Ugly American Inevitability?
[QUOTE=Bearsi;2855570] ... Don't export the worse part of the US to this fertile land. [/QUOTE] Agreed, wholeheartedly!
But unfortunately...INEVITABLE! Take the recent copycat "Trumpian J6" style Brazilian coup/riots, on their parliament, for example. Arguably, some might say that "ugliness" is already here, in Brazil, and on full display.
[QUOTE=Bearsi;2855570]Just had friends come back from Japan and Italy and they loved how they didn't have to tip and got amazing service everywhere because that's how things are supposed to work!
Once they landed back in the ol USA their first meal had an automatic gratuity fee added and a suggested 25% tip for the server. ... [/QUOTE]
Well, not to get deep into the weeds, but this is the ugly side of capitalism. When the employers won't pay their employees a working wage/salary and turn to the customers to supplement their employees salaries, then this is what you get.
Perhaps more of a moral issue...
[QUOTE=Mr Enternational;2855587][b]What did the employees do to earn a working wage?[/b] Do they just automatically deserve this because they are adults, or did they do something to make themselves more marketable in order to be able to earn more? I busted my ass in school to make sure I would not have to worry about being able to get a working wage. Should people that only growed up and showed up be entitled to the same? [/QUOTE]Good question.
As best as I can answer that question, I personally don't think employees, have to do anything (other than fight/lobby for the right to get a living wage). I think it just behooves businesses/employers to provide a living wage/salary.
My personal take, is that when workers earn a living wage/salary, it promotes and fosters, better engaged employees, better wellness in employees and ultimately better for the business and by extension, a better, just, fair and more inclusive society.
Busting your ass in school (as with most things in life), is always a good idea and helps to smooth out life's wrinkles. But it would seem we aren't all cut from the same cloth and don't all walk the same path in life and lord knows, life is full of surprises and wrinkles.
IMHO in the end, I guess it's more of [b]a moral issue[/b] than anything.
The simple answer is...I think it just comes down to, [b]"DO THE RIGHT THING".[/b]
[u]So let me ask you a set of questions in the same moral vein:[/u]
[b]Q.[/b] What did slaves do to earn their freedom?
So I imagine a number of bigoted/racist plantation owners (back-in-the-day for example) would have argued; aren't my slaves feed, clothed and sheltered for their labour and shouldn't that be enough for them to live out their days? So why would I ruin my plantation business and grant them their freedom?