The Differences Between Liberals and Conservatives on Key Issues

[Kosmo kards]

How do you feel about raising minimum wage?

Personally, I am against it. Raising the minimum wage would just cause prices to everything to go up, so for me it really defeats the purpose. That's just my opinion on it though.

[mrveggieman]

Personally, I am against it. Raising the minimum wage would just cause prices to everything to go up, so for me it really defeats the purpose. That's just my opinion on it though.

Prices of goods still increase without increasing min wage.

[Kosmo kards]

Prices of goods still increase without increasing min wage.

Oh, I know. I don't think that minimum wage should be $0.00, because I know that there are people that would exploit that. I think minimum wage should be about $7.50 an hour and should go up about 3% each year to keep up with inflation.

However, just raising the minimum wage isn't the answer to fixing poverty. If the minimum wage goes up to ten dollars an hour, prices on almost everything will go up substantially, so for me it really defeats the purpose.

[Wickabee]

Raising the minimum wage has a history of helping the economy grow. It also makes working more lucrative, since working for less than welfare makes no sense. There will still be those who would rather be poor than work, but there are a lot of people looking at work vs reward and choosing welfare simply because it's more money for less work. Who wouldn't take that? Instead of cutting welfare, money can be immediately better spent because of this.

[yankeesfan1324]

I find the description of conservatives in the link to be way off. I call myself a republican (although technically you could say I am a libertarian) and fit very few of the descriptions.

The only thing I really agree with is the stereotypical view on guns. The link is 100% correct in pointing out it was written in a different time. However, "self defense and hunting" were not the original reasons for gun rights (but still are nice). The concept is that the government gets it's power from the people. If the government abuses it's power, it is the responsibility and right of the people to overthrow the government. When we have weapons equal to what the military has, the government must please the people or risk being overthrown, but when we are stuck with pistols and the military has full auto M16's, the fear of the people is gone.

The problem with raising minimum wages is that it hurts businesses. They then raise prices, and we are right back where we started, only people who were smart and saved money are hurt because of inflation. The best solution would be to keep a fairly low minimum wage, with and only give welfare to people actively looking for a job and who pass a drug test. This way, businesses can profit without raising prices, newly hired people can actually spend their money, and the eventual goal would be to get the economy in a place where if a company only offers minimum wage, they will go out of business because there is more competition. It would also hurt the people who are living off of welfare that aren't trying to get a job

[Kosmo kards]

If people that worked at Burger King made $20 an hour, prices of everything from rent to food to basically every good imaginable would see a huge price increase, thus basically meaning even if minimum wage was $20 an hour prices would eventually rise to the point that there would still be this feeling that they make $8 an hour. Although I definitely see your point that if you can make more not to work than to work, most people will choose to take the welfare unfortunately. Businesses would have no choice to raise prices.

[Wickabee]

If people that worked at Burger King made $20 an hour, prices of everything from rent to food to basically every good imaginable would see a huge price increase, thus basically meaning even if minimum wage was $20 an hour prices would eventually rise to the point that there would still be this feeling that they make $8 an hour. Although I definitely see your point that if you can make more not to work than to work, most people will choose to take the welfare unfortunately. Businesses would have no choice to raise prices.

Ignoring the idea of minimum wage reaching $20/hr in my lifetime...

It tends to go the other way. Prices rise, THEN minimum wage rises. Seriously, take a look at what has happened with the economy historically when minimum wage is raised. It seems counterproductive, because what you say does make sense. However, it completely ignores the idea of a happy and satisfied workforce being more productive. Keeping minimum wage low leads to unhappy employees. Unhappy employees can shut down a business as surely as unhappy players can get a coach fired. Happy employees take pride in their work. Obviously, there's more to that than minimum wage, but it's still there.

It also ignores that people with money tend to spend that money. More money in the pockets of minimum wage earners means more money for them to spend, which means more stock gets ordered at the stores they frequent creating more jobs at the production level to meet demand. It also creates demand for staff within the store and further creates jobs that way.

The idea that the way to fix an economy which depends on mass consumption is to give money to the "job creators" to dispense as they see fit makes as much sense as raising welfare entitlements above minimum wage. None. The fact of the matter is, with the system that's in place, the people need the money to spread around. Without the people consuming, there is no need for sales staff, production staff or businesses at all. It sounds good when they say "further tax breaks and government grants will give us the money to create new jobs" but why would anyone in their right mind create a job there's no demand for? The demand has to be created first, then the jobs will come. If business owners seriously believe that by them magically "creating" a job, demand will suddenly keep up for no discernable reason, they're crazy. If you believe they're going to create jobs without first seeing demand, you're crazy.

Raising minimum wage is a way of putting money in the pockets of the people without adding a tax, though I'm sure business owners will call it a tax, the way veg calls voter ID laws a poll tax. It gives people something to work for. You can preach pride and self-respect as reasons for working but at the end of the day, money is why we have jobs.

Like the lady says, "Buy this car to drive to work, drive to work to pay for this car."

[shrewsbury]

I am sure minimum wage should be adjusted, but the answer is not trying to raise a family off minimum wage, unless you are working two jobs or you and your spouse both work.

imo, these jobs should be for high school, college kids, seniors, people who need extra income, or a temp solution for someone who lost their job or is entering the workforce.

but I would rather see a family having at least one fulltime worker, even if minimum wage and get help, then no one working at all. if it is a single parent with non school aged kids, then they might have to wait until the kids are in school before working at all.

I just wish there was better advocacy for people on welfare, which I understand may cost us more, but in the long run, we will have more people working, less on welfare, and the money we spent is spent on those in need.


while we are on this, how do you all feel about restriction on services and goods for those on welfare?

example; you can have internet access, but just the basic level. you can't own a car over a certain value nor have car payments exceeding a certain limit?

[Wickabee]

I think restrictions like that would he counterproductive. Think of the guy who needs to get by between jobs or the seasonal worker (entire industries are built on seasonal workers). You're now saying you won't help the guy get to another job until he sellse everything he owns and buys crap. You're telling the seasonal worker what car he can buy. I don't know if I agree with that.

[gladdyontherise]

There is only one real fundamental difference between Conservative and Liberal.


One demands and embraces change, the other sees no real reason for it.


Thread closed.

You know, sometimes change is bad. Look at the presidency of Barack Obama, it's filled with change, and most of it is bad.