The stupid....it burns

Wandering the internet can be a maddening experience.   The lack of intelligence, empathy and compassion is breathtaking.  A case in point is the argument for and against the minimum wage.  Most people who work at minimum wage jobs are doing it as a last resort.  Very few employees at your local Mickey Ds made working at a fast food restaurant a career decision.  Even the managers work for subsistence wages.  Most of these people in turn depend on food stamps, Medicaid and other safety net programs to get by.  In other words, the financial model of  the fast food industry depends on massive subsidies from the rest of us.  It is similar to the subsidies big oil gets from American military might protecting and expediting the flow of oil from the middle east.  When this is pointed out in a blog post, the indignation is almost instantaneous.  I think some lower and middle class people feel the need for a destitute stratum of poors to feel better about their own plight.  Others just display a gross ignorance of economics and a total lack of empathy.  Of course, the solution to the whole problem is a guaranteed minimum income for everyone.  That will level the playing field and we'll find out just how many "minimum wage" jobs there are and what that wage would be.