My employer should decide how much to pay me. If I am allowed to dictate my wages, I’ll treat my employer unfairly.

I won’t think about the employer’s obligations to pay the other employees. I won’t think about the other expenses, the taxes, or the hours of work required to operate a business. I’ll think only of myself and I’ll set my wages so high that I’ll become a burden to my employer.

There is no limit to my greed. Attempting to satisfying my material lust would bankrupt my employer, even if he’s worth billions. If my employer let me set my wages, I would ask for more than I deserve.

Of course, there are unfair employers who would pay me less than I deserve. For the time being, I don’t need to work for them. That will change when greedy, selfish people like me keep increasing the minimum wage.

Forcing my employer to pay minimum wages will not increase my standard of living. The prices of all goods and services will increase to pay employee wages. So I won’t make a ‘living wage’ no matter how many dollars end up in my pocket. Many employers will close their business. I don’t blame them. Why bother running a business when you don’t control the finances?

When all those businesses close, only gigantic, rich corporations will remain. Those corporations will pay no more than minimum wage. There is no need to pay more than the minimum when employees don’t have any other job options.

My employer should have the right to set wages wherever he wants. I have the right to negotiate or go work elsewhere. When the government forces my employer to pay me a minimum wage, I benefit from extortion. Minimum wage doesn’t make things ‘fair.’ It only helps me pretend that I’m not the cause of injustice. Any wage that I earn through such coercion is ill-gotten gain.

How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.

(Proverbs 1:17)