Liberty is Personal - 'Do No Harm' told by Jeffrey Tucker

For Tad, that small piece of paper posted in the break room was a godsend. Jeff saw it as a Trojan horse.

"Liberty is Personal" is an experiment in education based on what really shapes us— real life experiences. Learn Liberty provides learning resources from top-notch educators and aspires to inspire.

[Kristy_not_Kristine]

One of the most brilliant minds out there today. Could listen to him all day!

[Draanor]

The point is Thad got fired for now reason because of government intervention. Being turned down is painful no matter the context. Even if he was still friends with him, it's still blows that the government's involvement hurt the very people its pretending to protect. If the minimum wage isn't for people like him, who's it for? That's why this is a powerful message.

[Thorax]

Wow Jeffrey you're one of my favorite speakers but this is amazing. Thanks for sharing!

[noecamarena]

The dollar is worthless, a dollar buys a quarters worth.
Penny candy cost a quarter.

While America is planning weddings were starving, were out of work, were loosing homes, how many people died on the streets this last snow storm? What matters to you!

God bless

[nomadcapitalist]

Very touching story, and just an another example of how government always shifts its burden onto the everyday citizen. Tad is sitting at home because some bureaucrat thought he could figure out a utopian way to put a few extra bucks in Tad's pocket. But that bureaucrat is nowhere to be found to remedy the situation or explain to Tad what happened.

[pbfrank]

The store was already doing him a favor by hiring him in the first place. The job was charity. Tucker wrote more about it on his site, with a bit more detail. It's not hard to find if you google "Jefferey tucker min wage"

[JaySee]

And you forget this was YEARS ago when $4 was a lot more money.

[Arithorath]

While I don't think Tad should have lost his job, I'm not convinced that a minimum wage is a bad thing. This has certainly given me a lot to ponder though. In my state a business that employs the disabled gets a tax break. I admit I am not aware of how much the break is. I wonder if this was true where Mr. Tucker was living; and, if the cut would be enough to make up a significant amount of Tad's wages. Interesting video. Thanks.

[ChachiTelevision]

What would you suggest in a way that would not have repercussions to those who rely on employment from others?

[stevekopn]

This is a wonderful piece. Continue the personal stories.

[paintsniper]

These videos aren't meant for the people who would find the emotional appeal off-putting. Individuals who are motivated by statistics and reason already agree with you. These videos are meant for those who can't choose without being lead by the heartstrings to the "right" decision. With that goal in mind, these new videos are a great tool.

[Timasion]

I googled it and still don't understand.

[pbfrank]

There is typically minimal incentive for slum lords to upkeep services and keep rent low with the scarce supply of affordable housing. It is precisely because of rent controls and laws that keep landlords not caring and rents not competitive.

[ChachiTelevision]

We don't know -- we don't know the owner's 1) financial priorities, 2) how many employees he already had, 3) what kind of business expenses he was dealing with, 4) what his margins were looking like, and 5) what his incentives were.

There's a lot that that needs to be confirmed before we can even conclude that it was for extra profit. But also keep in mind that the owner runs the risks and does is best to keep who he can employed.

[Panaceamedia]

Part2:
As for small businesses, sure the owner takes a risk, but definitely not all, and in most cases, the owner has a sizeable nestegg to fall back on. Meanwhile, most workers take a huge risk by relocating and setting up a system of survival for themselves where they rely on every paycheck to get by. One setback and they can't pay their bills.
Then rent increases (everywhere in the area), utilities increase, and the boss wants to cut pay, and boom, someone is on the streets. {TBC}

[droober]

If you watch some of the videos put up by LearnLiberty you may learn of the variety of ways in which private interests and the state can cement monopoly power or restrict the mobility of labor just to name a couple of examples that drive down the wage. In this video playlist, "Collateral Damage" is a good example. In it we see how individuals may find themselves in circumstances where they face a very narrow set of choices and often lack a better alternative to a low wage position.

[crossroadskeeperx]

To Tim: not if I can help it, but that is more of a decision on personal ethics because of how the choose to do business both here and abroad and has very little to do with their wages. I do not see how who I choose to do business with affects thus discussion.

[leotamer]

4.50 times 5 is 22.50 dollars. Consider that with a staff of 5 people, it is going to be a small business, which has to pay taxes, get people to go to there store, and so on. Before the raise, they are just going to hold above bankrupty, then you got to give 22.50 dollars away, so that some person can get 4.50 dollars in their pockets.

[pbfrank]

I agree with this sentiment, there needs to be an increase and incentive to innovate and open new businesses, expand and invest here at home, cutting min wage is not a top personal priority as it is negligible in the grand scheme of what really costs citizens more in hard-ache and damage, like the inflation tax, war, crony-capitalism wasting taxes, etc...

[slbumkim]

Being has a tendency to 'return' to clusters
='the nature of solidarity' -a desire for empathy -(Wave)-(yin)
and also,
Being has a tendency to 'exist' as individuals
='the nature of self-expension' -a desire for breed-(Particle)-(Yang)

Likewise, humans have two elements.
We must realize that we all have both left and right elements
=Solidarity and Self reliance
No one has only one element.

so 'Sum' derived from 'two poles', (thesis, antithesis, synthesis)
To develop intellect and ethics by harmonizing the two,
It is good to realize it and balance it properly

But A few people polarized the crowd(political partisanship)
without balancing themselves.
And They stole only the sum, only the synthesis from the triangle composition.

Now We all have to get out of this deceptive situation.
This is not the time for us to hate each other.
We have to track down those who have been manipulating us.