Republicans who love to leap on Joe Biden’s latest gaffe might consider listening to a few tapes of Kevin McCarthy’s. He is frequently not comprehensible, let alone articulate. Today he went on a description of improvements he wants to see in government, particularly with respect to the debt ceiling, and he came up with this gem.

If you’re a child sitting on the couch, playing a video game or Barbie or whatever, look out. Kevin is going to put you to work. And if you’re in a state like Iowa or Arkansas where that’s already happening, then watch out double.

You think we jest? Read this story about how Republicans in Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio want to relax child labor laws, have kids working in bars, all kinds of things.

Bringing more children into the labor market is, of course, not the only way to solve the problem. Economists point to several other strategies the country can employ to alleviate the labor crunch without asking kids to work more hours or in dangerous settings.

The most obvious is allowing more legal immigration, which is politically divisive but has been a cornerstone of the country’s ability to grow for years in the face of an aging population. Other strategies could include incentivizing older workers to delay retirement, expanding opportunities for formerly incarcerated people and making child-care more affordable, so that parents have greater flexibility to work.

In Wisconsin, lawmakers are backing a proposal to allow 14-year-olds to serve alcohol in bars and restaurants. If it passed, Wisconsin would have the lowest such limit nationwide, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

More immigration is saner and more humane than child labor, but with the uber racism of the Republican party, they may prefer child labor. Sure glad I’m not a kid anymore.

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4 COMMENTS

  1. Hey the 10 year olds can be sent to war, just like when Berlin was being bombarded by the Russians in 1945.

  2. That WI wants to lower the age requirements for serving alcohol surely should come as no surprise. WI kids pretty grow up in bars what with their parents almost living in the damned things.

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    • Having spent my formative years in WI I can say that this is VERY true Spike. My Mom would send me to the corner bar to get her husband and I would walk in and go looking for him they say “Mom says it’s time for dinner” And usually get slapped for it.

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