And that, pretty much, sums up most government programs that some person, sometimes of a good heart but lately of a political ideology, demand that others have to pay for (financially or otherwise) to make them feel good. Because they have influenced politicians or bureaucrats “to do something” instead of doing the hard work of the actual doing themselves, I brand them hypocrites. But that’s what we’ve gone to, this land called America; instead of the Can-Do people, it’s getting all but a done deal of “Get-Others-To-Do-It-For-Me” slackers. What, ME go out and do the work of getting others to donate to or join me in the work? That, that, that…..that’s too hard (er, “you mean *I* have to do it myself??”).
From Cafe Hayek in this same vein on minimum wage consequences (emphasis mine):
This minimum wage stuff is a head-fake; silly diversions so that political do-gooders can think highly about themselves, safe from any of the consequences.
Indeed so. By advocating the use of government force to strip low-skilled workers of one of their most valuable bargaining chips (namely, the ability to compete for employment by offering to work at hourly wages below the government-stipulated minimum) minimum-wage advocates prance around publicly proclaiming their humanity. And because a great majority of people are ignorant of basic economics, these minimum-wage advocates are indeed seen as being great humanitarians.
But these advocates are like bomber pilots, flying high above the details of everyday reality and blind to the carnage that they unleash. Most of them deny that there are any victims at all. The minimum wage magically pays for itself by causing more money to be spent! Or by increasing worker productivity in ways that employers are too stupid on their own to realize are possible. Or by overriding the consequences of monopsony power – power the reality of which is loudly alleged by some economists but which is clearly absurd to anyone who looks with good sense upon modern-day U.S. labor markets. (Most tellingly, such assertions of monopsony power are clearly not believed by competent entrepreneurs who would make boatloads of bucks by exploiting such monopsony power were it real.)
There is much to be said about having actual “skinny in the game”. The problem with the above, as well as in almost anything else that activists demand the government do, is that they are never dinged when things go south don’t turn out right, or the inevitable unintended consequences show up.
But these self-righteous SJWs, they’ve already moved on to the next thing and never have a rear-view mirror or the inclination to view the carnage in human terms left in their wake.