Film Sessions: Minimum Wage Debate Explained by Second Thought

NinaIllingworth February 1, 2021November 17, 2022 American politics, analysis, CA4, capitalism, class war, Essays, Fight for $15, film sessions, JT Chapman, labor, labor class, labor is not a commodity, labor rights, left wing theory, left wing Youtube, Marxism, Marxist analysis, Media Madness, minimum wage, neofeudalism, neoliberalism, News, Nina Illingworth, Offsite Writing, owner class, Politics, poverty wages, Rec Reads, Recommended Reading, Reviews, Second Thought, Six Things I Think, Socialism, ST2, the US minimum wage is a poverty wage, Theory, Video, we are labor class, working class, Youtube

Editor’s note: Film Sessions is a weekly feature on my Media Madness blog, in which I share, analyze and expand on a relevant video from the left wing of Youtube.

When Class Is Concealed, Wages Speak To The Struggle

Last week I promised our next Film Sessions post would showcase a brand new creator we’ve never seen before in this feature, and today I’m here to deliver; specifically a link to, and analysis of an excellent video by Second Thought – “The Minimum Wage Debate Explained.” Combining a thorough debunking of arguments against raising the U.S. federal minimum wage, with some rudimentary, but surprisingly insightful analysis of the class war in America, creator JT Chapman delivers a thorough and concise examination of not only the debate surrounded the minimum wage, but also precisely why that debate is so contentious and whom it benefits to keep it that way. Newsflash; it’s sure as sh*t ain’t the guy making eight bucks an hour to bag your groceries, or the kid who made your fries at McDonald’s today.

“Still, what ultimately makes this video stand out is not our presenter’s ability to de-spin a relatively straightforward issue, but the fact that he also articulates a rudimentary vision of American class struggle through the lens of the federal minimum wage. Touching on American hyper-competitiveness, exploitation and social Darwinism, the piece goes well beyond the minimum wage debate and asks important questions about how we organize work in America, and why, or perhaps rather – for whom? The language is a little off, and one is forced to wonder if JT understands that literally all wage labor under capitalism is exploitation, but ultimately this essay is firmly routed in basic Marxist ideas about labor and wages, in a way you aren’t going to find from more mainstream news outlets.”

To read more over on Media Madness, click on the quotation block above, or the header below:

Film Sessions: The Minimum Wage Debate Explained by Second Thought

nina illingworth

Independent writer, critic and analyst with a left focus. Please help me fight corporate censorship by sharing my articles with your friends online!

You can find my work at ninaillingworth.com, Can’t You Read, Media Madness and my Patreon Blog

Updates available on Instagram, Mastodon and Facebook. Podcast at “No Fugazi” on Soundcloud.

Inquiries and requests to speak to the manager @ASNinaWrites

Chat with fellow readers online at Anarcho Nina Writes on Discord!

“It’s ok Willie; swing heil, swing heil…”