Democratic socialism is the left’s favorite new, edgy political ideology, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is the face of it all.
Before Hillary Clinton pulled the rug out from under the populist lawmaker, Sanders’ platform was generating a large following with young Americans convinced their misfortunes are the result of a rigged economy. While they’re not entirely wrong, the solutions they accepted would have undoubtedly plunged the entire country under crippling debt and a completely unsustainable welfare state.
One of the key promises by Sanders and his modern contemporaries like Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a minimum wage hike. They contend this wage has failed to keep pace with inflation, and large companies are criminally witholding funds that could be going to support their workforce.
The problem with this is that minimum wage jobs require minimum skill. Therefore, people holding these positions are easily replaceable — if not by other people, than by automated systems like kiosks at fast food establishments.
This is what the likes of Sanders don’t seem to understand. By raising the minimum wage, all you’re really going to do is make it harder for less experienced workers to find a job. In turn, this will only led to calls for mandatory employment, or perhaps even higher wages to offset the drop in employment.
~ Facts Not Memes
