The War on Poverty & Minimum Wage Conspiracy

John Johnson II

By John Johnson II

      The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) set the national minimum wage at .25 per hour. Its intended purpose was to help increase wages and decrease class stratification. To put it another way, this act really represented the government’s first attempt to redistribute wealth in America.

Admittedly, this Act wasn’t viewed favorably by the wealthy. Some economists even sounded an alarm about job losses and economic down turns. Consequently, raising the minimum wage has remained like a burdensome political boulder to move forward. Thus, it took 26 years to raise the minimum wage to $1.15, in 1964.

However, this did little to reduce poverty in America. In fact, because poverty was so great, President L. B. Johnson during his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964 announced his famous social program, “The War on Poverty.”

Its official name became the “Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. A libertarian think tank estimated that since the Johnson administration, approximately $15 trillion has been spent on welfare, with poverty levels remaining at nearly the same rates. How and why has so little been accomplished?

I can imagine that by now many of my readers are literally screaming, “What’s the conspiracy?” Stay patient. It’s slowly unfolding before your eyes. Ok!

The minimum wage since July 24, 2009, is currently set at $7.25. Do the math; it has taken 45 years to reach this shameful rate. Poverty is still at an all-time high with approximately 50 million people.

Another undisclosed fact is that most people living in poverty in America are white. Also, let it be known, there has never been in the history of America a social program created primarily for Blacks, not social security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, etc. Most people receiving these services are white.

However, poverty statistics are cleverly reported by percentages; for example, the approximate percentages are as follows: whites 10%, Blacks 28%, Brown 27%, and Native Americans 18%. Do the math. What’s 10% of a white population of 250 million and 28% of a Black population of 44 million?

Our government has long recognized that the wide gap between the rich and poor creates a dangerous scenario for anarchy. But how does the government avoid a redistribution of the Nation’s wealth to benefit the poor and not anger the wealthy? Thus, a sinister conspiracy unfolds.

Yes! it’s unfolding in living color on T.V. right in the Halls of Congress. But there’s a different twist, poverty isn’t the social issue. It’s a Stimulus Package needed to combat COVID-19, an economic disaster, and a minimum wage hike.

Republicans don’t want to raise the minimum wage to $15.00. Why? They would rather protect the profits of their wealthy corporate donors and lament about high unemployment.

Mimicking Paul Harvey who would say, “And now for the rest of the story.” Historically, the minimum wage conspiracy remains alive. Instead of raising the minimum wage accordingly to adjust for inflation plus other economic variables, our government has always succumbed to pressure from lobbyists representing America’s powerful oligarchy.

Further, this conspiracy allows our disingenuous government to use our tax dollars to fund social program to combat poverty, homelessness, lack of medical insurance, childhood hunger, and of course to prevent anarchy.

President Biden surely will not succeed at facilitating an economic recovery nor getting people vaccinated against COVID-19 if he’s more concerned about not breaking political norms. Any norm which adherence to causes pain, suffering, deaths, etc. has long out lived is usefulness. Remember, Republicans lost because they failed to honor their oath to the Constitution, failed at governing, failed to hold Trump accountable, and failed the American people. It wasn’t because they broke “Norms.”

Biden must be willing to drive his administration full speed ahead and not worrying about winning the 2024 presidential race. No driver ever wins a race being comfortable in the rear.

Right about now, Biden should be shouting before the American people that, “I’m going to get the Stimulus Package, inclusive of the $15.00 minimum wage, passed, the consequences, along with Republican and Democrats obstructionist, be damned.”

 

About Carma Henry 24481 Articles
Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

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