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The people taking those low-wage jobs clearly prefer the existence of those businesses over nothing.

Maybe you can help them by getting them food at lower prices. Just a thought.

Just because it is better than nothing doesn't mean that it is right. My point still stands: If you can't pay a living wage, don't have a business where you need to hire other people.

Or you could could have such a business and allow people to decide whether they want to work there or not.

Jobs don't work like that, though. To be able to pass up work is a luxury - the employer really has the upper hand. This is doubly so at low wages: No Food & no shelter unless you work isn't a free choice. Doubly so when the bits of safety net available require work in many cases - if they truly exist at all. (been years, but Indiana had zero cash help for single folks without kids. I guess adults could just go die on the street). Wage slavery sucks.

Now, if there were a real safety net - UBI, or something else that gives enough to live a normal life and afford a computer, internet, food, shelter, and reasonable hobbies - well, then, we can reconsider. Until we have choice with viable options - including not working for exploitative employers - then we might be able to do such things.

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