This is the standard in the Scandinavian social democracies. They have no minimum wage laws (though unions supplement that greatly) and a competitive labor market pushes wages up.

Much like housing, the best solution usually isn't government price controls. Better (if feasible) is abundance in the market.

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999900000999 27 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

They also have a much better safety net. Healthcare not being tied to employment is already massive.

I think a flat tax + UBI is the only way to go. The dream of AI should be a society where maybe 10% of people have to work. The nightmare is if the other 90% still need work but can’t find it.

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manlymuppet 8 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

Yes to a stronger welfare state, including untying healthcare and employment, and a UBI (more specifically a negative income tax).

But I think the nightmare you imagine is not realistic. There isn't a lump of labor. We shouldn't make policy decisions based on the assumption that the labor pool will be limited.

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t-writescode 7 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Healthcare being tired to employment and related lacks of safety net are the only reason the most abusive companies (call centers, common retail experiences) have employees.

We would do well to improve safety nets so that everyone benefits.

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Retric 10 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Flat tax is only ever flat when you hold down deductions. That’s way harder than it seems.

The corporate veil is extraordinarily valuable to the point where a minimum 10% tax on any money passing through options makes a lot of sense. However, the idea you can pass liability off for free is so pervasive you’d never get something like that to pass.

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andsoitis 13 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

> the other 90% still need work but can’t find it.

Where do all jobs come from? Ultimately they’re created by people, so I wouldn’t worry about there being a demand but no supply.

	▲	manlymuppet 4 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Jobs are created by desire, and the labor required to fulfill the market's desires. People won't ever stop wanting things. Our wants today are vastly different from our wants a hundred years ago, and thus the labor pool looks vastly different. We shouldn't make policy decisions based on the assumption that there is a limited lump of labor.

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38 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

[deleted]

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gradus_ad 7 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

When everyone is the same (genetics, background, culture, etc) there is very little structural inequality in a competitive market. In an empire like the US, so many groups exist in a hierarchy that government support is required. In such an environment bare competition simply reveals and highlights fundamental difference, which is not conducive to social cohesion or harmony.