You seem to be suffering from the fallacy that hard work deserves high pay regardless of the usefulness of that work or the available labor supply. It's a very

You seem to be suffering from the fallacy that hard work deserves high pay regardless of the usefulness of that work or the available labor supply. It's a very good thing that we pay people according to market rates in the long term because it continually optimizes production of good things that we all benefit from. I'm sure making gravel with a hammer is even harder work, and it's a good thing that we don't pay people to do that. In the short term it can screw over individuals who find themselves in the wrong type of work, but there are easy ways to protect against that too, for those that are worried enough.