Kiley's Assertions Are Misguided

By William Burden, As published in The Union

Kevin Kiley’s Other Voices column (1/20/24) uses time-tested logical fallacies (mainly unproven assertions) to tell us that if American workers are given the benefits of being paid a fair price for their labor the American Dream will be lost. He argues in terms of workers’ rights, when his (unstated) argument is all about protecting the rights of companies to pay workers a minimum-level wage, with no commitment for steady, reliable employment, or to the worker’s long-time welfare.

I say this as a well-educated, successful freelance worker who did my best to prepare for the future, while dealing with “temporary” recessions (loss of income) and real-estate bubbles (loss of estate) that have left me, in my late 70’s, with a Social Security “safety net” that may not let me starve, but is no real guarantee against homelessness.

Mr Kiley mirrors the view of his party, that corporate and shareholder interests are paramount. All they need is workers desperate enough to take whatever jobs are offered — which seems to be his view of what Americans dream of. Memo to Mr Kiley, that is a nightmare.

The fact that America now is a world leader in income inequality is pretty good proof of what the American Dream really means to him and his party.