Swickard: Paying Americans too much or too little

© 2014 Michael Swickard, Ph.D.  Question: when is the notion of “any” considered not enough? And, when is the notion of “much” considered too much? Answer: when the government decides the compensation for American workers.

     Lately, along with the push to increase minimum compensation, there is now a push to impose a maximum wage. Some Americans are getting too much compensation so the government must stop them.

     I cannot lay my finger on the part of the United States Constitution that says the government can make me pay someone more or less than I desire. The founders thought that emancipated adult citizens had the right to make any deal for compensation if both sides agree. If they do not agree, they do not have to trade.

     Economist Milton Friedman wrote, “There is one and only one social responsibility of business, to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.”

     All of the horror stories about workers being abused involve times in America’s past that are no longer germane to the argument. If someone is not making any money right now and wants to work for less than the minimum wage it is wrong to keep them unemployed. Further, they are not gaining productive skills.

     The minimum wage punishes the least productive Americans. It is not their fault that they are just now joining the workforce but the truth is they have few skills. When there is a minimum wage the least productive are the first to not be hired. So, is long-term unemployment better than working for less? The minimum wage should be completely abolished and let each citizen make their own deal to trade their productivity for wages.

     But that will not work politically because politicians trade upon being able to give the bounty of one citizen to another for their vote. It is also the dreams of the elites to decide what you need and then impose how you will work and what compensation you will get for your time.

     Where does this come from? The government minders use the American Fairness Doctrine that the founders of our country completely rejected. This rather new doctrine says that the government must decide what is fair regardless of what citizens think.

     The founders of our country thought each citizen should have equal opportunity but it was up to each citizen to get their desired results. They recognized that each of us should be free to work harder, longer or smarter if we want, or, importantly, not to do so if we were willing to accept the consequences.

     Alas, our country has fallen into some notions seriously at odds with what our founders intended and what most Americans want. Yes, some Americans can be bribed with other citizen’s money but know this: if the shoe goes on the other foot these same citizens who are happy to take someone else’s money will be outraged if the money is taken from them.

     So here is the new way government is going to make a more perfect union: our current leader have the idea that some people have less than they need while some have more than they need. In their mind the government minders think they know what each needs so the government will tell them, nay, force them to have what the government thinks is fair. 

     This is especially so with the notion that some American simply have too much. Take it from them for fairness. So tell me: what could possible go wrong with some pencil-necked bureaucrats in Washington deciding what you need and do not need? 

     Soooo, is your hair on fire yet? Mine is with the notion that some paper-pusher sitting at a desk far away from me can control my life in that way. Every day in every way the government takes over more and more control of your life.

     It does not matter that I did not vote to let nameless, faceless dictators control me. The government lives to gain power over the citizens. Shall we resist the loss of our freedoms?
Dr. Michael Swickard hosts the syndicated radio talk show News New Mexico six to nine a.m. Monday - Friday on a number of New Mexico radio stations and through streaming. Email: michael@swickard.com