Message to striking fast food workers

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Turning adverse situations into opportunity is one of the exciting perks of living in a free society.  We do not have a caste system where only certain people can attain wealth, and where a lower class exists to perform only the menial labor.  In America, working for low-wage jobs (like fast food), or using government assistance, are not supposed to be a way of life, but simply a stepping stone one must inhabit for a moment before launching into the next phase of our journey towards success.  We are Americans.  We all have the opportunity to grow beyond our current position in life.  All we must do is go for it, be persistent, and never give up.

Sometimes, we fail. Sometimes, we must take steps back.  Then, we pick ourselves up by our bootstraps, and continue to push forward.

The Obama administration, and minority leaders, have a different message.  They believe you can't do any better than fast food.  You, according to them, are not smart enough for talented enough to pursue something more than where you currently are in life.  So, rather than viewing your job and status as a temporary station in life, they want you to demand a "living wage," you know, for that menial job they think you can't do better than.

As a result, we have fast food workers around America on strike, demanding a raise in pay, double what they are making - Falling for the proletariat-vs.-bourgeois-style argument by the democrats (you know, the same tactic used by the communists during the Russian Revolution?).

A funny thing happens when a mass wave of wage increases take place.  The cost of doing business goes up as well.  Prices rise.  And as the prices go up to meet the wages, the value of the wage increase turns out to be zero.  You have trouble buying things with the additional wages you have because the price of things went up, too.  Fast food increases influence the price of product, which in turns influences the price of production and transportation, which then branches out to other costs regarding other services and products.  Before you know it, an avalanche of inflation takes place.  Perhaps massive, perhaps not, but the ill-effect it would have on the economy would be catastrophic.  And that is not even taking into consideration other jobs that will begin demanding increases because the fast food people got one.

If you want a better wage, do well at this lower job, and use the experience and commendations for a job well-done as tools for your next step on the ladder.  Increase your position by moving up in the company, or seeking a higher position elsewhere.  Increased wages don't happen by just demanding them.  Increased wages happen when one does what it takes to achieve those increased wages.

Stop striking, go back to work, be happy you have a job, and take advantage of the opportunity America has to offer.  Be a fantastic worker, and move up.

As for the increase in fast food wages, did it occur to you that all of you progressives out there striking against fast food joints for higher wages will wind up losing your jobs by demanding more wages, anyway, if you keep up the liberal political mindset?  Think about it.  Your job is in danger because your very own allies in government wants to give amnesty to a whole army of workers, so that they can flood the job market.  Oh, and those people are willing to work for half the wages you are willing to work for.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary