4 ms·

it's worth asking what the word servant even means/connotes. a first-rate butler can make $100k or more. if you have a well-paid butler working for a single hou

it's worth asking what the word servant even means/connotes. a first-rate butler can make $100k or more. if you have a well-paid butler working for a single household, a low wage house cleaner who cleans many different homes, a salaried web dev, and a freelance web dev, which members of the group would you describe as "servants"? does it matter if the butler makes more money than the devs?

torpfactory 8y ago
I don' think that is a terribly good example to bring up. While there are certainly a small number of well paid butlers, there is a veritable army of contract cleaners who roam our offices and homes during the night and day. Most of them are making in the vicinity of minimum wage. I'm not sure if servant is the right word for them, but gosh it seems unfair just how badly paid they are.
- gbacon 8y ago
  The economist must consider both the seen and the unseen. Let’s say a $15 minimum wage for custodians is instituted. Sure, it’s great for the “lucky” ones who remain employed. A moment’s reflection shows they aren’t lucky at all: they’re going to be the most productive of the bunch and not selected at random. This policy, allegedly put into place in the name of fairness, is decidedly unfair to people (for example young, inexperienced, or disabled) whose hourly productivity lies between the arbitrary minimum and consumers’ actual demand, or to the staff at the place of business who just picked up additional “other duties as assigned” because cleaning services just got so expensive. Competing on price for low-skill work that anyone can walk in off the street and do (that is, lots of competition) is a terrible strategy compared to competing on quality. Think: “Acme Cleaners, where all our employees have passed multiple background checks.”

4 ms·

it's worth asking what the word servant even means/connotes. a first-rate butler can make $100k or more. if you have a well-paid butler working for a single hou

by leetcrew 8y ago

torpfactory 8y ago
I don' think that is a terribly good example to bring up. While there are certainly a small number of well paid butlers, there is a veritable army of contract cleaners who roam our offices and homes during the night and day. Most of them are making in the vicinity of minimum wage. I'm not sure if servant is the right word for them, but gosh it seems unfair just how badly paid they are.
- gbacon 8y ago
  The economist must consider both the seen and the unseen. Let’s say a $15 minimum wage for custodians is instituted. Sure, it’s great for the “lucky” ones who remain employed. A moment’s reflection shows they aren’t lucky at all: they’re going to be the most productive of the bunch and not selected at random. This policy, allegedly put into place in the name of fairness, is decidedly unfair to people (for example young, inexperienced, or disabled) whose hourly productivity lies between the arbitrary minimum and consumers’ actual demand, or to the staff at the place of business who just picked up additional “other duties as assigned” because cleaning services just got so expensive. Competing on price for low-skill work that anyone can walk in off the street and do (that is, lots of competition) is a terrible strategy compared to competing on quality. Think: “Acme Cleaners, where all our employees have passed multiple background checks.”