this whole discussion reminds me of the [Speerhamland system in England](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speenhamland_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speenha

this whole discussion reminds me of the [Speerhamland system in England](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speenhamland_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speenhamland_system), which was supposed to guarantee everyone enough to eat, but because it made up the difference between the employer's pay and the speerhamland rate with government funds, it effectively created a maximum wage in the countryside.