Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

if you pay everyone 10% more, the difference between a $30k worker barely scaping by and a $100k worker that is cofortable simply increases by $7k.

I'm not saying everyone can't get a pay raise, but we can't think linearly here. Semiconductor workers aren't exactly applying for food stamps.



> if you pay everyone 10% more, the difference between a $30k worker barely scaping by and a $100k worker that is cofortable simply increases by $7k.

As long as more of the gross profit goes to workers, that's a step in the right direction.

Though I would say the linear solution is paying everyone $6k more, which is much better!


>As long as more of the gross profit goes to workers, that's a step in the right direction.

That's now how the lesser paid workers will see it, unfortunately.

>Though I would say the linear solution is paying everyone $6k more, which is much better!

That would be flat (Y = 6000 vs Y = 1.X%). Perhaps better, but I'm not sure if that's been done outside of stimulus checks.

I think what the person up chain was alluding to was to increase minimum wage or similar initiatives. Doesn't help the higher end of the working class but helps out the lower end immensely, and indirectly helps out the middle as well.


Minimum wage raises encourage two things in business:

- automation, ie order at a kiosk at McDonald's - not hiring for the job because it is not profitable to do.

This is what happens to low skill workers when we make low skill jobs too expensive.


Not sure if you've noticed but all those things have happened (self checkout, ordering kiosks) while wages haven't grown to meet inflation.


Sure, and that's not a bad thing by itself. It moves the needle up.

I don't think corporate has ever said "we have too many people who want to work". There will be more jobs out there that can't be automated, at least until we hit Terminator levels of sentience. But by then our robot overlords will solve capitalism for us.


True, you also need to cap house and land prices.


No, you just need a properly set land value tax to discourage simple rent seeking behavior from driving up the price of land / housing.


There are taxes on land - at least in Seattle they are part of the property taxes (according to the stub King County sends me every year). But I guess it is not properly enough for you... I am guessing is too low for your probably....


While we're at it the government should set fixed prices for everything and for maximum efficiency they should also control the rate of production. We can call our nation the Democratic People's Republic of Soviet States.


A nation that went from middle ages to the space age in 50 years, and where the standard of living went up immensely?

Sounds better than the current situation where the trends are reversed.


Gulags are good?


Given the US incarceration rate now, it'd be not far from truth to say that US is having its own Gulag moment. Just without other Soviet benefits.


You really should emigrate to North Korea. (Of course you will not do that, everyone is a hero on the internet.)


I'm not sure how bad north korea really is. Because, despite what you may think, we do get propaganda. See how every single time a ransomware hits a company it's always russia/iran/north korea sending it? Do you really think there are no criminals in the rest of the world trying to make some quick money?

Or, notice how ukraine went from "nazi shithole" to "beacon of freedom and democracy" once the war started?

To know how things really are behind the propaganda is basically impossible.

> Of course you will not do that, everyone is a hero on the internet

Well most people don't speak korean…


> Well most people don't speak korean…

Start and learn Korean, and then emigrate. Tell us in 30 years time how it went.


After he gets to North Korea you will not hear from him again.


You advocate for a society without jails?

I mean it'd be great but is it really feasible?




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: