Reply #34: How about we really think outside the box?

[pokercat999]

"Better than a minimum wage, make it so that Labor isn't the surplus factor of production. With enough Capital & Land, and the economic means to allocate them, Labor will be relatively scarce, and therefore valuable - allowing workers to shop jobs for the best wages and working conditions"
(I hope you don't mean "production" as in "manufacturing" if so you should address this to China.)

The only way to do this is of course use all available natural resources here and from abroad, consuming more and more until we are completely buried in our own trash.

How about instead we realize with the computerization of the American "Service Sector" there are just not and never will be enough meaningful jobs to go around. The answer is a guarantee livable "wage" and free health care for everyone, with or without employment. The unemployed could pursue useful lives in whatever "career" they chose be it in the arts or in service to their fellow citizens or as crack junkies....whaever they would choose for themselves. Oops......too close to "freedom" I guess. The alternative is to rebuild our infrastructure ala Sen, Hawkins (D-IW) 1980 ?.