Is this the problem?

[TheMadMonk]

The founders of the US chose to make LAW of a truism. "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." There isn't, one way or another someone always pays. As a nation the US chose to legislate that the payer also be the recipient of any benefit and that under all but a few closely defined circumstance, those offering the benefit has an absolute right to demand payment up front and even in the case of essential (it must be provided in that moment (and that moment alone) to be of benefit) services, elect not to provide that service now and seek redress later, as it is in most of the civilised world, specifically the Britain and Europe US forebears escaped.

US colonists ran away from Feudalism and recreated it in their own land, all in the name of ultimate freedom. Those who stayed behind overcame Feudalism, not by turning their back on it, but by taking it over from the bottom up. Feudalism did always provided certain minimum benefits to the lowliest of those who lived under it and it was the lord who paid from his own pocket to provide those benefits. It was also the lord who, provided he met his own feudal obligations to HIS lord, got to set the minimum to the minimum benefit.

In Britain/Europe, (and in a different (and far less efficient) way in the Communist nations) The People replaced their overlords with a State, which, to a greater or lesser degree and by varying means, they themselves controlled, and ensured provided them with sufficient automatic benefit and protection that the degree to which any individual may be exploited is considerably curtailed.

Today that means, in most parts of the "civilised world", that 40 hrs of labour in any industry cannot provide less than a set minimum "living wage" and that the State will always make up a certain amount of ANY shortfall and always provide a minimum "subsistance subsidy". We simply do not allow for situations where, for those at the bottom, it can take 40hrs to provide a roof, another 40 to cover health expenses and finally a third job to obtain physical sustenance for you and yours.

There's another little benefit in a decent minimum wage. By seting a reasonable minimum "living wage" our nations also set a floor to their tax revenues.