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> A higher minimum wage may have accelerated the process, but this would have happened regardless. That's precisely the point: a higher minimum wage does accel

> A higher minimum wage may have accelerated the process, but this would have happened regardless. That's precisely the point: a higher minimum wage does accelerate the problem. Deciding whether a restaurant hires a servant or purchases a vending machine is a decision made purely on cost. If a politician decides to increase the cost of investing in a specific option (hiring a servant) to the point that the alternative option becomes the best option available to the business, that politician needs to be held accountable for his actions.

ctrl-j 10y ago
> ... that politician needs to be held accountable for his actions. You do realize in this case the politician's action is saying "if you're going to make money off of somebody's labor, you need to pay them enough to take care of their own family.", right? I still disagree with the premise of the article, but it sounds like you do subscribe to the belief that fair pay is killing jobs. In that case, I just have to disagree. If automation kills jobs because we don't allow businesses to make billions while their employees collect food stamps, I think I'm OK with that. The next few years will be rough for many. Jobs are likely to be automated away en-masse, and unemployment will spike. Then maybe enough people will be upset about the situation that we'll see the rise of social programs to help people. Keeping the lower class working multiple jobs to feed and clothe their children isn't a solution.