The bare minimum

The New York Times has run an infographic on what today's minimum wage would be if it had kept up with the pace of the increase in earnings of the top 1% of earners.

It would be $22.72.

Given the pschopathic tendency of a lack of empathy which envelops many of our corporate leaders and Wall Street moguls, that the minimum wage hasn't kept up with their earnings isn't particularly surprising.

What is surprising is the notation from Think Progress (same link above) that since 1968 worker productivity  in America has more than doubled, and that if wages had kept up with the increases in worker productivity, last year the minimum wage would have been $21.72.

What are the chances Wal-Mart and McDonald's would be watching their employees walk out if they were getting paid over twenty dollars an hour?

On his first comedy CD, Chris Rock did a bit about working for minimum wage, and in it he notes that minimum wage means "if I could pay you less I would."

If your wages don't share at all in the gains your productivity made, one supposes Mr. Rock absolutely nailed it.

Peace,
emaycee