Comment by ClumsyPilot

> Now, the disagreement: is BigCo actually getting $10/hr of value out of those workers? Or is it $20/hr, or $50/hr, or $5/hr, or $2/hr?

I think this is the wrong question and it’s not our job to solve that.

Example - suppose I have a diamond mine, I can hire anyone with zero skill - homeless, drug addicts, criminals - pay them $5 an hour and they will dig up $1,000 of diamonds a day. What is the answer your own question - how much value is the business getting?

What we should consider instead is this - there is a certain cost for civilisation to continue. Workers must be born, educated, and then create the new generation. If they are not paid enough to continue the cycle, we will not let the country collapse, will we?

I as a taxpayer will end up picking up the tab in one way or another - whether it’s through food stamps, or in immigration or something else.

These jobs could be a total net loss once you account for carbon emissions and other externalities.

I would rather get these people to do charity work or plant trees instead.