's third-world in many areas to prove your point. Very selective.

I know! Why don't you use New Zealand as an example of how dreadful raising the minimum wage is?

Oh, right. That's because in the last 5 years they've raised the minimum wage from $6.00 p/hour to $10 p/hour and seen inflation drop to under 2% and unemployment fall to a 30yr low (under 3%).

So I guess we can't use that country, can we? Best to stick to seriously screwed up third-world African countries and ignore the others.

I wonder what South African unemployment was like before minimum wage laws as well...

...and who's going to pay for it?


We already pay for it. Those who labor produce the goods and services we use. Your labor should ensure a decent standard of living. Period. That would be the point of the full time job and 40 hour work week. Oh, that must be that bull that those damn unions and liberals spout and that has been the foundation of 65 years of wide-spread affluence.

I wonder what South African unemployment was like before minimum wage laws as well...
I don't know, but I do know that the economic situation described in that post also describes many places where there's been significant political and social upheaval, and South Africa would certainly fit that description. Blaming it on the minimum wage is a bit of a stretch.

I don't know, but I do know that the economic situation described in that post also describes many places where there's been significant political and social upheaval, and South Africa would certainly fit that description. Blaming it on the minimum wage is a bit of a stretch.
The problem is that any sort of causality that could be established between minimum wage and other factors, be they positive or negative, are mitigated by all the other economic noise in any system to the point that it's impossible to tell what effect the minimum wage has on anything at all. It's interesting though. Great Britain went all the way to 1998 (Labour Government) without a minimum wage, and they certainly survived.

Aside from the regular arguments (loud Conservatives talking about destroying jobs), there is the additional question of if minimum wage actually gets to the people that need it. There is significant evidence to show that those who earn the lowest wages are not those in the lowest income households. For example, according to the OECD, only 1 in 3 workers in America making less than two thirds of the median wage (roughly the lowest third of wages) actually live in households with less than half the national mediam (lowest quarter of household wages). Basically, 2 in every 3 households benefitting from minimum wage are not even poor in the United States. What's more remarkable is that this number is even lower in places Britain (only 1 in 10 are poor households) and Ireland (1 in 25). This makes me wonder how much good minimum wage is really doing.

You made a dumbass comment. Were shown wrong. You looked like an idiot. You continue to look like an idiot.

Ah, what a wonderful comeback. Full of logic, intelligence, and sheer flair! I mean, how can I succeed in my argument in the face of such incredible debating skills?!