Michael Jackson was a multi-millionaire. I'm not talking about people with an 'entourage' who spend tens of thousands at retail/jeweler prices for diamonds they never use. I mean people who were told - there's an American dream - buy it. They did, and perhaps some felt they've been betrayed. The means aren't there. This isn't the 1950s of single wage home owners, where America was the exporter to the world. We all knew the day was coming. It's been here for a few years, now.
If you and I are fortunate in some way, that doesn't mean that others are in the same way. And it takes all of us to make a country. This nation is comprised of many, many citizens, not just those few who by luck, by opportunity, by skill are able to pull in the medium-bucks, as it were. And if others are struggling, look at it selfishly. It will ramify to those unaffected, again in some way. Policy needs to include them, particularly as home/land-ownership, again, is sold as virtually part of what it means to be a citizen. Wages need to keep up, not down. You don't have to pay people on spec like some 'star'. But you need to boost the minimum (and I mean without resort to ANY minimum wage).
Actually it is. If you want to live like a 1950 single wage earner. But most people don't want their kids sharing a room, having only one bathroom, not having a dryer, no TV, one car, eat 99% of their meals at home, movies only as a special treat, have a garden, send your kids to public school and mend your clothes rather then buy new ones.
The problem is that people want more then that. And they are not willing to wait until they can afford it.
I repeat there is no such thing as a "living wage" when you insist on spending 125% of your income.