General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Most Addictive Infographic About Walmart's Greed We've Ever Seen [View all]laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)It's supply and demand. Now, far be it from me to defend capitalism, however, what you are advocating is salaries being controlled by someone (gov't?) based on their 'worth' to society. Who gets to decide this 'worth'? What constitutes 'worth'? Is a teacher worth more than a nurse? How about the CEO of an oil company vs the CEO of a non-profit vs the CEO of a green energy company? What about a lawyer vs an accountant? Do vets 'help' people, or just animals? Are doctors 'worth' more than vets?
And so on.
The flaw in your premise is that everyone has a different idea of what "helping" means and what it is 'worth' in real dollars and you will never get a system that dictates wage amounts for each profession. That is why it's important for government to regulate income disparity (and crack down on corporate welfare) so that people can work full time and earn a living, but I don't think dictating wages and making low-skill workers suffer (some who are slightly disabled or have learning disabilities and STILL deserve a living wage) is the route to go.