In the past I've been downvoted for replying to such a comment with something along the lines of "that makes sense if you're a libertarian". I think people assu

In the past I've been downvoted for replying to such a comment with something along the lines of "that makes sense if you're a libertarian". I think people assumed that I was baiting for something but I'm actually totally genuine when I say that: if you think a totally libertarian society is the way to go then things like minimum wage make little sense, just let individuals figure out what they want and don't want to do. If you don't go full libertarian and you think that the state should provide some level of protection then things change because if people are not paid enough to live a decent life they'll end up falling into one of society's safety net (cost of law enforcement if people start stealing, cost of welfare if they require handouts to eat decently, cost to social security if they become sick due to poor living or working conditions etc...). In such a situation you basically end with society subsidizing these jobs indirectly by cleaning the mess. That's why it makes more sense to simply force decent working conditions instead of encouraging a destructive race to the bottom. Now in practice, regardless of our opinions, the USA is not a libertarian state, there are security nets, there is a certain level of socialized assistance (too much for some, not enough for others). In this situation it makes complete sense to have things like minimum wages and laws making it mandatory to wear your seat belt for instance.