>(a) some people can't make meaningful contributions to the economy because they lack the intelligence to compete with machines
The underlying assumptions of this question would require significant justification to accept them as approaching truth.
First it assumes the people are the problem rather then the job. Then, that 'intelligence' is the end all be all of valuable contribution. And add the 'machines will automate value creation away' and we've got a 'blame dumb poor people for not being able to keep up' trifecta.
>(b) some people can't work because globalization means that their potential contributions can be done cheaper by someone in the middle class overseas who is happy to work for less than US minimum wage allows them to work for
Define 'middle class' and 'happy'. This seems to be arguing for a race to the bottom but framing it as government interference keeping the magic of the market from happening while completely ignoring that minimum wage isn't even enough to keep up the cost of human capital in the US and that the 'cheaper' labor might have a lot to do with those wonderful happy low paid workers having no political voice to help protect them from absorbing all of the costs of negative externalities in their countries.
>(c) some people refuse to work because the benefits safety net is more comfortable than work
Again, the underlying assumption that people 'refuse' to work because they are comfortable not working. The hidden alternative being they get no safety net. The mechanism of either working or starve is somehow better? Markets can't work toward efficiency if people are negotiating against loss rather than for gain.
A plausible alternative theory is that low end work is broken rather than the safety net. We allow people to be paid less than their upkeep and keep the threat of pain (starvation, homelessness) just visible so that it motivates them to take jobs that pay less than their time is actually worth to them if weighed outside of that threat to their wellbeing. So, their decision is to work for mere survival or not work for mere survival and many make the rational choice.
The underlying assumptions of this question would require significant justification to accept them as approaching truth.
First it assumes the people are the problem rather then the job. Then, that 'intelligence' is the end all be all of valuable contribution. And add the 'machines will automate value creation away' and we've got a 'blame dumb poor people for not being able to keep up' trifecta.
>(b) some people can't work because globalization means that their potential contributions can be done cheaper by someone in the middle class overseas who is happy to work for less than US minimum wage allows them to work for
Define 'middle class' and 'happy'. This seems to be arguing for a race to the bottom but framing it as government interference keeping the magic of the market from happening while completely ignoring that minimum wage isn't even enough to keep up the cost of human capital in the US and that the 'cheaper' labor might have a lot to do with those wonderful happy low paid workers having no political voice to help protect them from absorbing all of the costs of negative externalities in their countries.
>(c) some people refuse to work because the benefits safety net is more comfortable than work
Again, the underlying assumption that people 'refuse' to work because they are comfortable not working. The hidden alternative being they get no safety net. The mechanism of either working or starve is somehow better? Markets can't work toward efficiency if people are negotiating against loss rather than for gain.
A plausible alternative theory is that low end work is broken rather than the safety net. We allow people to be paid less than their upkeep and keep the threat of pain (starvation, homelessness) just visible so that it motivates them to take jobs that pay less than their time is actually worth to them if weighed outside of that threat to their wellbeing. So, their decision is to work for mere survival or not work for mere survival and many make the rational choice.