President Harry S Truman, on socialism, March 29, 1952:
"The real Republican campaign is not going to be fought on the issues. The Republicans are going to wage a campaign of phony propaganda. They are going to try what we might call the "white is black" and the "black is white" strategy...The only chance for the Republicans, therefore, is to make the people think the facts aren't so. The job for the Republicans is to make people believe that white is black and black is white.
This is a pretty difficult way to win an election. It wouldn't appeal to anybody but very desperate Republican politicians. But the Republicans have some reason for thinking it might succeed. They will have the support of... most of the radio commentators... The Republicans, as always, will have a lot of money. They have slick advertising experts. And they don't have too many scruples about how they use them... The Republicans are all set to try this "white is black" technique. And this is the way it will work. First of all, they will try to make people believe that everything the Government has done for the country is socialism. They will go to the people and say: 'Did you see that social security check you received the other day--you thought that was good for you, didn't you? That's just too bad! That's nothing in the world but socialism. Did you see that new flood control dam the Government is building over there for the protection of your property ? Sorry--that's awful socialism! That new hospital that they are building is socialism. Price supports, more socialism for the farmers! Minimum wage laws ? Socialism for labor! Socialism is bad for you, my friend. Everybody knows that. And here you are, with your new car, and your home, and better opportunities for the kids, and a television set--you are just surrounded by socialism!'
Now the Republicans say, 'That's a terrible thing, my friend, and the only way out of this sinkhole of socialism is to vote for the Republican ticket.' "
NaNoWriMo Word Count: Unchanged
"Minimum wage laws ? Socialism for labor!"
ReplyDeleteThose are anti-labor, actually. Minimum wage increases always cause people to get fired. To go from a low wage to no wage.
Also, it clobbers business, especially small businesses, by forcing them to hand out free money to people who haven't earned it. Free money that goes to people who are rich OR poor. The minimum wage is of course not means-tested at all.
So, here you have a program that forces small business to hand out money to people whether they need it or not. And quite often they can't afford the handouts and have to lay off people because they can't afford to be a welfare agency.
Just one comment on one aspect.
"The minimum wage is of course not means-tested at all."
ReplyDeleteHow does the minimum wage affect anyone other than those at the bottom of the income ladder?
"How does the minimum wage affect anyone other than those at the bottom of the income ladder?"
ReplyDeleteThink about it... Is the minimum wage means tested? Of course not. So it affects everyone who works at such jobs, regardless of income.
This includes all those teenagers from middle-class families getting starter jobs to buy DVDs and clothes.
I really don't understand what so disgusts you about people working very hard at thankless jobs getting a few extra dollars.
ReplyDelete"I really don't understand what so disgusts you about people working very hard at thankless jobs getting a few extra dollars."
ReplyDeleteWhat is "disgusting" is that this money is not earned. And where does it come from? Typically, small business which operate on a thin margin anyway. They are being forced to be a welfare agency, handing out unearned money.
Nothing disgusts me about people working hard and earning a few extra dollars. But it's another matter entirely when some poorly-thought-out policy requires others to dig into their pockets to give someone money (regardless of any need or poverty) that they never earned.
I take it that you have never really been involved in small business?
I've never run one. I've worked for them.
ReplyDeleteHas there ever been a wave of massive business closures caused by minimum wage laws?
What destroys business, lives, and societies, is massive unleveraged bets by bankers who should have known better, but didn't. And didn't pay the price for their failures.
Paying the kid who delivers the pizza another dollar an hour doesn't rank as a threat to the Republic. In my opinion.
"Has there ever been a wave of massive business closures caused by minimum wage laws?"
ReplyDeleteIt's always slow and gradual. And no-one seems to care if a few thousand lives are destroyed by very bad policies such as the minimum wage. It slips under the radar by not beign in the "100,000s of jobs lost" category.
"Paying the kid who delivers the pizza another dollar an hour doesn't rank as a threat to the Republic. In my opinion."
Or, as the case often is, the kid gets fired as the company is forced to cut a few of its delivery staff. Because it can't afforced to be a welfare agency.
Yes, there are worse threats. But why let this happen at all?