The key to taking people out of poverty is to give them money. This can be through higher wages or through government (or charitable) largess. There is an implication that those who can work to “make a wage”, should.
During the COVID crisis, the government plastered over this issue by flooding money into the social support systems. As the COVID emergency is about to end, those who have benefited by this availability of money are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and rationalizing its benefit.
We are a country of “great charity”, but that is generally channeled towards special interests (and not necessarily very efficiently) rather than society as a whole. Our version of Capitalism provides significant blocks to wide-spread social support (whether funded by wage increases or higher taxes) and prevents social consensus of “the social contract” between the government and the majority of its constituency as it is controlled by a sophisticated minority. (A local example is where, in some NY counties, the local school boards have become dominated by orthodox Jewish groups who then funnel public money to finance private religious Yeshivas (in excess, compared to other schools in the district with largely minority student bodies) who turn out graduates who, because they study religious texts 14 hours a day, can’t pass standardized tests in English, math and science).
Within the context of the “bogyman” of rising inflation, we have to figure out how to pay a fair/living wage to all who work in our country.
As long as we don’t ask the question - why are so many newcomers to America. of different colors, languages, etc and of little means are NOT in poverty… while many, who for generations have been in the ‘greatest nation in the world’…need a ‘living wage’ from entry level jobs that somehow became forever sources of livelihoods…
This problem will increase.
And increase more.
And its effects will be seen in all aspects in American life be it debts, deficits, lack of workers, people having to run for the emergency exits and subsequent memorial services taking place - you know, things that are slowly becoming the new normal.
I so feel bad about it as most would.
But I bet 100% of portfolio this problem gets worse.
As long as we don’t ask the question - why are so many newcomers to America. of different colors, languages, etc and of little means are NOT in poverty… while many, who for generations have been in the ‘greatest nation in the world’…need a ‘living wage’ from entry level jobs that somehow became forever sources of livelihoods…
The answer to the question is … the newcomers work, save and invest (OK, mostly work) they believe in the American dream and drum it into their children’s heads while working!
Desert (worked my way up from 3 part-time min wage jobs to owning my own retail store) Dave