Due to last night's conversation with my colleague, I decided to add the following chart for a better understanding. Then an unexpected ideas exchange and conversation happened between my econ colleague and me:
Crystal Huang
The Minimum Wage - a fundamentally controversial issue- if most people possess premier health care package, obtain good education, receive proper cultural capitals, immerse in sufficient job-relevant social network systems, and PLUS individual efforts, then who needs minimum wages? Here is a minimum wage comparison among several countries for your reference:- Crystal Huang Mexico's minimum wage was 0.58 dollar per hour in "2011" - yes, you know why GM and other big corporate companies downsized here and outsourced there in 1980s when the US economy was in good shape! And you might wonder where all the surplus/profits went?
Crystal Huang Mexico's minimum wage was 0.58 dollar per hour in "2011" - yes, you know why GM and other big corporate companies downsized here and outsourced there in 1980s when the US economy was in good shape! And you might wonder where all the surplus/profits went?
Flint Thompson Are mexican poor better to have the jobs or not have the jobs? If the wage is so low they could choose not to take them. Mexico is so corrupt for sure, but the poor take the jobs because it improves their living standards (which were probably horrible to start with - thanks to a corrupt, inept government).- Crystal Huang My dear econ professor, you got some points. There is no perfect government. Do you mean we don't have (elegant, strategic and invisible) corruption here? There are many factors feeding the international imperialism. The global stratification does not mean the playing field leveled for all countries to run for the trophy.
- Flint Thompson Again, the minimum wage is a great reminder to all to not remain unskilled! If you obtain some level of productivity through education and it is valued in the marketplace you will do well!
- Crystal Huang Dear professor, 75% of American youngs do not attend colleges. Why? How many working class children and the working poor families could afford the edu-capitalisitic cost?
- Flint Thompson Our government is corrupt too - so why do so many put so much faith in it to do the right thing? I am going to rely on me, not some corrupt politicain to do what is good for me!
- Crystal Huang Dear flint, you are a professor, and lucky I, we both have the privilege to hold on a job, how many people are so fortunate to "rely" on themselves/ourselves?
- Flint Thompson Colleges are not the key to success - hard work, responsibility, etc., will get the job done. Great role for technical colleges to improve the value and productivity of young people. What make me sad is all the young people who quit high school, etc. - how is that going to turn out?
- Crystal Huang From my experience, many first generation attending colleges have more obstacles to adapt the college culture than those students who come from much better families. Your daughters are quite successful. You are a very caring, loving and responsible dad to them. You do pass on many excellent cultural capitals to your princesses. But not all kids are so lucky, though.
- Flint Thompson In the end, we rely on ourselves and our family because its all we have! The only thing we are guarenteed is life, liberty (getting to be a joke), and the PURSUIT of happiness! I know life isn't fair - never has been and probably never will be.
- Crystal Huang The individualistic philosophy does help sometimes, which is the main stream ideology and has been passed on for generations - the Horatio Alger's inspiration does still exist ! Agree, life is not fair, but can be less unfair via human experiences and wisdom. See so many progresses have been made to showcase to the world - the beacon to the globe !
- Flint Thompson I get what you are saying Crystal, but we have so many so called "parents" not fufilling their duties - why? You understand these issues way better than I, but for goodness sake if you have children where are the parents? I have a friend who's daughter teaches in the inner city in Kansas City - they are sending the kids home over the weekend with backpacks of food so they can survive the weekend! Parents take no responsibility - drug addicts, etc. Sad and horrible!
- Crystal Huang The questions again, the individual inadequacy could be part of the reasons, but there are bigger social forces that enclave some people, such as the culture of poverty, the learned helplessness and frustrations, poverty, diseases that could affect an individual's life chances and then pass on the negative cultural capitals to the innocent children. Unless children are very resilient, most would follow the same footsteps? The key point is how to break up the vicious cycle. And I think the Tech Colleges do a great job in this dimension !
- Flint Thompson Agreed - if it's all you have ever known, hard to rise above it. So whats the solution? Government won't and hasn't solved it - it just gets worse!
- Crystal Huang A smart State/ Federal government knows how important the 2-year Technical Colleges are - the most powerful (and down-to-the-earth, ECONOMICAL!!!) tool to solve many problems at the same time. We are doing a very noble task - don't forget it, Flint!
- Flint Thompson Agreed! But many students come unprepared - we have to work hard to keep them learning and coming back thirsty for more! And I KNOW you do!
- Crystal Huang My dear econ professor, that why teaching at the 2-year Tech college is not A JOB! It is A response to a great CALLING!
This site includes my past two decades' teaching-n-leaning in Social Science fields, Educational Technology, Art, some of my cross-cultural observations, non-academic/sociocultural critiques, and pasquinades (after retirement). At the current stage, no guest blogs. No advertisements. All rights are reserved.
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