According to Paul Krugman in today's NYT, workers employed by McDonalds in Denmark make the equivalent of $20./hr. and enjoy 6 weeks of paid vacation every year! Does anyone seriously think fast food establishments in the US would have a labor shortage if they offered these wages and perks?
As Krugman points out, American insularity feeds a feeling of superiority to Europe's economic system, especially when it comes to worker rights and income inequality. Quite a bit of these false feelings are based on ignorance. Many people in America cannot believe there are ways to do capitalism in a more humane and economically equal way. They would flatly reject the example cited above of McDonalds paying a living wage and treating their employees with humanity. We have a long way to go and it will require a big dose of humility before we acknowledge we may not know it all.
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