LOL at the Fast Food Strike

[kendiz]

You're taking what thethe said too literally. All he and others are saying is that these are jobs in which workers can be replaced by virtually anyone in the workforce. They require no special skills. I don't really get why some aren't admitting this. It's ok to say that a job is a bottom of the rung job. You can't advance the conversation forward if you don't admit this, especially when some people on this board ignorantly accuse those they disagree with of hating minimum wage workers.

Is it not reasonable to just say... ok you are right that these are bottom of the rung jobs, but it's best for the country to raise minimum wage and here's why...

We have to take it literally, because that's what people think all over the country. People have to face reality sooner or later, we need so called unskilled workers to make the world go around. But...if you work in a minimum wage job, the chances of upward movement depends on if you can go to college, if you don't have kids, and if you have parents that will help you....and yes, if you're not brown. All the people who can't afford college, who have kids, and don't have help are stuck in these jobs. There aren't enough good paying jobs to go around, and every corporation knows this and has acted accordingly to take advantage. I talked to a woman working at Target one night. She put in 36 hours that week after Black Friday, and that is not her full time job. She has three school age children, is a single mother, and has rotten teeth. She worked 76 hours a week, and she said she did it to give her children what they needed. That's what we are asking of our citizens, all the while giving tax break after tax break to folks who don't need it. They couldn't spend all that money in 10 lifetimes, but it's okay just because we admire them, envy them, wish we were them????? I have no idea. The wealthy are not special, and there will come a time when people will realize what they are doing to this Earth in the name of profit.

[Krgrecw]

So Kendiz how much of this women's predicament is her fault? Is the babies daddy in the picture? Is she getting child support? Does she live comfortably or is she driving a nice big SUV and living above her means? Did she choose to have a kid young? Why did she not opp to go to college? Did someone forbid her from getting a college degree?

[weso1]

Respectfully, Weso, that is NOT all he and the others are saying.

Some of you are being way too oversensitive. Wish we could have a debate on this without these potentially misguided assumptions of what those you disagree with feel about others. But hey... looks like it won't stop so continue.

[Julio3000]

Why wasn't she smart enough to get a full scholarship to college? Why didn't she choose to go to a school that adequately prepared her for getting into college? Why didn't she choose to have parents who went the extra mile to look after her best interests? Why wasn't she smart enough to realize that she isn't allowed to make a mistake?

[weso1]

We have to take it literally, because that's what people think all over the country.

No, that's what you assume people think all over the country. You have no idea what people think about other people. I happen to believe that most right leaning folk have a lot of respect for single moms who work hard to support their kids. Doesn't mean though that one has to support min wage or a min wage increase. The contempt are for those who are lazy and take advantage of the system.

Another thing... Pubs don't dislike welfare, they dislike excessive welfare.

[Julio3000]

No, that's what you assume people think all over the country. You have no idea what people think about other people. I happen to believe that most right leaning folk have a lot of respect for single moms who work hard to support their kids. Doesn't mean though that one has to support min wage or a min wage increase. The contempt are for those who are lazy and take advantage of the system.

Another thing... Pubs don't dislike welfare, they dislike excessive welfare.

This is an interesting question. It seems like whenever this topic or one like it arises—which is often, recently—there are a few posters who do almost nothing but denigrate poor people and the choices they supposedly made or didn't make.

Can I ask y'all to do something? Even if your pet hobbyhorse issue is all of the public monies that we're supposedly throwing at layabouts, can you at least try to consider all people as being worthwhile and invested with humanity and dignity equal to your own? When you're talking about minimum wage workers, will you at least consider that they are WORKING? Shouldn't all work have dignity? If you hate welfare and fetishize work, why aren't you congratulating these folks for strapping up and punching the clock every day?

When you say, for example, "Do something better with your life than working the cashier at Wendy's," don't you think that is more than a little bit condescending or insensitive?

[sturg33]

I'm personally against the minimum wage law because I think it undermines personal liberty.

If a person is willing to work for a company for $5/hr, and the company agrees to pay that, then he should be allowed too. Instead, the federal government says "no, you two adults can't make that agreement." And thus, the person who is willing to work can not be afforded for what he is going to bring to the company.

I think if you eliminate the min wage, the workers would actually be compensated for what they are valued at. Now, a cashier is "valued" at minimum wage, and thus is being paid as such. If you eliminate that, the worker has a lot more leverage.

Just my $0.02. I'll respond to others when I have more time. On the road this weekend.

[Julio3000]

I'm personally against the minimum wage law because I think it undermines personal liberty.

If a person is willing to work for a company for $5/hr, and the company agrees to pay that, then he should be allowed too. Instead, the federal government says "no, you two adults can't make that agreement." And thus, the person who is willing to work can not be afforded for what he is going to bring to the company.

I think if you eliminate the min wage, the workers would actually be compensated for what they are valued at. Now, a cashier is "valued" at minimum wage, and thus is being paid as such. If you eliminate that, the worker has a lot more leverage.

Just my $0.02. I'll respond to others when I have more time. On the road this weekend.

Wha?

[weso1]

This is an interesting question. It seems like whenever this topic or one like it arises—which is often, recently—there are a few posters who do almost nothing but denigrate poor people and the choices they supposedly made or didn't make.

Can I ask y'all to do something? Even if your pet hobbyhorse issue is all of the public monies that we're supposedly throwing at layabouts, can you at least try to consider all people as being worthwhile and invested with humanity and dignity equal to your own? When you're talking about minimum wage workers, will you at least consider that they are WORKING? Shouldn't all work have dignity? If you hate welfare and fetishize work, why aren't you congratulating these folks for strapping up and punching the clock every day?

When you say, for example, "Do something better with your life than working the cashier at Wendy's," don't you think that is more than a little bit condescending or insensitive?

I don't really see it as an insult at all. Again... really oversensitive here. I mean look at it like this... If you have a kid and your kid comes up to you and says "I want to work at McDonald's for the rest of my life", you sure aren't doing your kid a favor by saying, "That's great, you will be a worker and worthwhile." No, if you are a good parent then you will probably try to steer your child away from that decision. Is that condescending or insensitive to those who have to work those jobs?

The fact is that you can't assume what other people feel. If you try to then you're no better than those you are grumping about. Isn't that what you think they are doing anyway? Assuming something about someone that may not be true?

[Julio3000]

One's value is not measured by one's profession. Who we are as people has nothing to do with whether or not we have to wear a nametag at work.

So is work worthwhile? Do you respect peoples' choice to seek work, even if it's menial? Isn't that the thrust of so many of the threads in this forum? If not, I think we've set up a horrible dynamic, where only the affluent are truly valued . . . not as contributors to the GDP, but as people.

Look, I understand what you're saying about assumptions, and I just don't agree with it. I am fairly certain that value judgements are routinely made in these threads—mostly about the poor and the unemployed. I think it's just as likely that you are being deliberately obtuse as it is that I'm inferring them without reason.

[goldfly]

This is an interesting question. It seems like whenever this topic or one like it arises—which is often, recently—there are a few posters who do almost nothing but denigrate poor people and the choices they supposedly made or didn't make.

Can I ask y'all to do something? Even if your pet hobbyhorse issue is all of the public monies that we're supposedly throwing at layabouts, can you at least try to consider all people as being worthwhile and invested with humanity and dignity equal to your own? When you're talking about minimum wage workers, will you at least consider that they are WORKING? Shouldn't all work have dignity? If you hate welfare and fetishize work, why aren't you congratulating these folks for strapping up and punching the clock every day?

When you say, for example, "Do something better with your life than working the cashier at Wendy's," don't you think that is more than a little bit condescending or insensitive?

no doubt

said it was an interesting evolution

went from hating people that don't work to now hating on people actually working

[weso1]

One's value is not measured by one's profession. Who we are as people has nothing to do with whether or not we have to wear a nametag at work.

So is work worthwhile? Do you respect peoples' choice to seek work, even if it's menial? Isn't that the thrust of so many of the threads in this forum? If not, I think we've set up a horrible dynamic, where only the affluent are truly valued . . . not as contributors to the GDP, but as people.

Who is even arguing against that though? I'm not even sure who you are debating with and grumping about here. Clearly there are different values of human labor in a financial sense. We're arguing an economic issue here, which is why it's being brought up. That's all the argument is about, not the worth of a person outside of their worth to their employer.

Honestly, it's impossible to have an honest debate with someone when they come up with these ignorant assumptions and refuse to admit that they could be wrong. But you guys have to be on your high horse all the time.

[goldfly]

But you guys have to be on your high horse all the time.

i have to be on a high horse

i am tall

it isn't like i could be on a miniature horse

[weso1]

no doubt

said it was an interesting evolution

went from hating people that don't work to now hating on people actually working

crumpfly6 in one thread complains that we don't work together anymore

crumpfly6 in another thread insults those he disagrees with based on ignorant and biased assumptions.

[weso1]

I think I've said all I can say itt, so I'll get out of here before it escalates to a further personal level.

I'll just say that I wish folks on this board wouldn't assume that we hate poor people because of what they do for a living. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to stuff socks down my toilets and flush them so that my maid has something to do tomorrow.

[The Chosen One]

AA you can come out of hiding. I see you're lurking.

[jpx7]

I happen to believe that most right leaning folk have a lot of respect for single moms who work hard to support their kids. Doesn't mean though that one has to support min wage or a min wage increase.

These things are effectively mutually exclusive. Thus, in my opinion, they do not respect "single moms who work hard to support their kids"; they are lying—either to themselves, perhaps because it's easier than admitting they feel this way about other human beings, or to others, likely to avoid being outed for feeling this way about other human beings.

Another thing... Pubs don't dislike welfare, they dislike excessive welfare.

More delusions of self or others.

[jpx7]

Just my $0.02.

Which is about how much corporations will value "unskilled" workers if institutional checks are removed.

I'll take a page from your book: History has concluded this.

[jpx7]

Again... really oversensitive here.

Now here you are, assuming our sensitivities are in excess of what is appropriate.

OH NO.

[weso1]

Now here you are, assuming our sensitivities are in excess of what is appropriate.

OH NO.

YOU GOT ME! ZOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOD ONE!