Yeah, subby. We get it. “Both sides are bad.” But one side is boring corporatists who don’t give a crap and the other side is 100% concentrated evil fascists, authoritarians and religious nutjobs. And while that’s a choice between the lesser of two evils, it’s not a difficult one.
That may have been the point of the original comic, but given the caption, I think OP’s point wasn’t that both sides are bad, but was that a two party system is inherently biased towards corporate capture.
We do get it. It’s obvious. It’s so obvious that the only people still supporting FPTP are in favor of it; they don’t give a crap about selling us out to fascists.
And the “not fascists” angle worked a lot better when they weren’t aiding a genocide.
Corporations pay evil fascists to be evil fascist so you could choose “lesser evil”
Minimum wage works. Here is an article from the german newspaper FAZ (leans economically right) that presents a study that shows the low income sector has shrunk since the implementation of minimum wages.
Germany before had one of the biggest low income sectors in the western world.
And no, the unemployment rate did not skyrocket. In fact, Germany is as close to full employment as it gets.Germany is as close to full employment as it gets.
I wonder what they do in 21st century when everything is mechanized and automated like never before.
That’s literally the exact same thing they said about the 20th century.
UBI and nordic-level welfare should have been implemented in 20th century.
Let’s break that shit up!
Approval voting and proportional representation! So long as we have single-seat elections using choose-one voting, we’ll be stuck with two parties.
I’m so glad to see more people around here realizing this.
222 downvotes lol this really struck a nerve in liberals huh
It’s just shallow and disappointing.
Your idea of what politics is about has to be bigger than shitposting and trolling.
Sorry that you expected a 200 page analysis of politics from a meme
I love this, nobody can actually defend this as a healthy way of engaging with politics.
Sir, this is a c/memes
Oh phew, I was worried. Okay okay, what year is it? Do you have any plutonium? I need to get back to my dimension and you’ve been so helpful so far
The democrats have been trying to raise minimum wage for idk 15 years now, they just haven’t been given a functional enough majority to make it happen at the national level, though they have absolutely done so at the state level. I think your complaint might be misdirected, and could better apply to the fundamental structure of our bicameral legislature, and especially at the filibuster rule that is getting increasingly unpopular with senators themselves. When the filibuster is gone sometime in the next 6 years I expect, you will see a noticeably more functional senate.
I am thoroughly confused as to why this comment is getting downvotes. It corrects the misinterpretation of the poster in a polite and civilized manner, while bringing forth interesting discussion as to what the future may hold and possible solutions to our country’s predicament.
Unfortunately I think a lot of people find it easier to feel nihilistic than recognize that there is a path forward
2 party system is almost the same as 1 party dictatorship. You do need unlimited amount of parties to have any kind of democracy
You need to learn a skill that leads to a living wage. Demanding politicians to directly do that is pointless, they are absolutely unable to give you that. The only thing they can directly do is set a minimum wage, which is essentially a lie. It doesn’t actually give you a minimum/living wage, instead it makes you completely unemployable if your wage level is between 0-(minimum wage).
As u/nomad mentioned, demanding structures that make getting an education easier or give you safety nets when things go to shit, or basic income/negative tax rates for low incomes is something politicans can do. But don’t demand stupid things like minimum wage, they might actually do those.
You need to learn a skill that leads to a living wage. Demanding politicians to directly do that
This is a perfect example of traditional neoliberal rhetoric, attributing success solely to individual effort and downplaying structural obstacles. It operates under the assumption that everyone has equal opportunities for success, which is simply not the case. This ideology perpetuates the existence of a low-wage sector for those who may not have had access to the same educational opportunities, such as migrants, single parents, and others facing systemic barriers. The American Dream, often touted as a symbol of success through hard work, is a myth perpetuated by neoliberalism. It is important not to buy into the narrative that one’s circumstances are solely their own fault. Statistics show that social mobility is much lower in the US compared to many European countries, which further disproves the idea that hard work alone guarantees success.
Precisely this. People are taught by the wealthy class to devalue certain jobs because they are deemed “lesser than,” and that the people that occupy those jobs are “not worthy” of a living wage, benefits, a stable living situation, respect, and more. This systematic dehumanization prevents us from realizing the true harms that working class people of all backgrounds are experiencing. Of course, the harms are compounded if you identify as a woman, a person of color, a queer person, as having a disability, or if you don’t speak the native language.
Environmental Justice is what we need - a sense of community, mutual support, and a collective realization of past harms that have been baked into every policy, from the local to the federal level. These harmful policies have to be disrupted and dismantled, which can only be possible through education and action. The more people that engage in collective action under the banner of Environmental Justice, the better chance we have of really making meaningful, positive change.
/rant
Not sure what you have against minimum wage, it works well in other countries (I’m from the Netherlands). Obviously it doesn’t solve everything by itself, but it’s definitely a valuable part of a range of measures to treat people fairly. It’s a fantasy that everyone can be educated to a level above minimum wage.
Not sure what you have against minimum wage,
Having bit more than basic education in economics, I suppose.
It’s a fantasy that everyone can be educated to a level above minimum wage.
Is it more or less a fantasy than the fantasy that every employer is able to pay the minimum wage?
If company can’t pay it’s workers a living wage, that company shouldn’t exist.
Indeed. That’s exactly what will happen. And then people whose wage level is below the minimum wage will be unemployed.
Ah, got it, so all our problems are the fault of those pesky workers wanting to afford to survive, and not those who refuse to function unless they’re exploiting others…
Makes perfect sense, “economist”… 🙄😂And should be given welfare check.
Or UBI as we seemed to agree on other part of the thread. Either of these are better solutions than minimum wage.
Minimum wage works. Here is an article from the german newspaper FAZ (leans economically right) that presents a study that shows the low income sector has shrunk since the implementation of minimum wages.
Germany before had one of the biggest low income sectors in the western world.
And no, the unemployment rate did not skyrocket. In fact, Germany is as close to full employment as it gets.
You are not entitled workers just because you started a business. Pay them well or don’t run a business
Yes, that’s what happens in a minimum wage environment, although not every single time like people have shown in these threads. But when somebody doesn’t start a business, that’s invisible.
What is visible is when an existing business’s costs rise above the minimum wage level. There are plenty of reasons why this could happen, 9/10 of them not being “the C-levels are paid too much”. That’s when they start firing people or just go under which essentially fires everyone.
Perhaps we want a society that don’t have employment for the people who can only work below a minimum wage level. That’s some sort of a decision, I just want to be honest about making that decision.
It doesn’t even happen a statistically significant number of times, you’re just parrotting what executives want you to believe, believing they know what’s best for you
You clearly don’t have more than a basic education in economics if you’re peddling debunked bullshit.
I’m afraid that it’s really only a tiny bit more than basic education. Empiric studies refuted the negative effect of minimum wage on employment.
That video does give good arguments, but to suggest that this is not a controversial issue in economics is perhaps a bit dishonest. Granted, I suppose I suggested that as well.
e: that channel’s Breadtube vs Economics series seem pretty good, thanks for the pointer. Seems like the channel is left-leaning, and this makes me doubly happy. A political left with good knowledge on economics would be a great thing.
Sorry I was a bit oversimplified. Had to get off the pooper.
These folks seem to have a different understanding than you.
Specifically:
Since as many as 10 percent of the lowest-wage workers leave or start jobs every month, any decrease in the number of full-time equivalent jobs will mean that some workers will take more time finding a new job, or will work fewer hours. But many of these workers may still see their annual earnings rise because of their wage increase.
Having bit more than basic education in economics, I suppose.
Good for your family I guess. Now study cybernetics.
Is it more or less a fantasy than the fantasy that every employer is able to pay the minimum wage?
Is that why it seems you have negative wage?
Having bit more than basic education in economics, I suppose.
Well there’s your problem: neoclassical / neoliberal / Chicago School economics, which has become hegemonic in universities around the capitalist world, is garbage.
But don’t demand stupid things like minimum wage
Wow. Let’s come back to reality for a moment.
There are millions out there that cannot afford to make themselves employable. They work long hours, possibly two jobs, plus a hustle just to not make enough for ends to meet. How do they go back to school? Learn a trade?
I am one of them, except I haven’t found my hustle yet. I work 40+ hours each week, but I take home so little. I was able to make rent two days ago, for last months rent. I have to hold off on a one of my meds, because paying rent took precedent over everything else, again. People like me don’t give a shit about programs that cannot help us in the short term. We already know our long term: work until we die, with nothing to show for it.
We could turn down the heat, so that the frogs might be able to escape their boiling fate? No, let’s design a better pot that won’t boil the frogs. The ones in there now won’t make it, but their progeny will also likely…not make it.
You ought to check yourself before you call what can be a major relief for millions, stupid. Seriously.
Sure, it is my fault that even though there is enough food and most of the farming is automated, I still need to work for it because I don’t own the land. We shouldn’t ask them to fix it for us, they never will. We need to take control of the land that feeds us.
I don’t know you, but I can guess: it’s almost never the individual’s fault. But we should still look for efficient solutions, not populist non-solutions.
UBI is very efficient. Efficient for the working class, not so much for the capitalists.
I agree on UBI. That would be a good solution.
Lmmfao, so you’re against minimum wage claiming it’s a non-solution (and also that some workers must gain further education to even “deserve” it) while advocating UBI, which is a solution on the exact same level as minimum wage is - the level that still allows capitalists to exploit the labour of others for profit (except with UBI, it is the government compensating them from the tax pot, either way, it’s working people paying the highest price - freedom).
Never mind that the meme doesn’t offer it up as a solution to anything, but more of a bare minimum that neither democrats nor republicans will give, because, and this is the point the meme is actually making which seems to have gone completely over your head - both democrats and republicans work for capitalism, not you.
Truth is, you’re just here to flex your “economist” muscles, but instead you’re just spewing clueless yet confident incorrectness all over the place… 😂
The solution is UBI.
Both
This is actually pure bullshit, by the way! Minimum wage is proven to be beneficial.
Don’t ask your government for a living wage. Or your employer. An education that gives you leverage to negotiate a living wage tough… that’s totally a governments responsibility and in its range of possibility. Everything else is a social subsidy which is fine as long as you call it by its name which is disability pay and unemployment pay. Ask your government for that too.
Teachers are very educated and yet have very low wages. The problem is not that workers are not skilled enough, it is that system isn’t giving them their fair share. All the profit goes to the rich, while poor are getting poorer.
Teachers are state employees. Their pay is a disgrace.
Would be nice if Capitalists would stop lobbying to lower public funding.
Socialism 2024
Same comic, just change the little guy to “Socialism 2024” and the two big guys to “DNC & Biden”
You have the power to change the world brother.
I definitely don’t, but together we have some semblance of power.
The democrats seem more… ribbed in this drawing.
Why am I “throwing my vote away” for voting third party?
Go find one of the millions of times this has been explained already.