Re: The meme here, to use a term from economics, I would say that the “marginal utility” of a living wage is quite high, but it trails off after that. It’s kind of like your first sandwich when you’re hungry or your first coat when you’re cold.

FWIW, I believe that societies that are organized around the principle of a living wage, i.e., what one finds in the rest of the developed world, are better in every way than what we have here in the U.S.

Their people are happier, healthier, more productive, better educated, less violent, kinder, and less prone to substance abuse. Moreover, they don’t vote for criminal sociopaths to lead their country; that’s a special bonus.

If you ask people from Sweden, for instance, if they resent paying higher taxes than what we Americans pay, most of them will laugh at you.  I do this routinely, and I’ve never heard anyone say, “Oh, no, poverty, ignorance, and mass shootings are our national objectives.”

Does Money Buy Happiness?