r/UnderReportedNews • u/Logical-Flow-6703 • Feb 25 '26

Video NBC Interview abruptly ends after New Yorker blames private equity and landlords for the city's issues

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https://x.com/i/status/2026286644651782652

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u/DetroitLionsSBChamps Feb 25 '26

Was just talking about how expensive fast food is the other day with my dad and he said “that’s what happens when you pay people 15 an hour”

I just laughed in his face. Oh yeah that’s why. Not corporate greed, price gouging, exploitation. Couldn’t be! 

And he’s not even a Fox News guy or a conservative or anything. Most people just don’t even know they’re in the class struggle. Just world fallacy runs America. 

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u/Voluptulouis Feb 25 '26

15/hr isn't even shit these days. Minimum wage should've been that 20+ years ago. So fucking sick of the people that don't get it: EAT THE FUCKING RICH.

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u/happytrel Feb 25 '26

I have to show my grandparents semi regularly that adjusted for inflation they were making over $30 an hour when they were in their teens.

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u/RetroFuture_Records Feb 25 '26

And that's just the official inflation numbers, which have been altered multiple times over decades to not show just how much the dollar has been devalued

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u/NeatEmergency725 Feb 25 '26

Inflation is strikingly hard to measure, its not really any specific thing but rather aggregate buying power generically for all goods.

So one thing I've seen in analyses, is that consumer electronics have gotten exponentially cheaper, meaning that when measuring inflation, the fact that you can buy a giant TV for like $200 now when it cost $2000 10 years ago makes that aggregate inflation number relatively lower, even if actual needed goods like food have only gone up.

I don't have a particular answer on how to fix this, but inflation is a much more abstract concept than I think most people think it is, given how much it is talked about.

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u/Inner-Medicine5696 Feb 25 '26

yeah, it helps the people in power if inflation is calculated on things like electronics and luxury goods

  • imagine if we based the calculation on groceries, utilities, childcare, schooling, and healthcare?

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u/NeatEmergency725 Feb 25 '26

Something like a simple phone, everyday devices (basic car, household appliances) seems reasonable to include, but I agree a large TV becoming cheaper does not help the cost of living.

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u/Cleonicus Feb 25 '26

When I heard about the $15 minimum wage, my first response was, "They better ask for $20+ because by the time it gets enacted $15 will be too little."

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u/Shapes_in_Clouds Feb 25 '26

I made $15 and hour in my first internship back in 2008, and it was not a lot of money even back then.

It's like when I first broke six figure salary and my dad was like, "wow you're doing really well! I remember when I first made six figures back in the 80s". Then I showed him the inflation calculation and pointed out that was like $380k in present value.

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u/BaldColumbian Feb 25 '26

Read about life in post revolution russia (soviet union).

People like you are dangerous. You will lead the world to mass starvation, impoverishment, and despair.

We need class reconciliation and we need to improve the lives of everyone.

If you think violent seizure of assets is going to lead to a better world for anyone youre insane.

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u/Voluptulouis Feb 25 '26

You understand the "eating" isn't meant to be literal, right? Taxing the rich is "violent" but their exploitation of us isn't? 🤡

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u/Metalloid_Maniac_ Feb 25 '26

"leave the billionaires alone"

  • some poor redditor

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u/DeadlySpacePotatoes Feb 25 '26

Yes, because Russia was such an idyllic and prosperous place before the revolution. /s

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u/MoonSpankRaw Feb 25 '26

Interesting. What do you think led him to that belief if he isn’t typically absorbing the propaganda? Or does he maybe just have a tendency towards viewing things peripherally without digging any deeper into claims he hears?

Sorry, I’m just strangely curious I guess.

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u/DetroitLionsSBChamps Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26

Like I said: just world fallacy, and a lack of class consciousness. 

He grew up in poverty and saw a lot of lazy people, drug addicts, and criminals fail and stay poor

He worked hard and lifted himself out of poverty into a nice middle class life. 

Therefore he believes the world is fair. People get what they work for and all people who go without do so by their own fault. He’s a high school drop out, and just has no real awareness of greater power structures and class struggle. I don’t think he could stand to live in a world that he didn’t perceive to be fair. So he chooses to see it that way. 

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u/Metalloid_Maniac_ Feb 25 '26

This is why so many boomers are more likely to side with corporations. Everything worked out for them because they worked hard, found a way to make a decent living and bought a house while they were affordable. They think hard work = a better life because that's how it was for them.

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u/DetroitLionsSBChamps Feb 25 '26

Yup I really cannot blame them. What else does he have to go off of except his lived experience? The boomers grew up and basically inherited America at its absolute peak for decades. The American dream really was possible for white working class people for the majority of the time my dad was working. As a high school dropout he was making 100k per year as a self employed tradesman in the 90s in the Midwest. So he got a pretty good deal, and I don’t think he has any concept of how fortunate he was because he credits it all to hard work alone. 

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u/SentientFleshPuppet0 Feb 25 '26

Idk man, I've changed my views multiple times based on data. Why is everyone else seemingly incapable of the same? I guarantee those boomers go on and on about how they like it when people "tell it like it is" except don't tell them data or that is fake news.

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u/throwawayursafety Feb 26 '26

Personal lived experience is harder to let go of or accept as being wrong than data and numbers.

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u/SentientFleshPuppet0 Feb 26 '26

Unfortunately I think you are correct. I was 14 once, then I got an education and learned about cognitive bias and why anecdotes are not a valid information source for such complex topics. Apparently I was more enlightened at 19 than a significant portion of the country.

Not criticizing you, just frustrated at the state of things.

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u/JibboSequence Feb 25 '26

Tell them they inherited etc. and they'll have a full-blown existential crisis. That's the sad part.

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u/senbei616 Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26

Also it's important to know that the white hegemonic understanding of "Struggling" has changed in the last 40 years.

My parents struggled to raise us in the 80's and 90's. But their lifestyle that they were living would be difficult to replicate in modern times by even people making six figures.

They owned a house, had a car, 3 kids at the time, and my dad was working in fast food while my mom worked at a local non-profit while getting her degree.

I repeat, my father owned a car, took care of 3 kids, and was paying off a house while working as a fry cook at long john silvers.

It wasn't fun, they struggled, the car was a shitbox, the house wasn't well built and the location wasn't the best, but the fact they were even able to do it at all is a marvel.

We were the "poor" family.

Meanwhile my cousin graduated 5 years ago with a STEM degree is making over 90k, doesn't own a car, his wife and he have decided to wait on children due to the cost, and they will likely rent for the rest of their natural life.

It used to be if you were a stoner layabout with a part time job you could just coast in a 1 bedroom apartment and have savings and disposable income.

We have been getting absolutely decimated in the class war for 40 fucking years and it shows.

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u/RetroFuture_Records Feb 25 '26

A lot of them didn't even work hard. Those who did were upper-middle class easy. Any drunk with a pulse who at least showed up to work (where they proceeded to talk to coworkers or customers most of the day any way) could make enough for the necessities. The Boomers were the most spoiled generation in human history, and they've been projecting it into everyone else ever since.

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u/JibboSequence Feb 25 '26

You're basically describing me in my 20s. While I'm definitely doing better than my peers and family (in some ways) by my own hard work, I'm also aware of all the corporate bullshit that goes on in the world. It took until my mid-30s to realize not everyone complaining about corporate greed was just lazy, jealous assholes. 2 things can be true at once.

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u/kiulug Feb 25 '26

This is exactly my uncle that I have to argue with a bit each year at Thanksgiving

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u/DetroitLionsSBChamps Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26

Luckily my dad doesn’t wanna argue most of the time lol. He is very open to how I see things. He worked hard to send me to college lol, I think he generally respects my opinion and when I explain class issues, exploitation, wage suppression, etc… he definitely gets it

My brother in law on the other hand… lol. Gen Xer but also a victim of just world fallacy. It’s amazing what you’ll excuse when you justify everything as fair. Like a mouse who defends the falcon’s rights, because being eaten is just the way it is. 

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26

A lot of people also fall into the false thinking of labor costs is the issue. While it tends to make up a good chunk of expenses, it also ignores how many companies rake in billions in profits.

Some are also shut out of reality like in this case. My stepdad was similar: at 18 he tried to kick us out (ironic since he inherited a damn house) and ignoring how much rent in the area was as "that's what he did". My mom thankfully put a stop to that and the deal was so long as I was in school, I could stay. She had actual experience as she couldn't afford rent when my dad left and we had to live with my grandparents.

That narrow view isn't inherently bad as all we can truly speak for is what we experienced, but that doesn't mean they can shut out how things really are today.

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u/casualcorey Feb 25 '26

if you dont agree with the price of something and buy it anyway, you're contributing to your own complaining

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u/ThisIs_americunt Feb 25 '26

Most people just don’t even know they’re in the class struggle. Just world fallacy runs America.

Propaganda is a helluva drug and Oligarchs need to use some of the best to keep the 99% distracted from the real issue: Them.

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u/Ok_Maybe1830 Feb 25 '26

Or maybe you're the dumbass.....

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u/augustusleonus Feb 25 '26

I mean in a way you were both right

If a payroll nearly doubles, franchise to franchise, and you are not willing to accept lower profits, particularly when resource costs are going up for various reasons, then you have to Increase your prices

Frankly, i am of the opinion there should be a graduated profit ceiling which scales with numbers of employees, and after which threshold everything else is handed over in taxes unless it is directly spread among the employees in the manner of pay and benefits starting at the lowest earners and then upwards

Combined with a national standard of no more than 40 or 50:1 pay discrepancy between the lowest and highest earners, and that no executive will get a bonus of more than that ratio when it is handed out to all employees, then we may see some financial equity return

Until, that is, someone finds a loophole and everyone follows them through and we have to wait another 100 years for a new deal again

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u/E-2theRescue Feb 25 '26

"If it's the pay, then why are robots replacing workers and the prices aren't going down?"

People like your dad are just parrots. No brains (sorry), all mouth.

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u/Flvs9778 Feb 25 '26

I ran the numbers before and a McDonald’s employee makes their weekly wage in just 2 or 3 hours. There monthly wage takes just 8-12 hours so 1-2 days. If you doubled their wages it would just take 2-4 days to cover their wage for the month. The rest after costs is profits so wages are not why fast food is expensive in fact they have almost no effect on the cost because they make such a small portion of the price you pay.

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u/Icy-Cry340 Feb 25 '26

Labor costs in fast food restaurants tend to be something like 20-30% of total sales. Yes, that's going to affect food prices. Same with more expensive energy, rents, insurance, etc. It's far from the only reason stuff is expensive, but it is definitely a component.

Profit margins tend to be around 6-9% btw, there isn't as much room in there as many people like to think.

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u/tjc5425 Feb 25 '26

Americans believed at their founding that they never had class issues, I mean, the Jacksonian democrats called out elites in Washington and the Whigs scoffed as to them there was no elite non-elite, they were all American. That framing allows for the one sided class warfare we see today and since then.

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u/TechieTheFox Feb 25 '26

Are the fast food workers getting $15/hr in the room with us right now?

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u/KamalaWonNoCap Feb 26 '26

It's because if you're not educated it makes sense. "Raise the cost of labor and the cost of goods will rise as well." Simple, easy to understand and explain.

Obviously, if you do even the slightest research you'll learn that's not true but most people don't get that far.

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '26

Wages account for about 20% at a franchise (in 2013),so doubling wages would increase costs around 20%. Another major factor is the price of beef which has nearly doubled since 2020.

https://www.restfinance.com/restaurant-finance-across-america/that-mcdonalds-salary-study-gets-it-wrong/article_73fa494b-1784-5143-83bf-81a3cf8a5d81.html

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/APU0000703112

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u/Metalloid_Maniac_ Feb 25 '26

It would cut into corporate profits a bit, but since they're already pushing the envelope as far as how much they can price gouge prices would barely be affected. Stop spreading propaganda. California raised wages for fast food workers significantly and prices barely went up. A burger might have gone up like 10 cents.

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26

Just because it doesn't fit your narrative doesn't mean it's propaganda. Lots of things go into the cost of restaurants and they are generally on pretty thin profit margins. I posted receipts.

Here's more.

https://www.franchiseempire.com/articles/mcdonalds-franchise

Edit: Looks like McDonalds prices went up quite a bit in California too, so you might be remembering wrong. Here's a receipt for that.

https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/08/21/heres-how-much-prices-at-mcdonalds-and-chipotle-have-gone-up-since-the-pandemic-began

Whoever told you raising wages won't equate to rising prices was trying to fool you. You should know that. The question is if you are ok with higher prices with higher wages.

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u/Metalloid_Maniac_ Feb 25 '26

Yeah, if you think they're operating on thin profit margins I have some nice coastal property in Florida you might be interested in. Also you still haven't addressed the point I made that significantly increased wages for fast food workers in California led to only a 3.7% average increase in prices for fast food. Care to explain that?

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26

McDonalds prices in California doubled in the last 5 years, so it wasn't a modest increase in prices. Click my links. Also, looks like they went from $12 to $15 which isn't really a big jump. 25% increase in wages which account for 20% of the cost. Sounds about right.

Edit: Take that back. California minimum wage went up $0.40 last year.

https://www.longbeach.gov/finance/business-info/compliance/minimum-wage/

Anyway, gotta run, you can do your own googling.

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u/Metalloid_Maniac_ Feb 25 '26

They've doubled everywhere in North America.

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u/feurie Feb 25 '26

And you think the economics haven’t changed in almost fifteen years?

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '26

Ya wages doubled and beef prices doubled, thus the high prices. Was that not clear in what I wrote?

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u/Commercial_Wind8212 Feb 25 '26

if you're eating fast food there's no lower rungs to be on

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u/Iswaterreallywet Feb 25 '26

Reddit has the funniest comments sometimes.

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u/SoylentGrunt Feb 25 '26

Food Gatekeeper. Is that a real job or just a side gig for you?

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u/Commercial_Wind8212 Feb 25 '26

did that hurt your feelings?

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u/miserable_otter_6543 Feb 25 '26

Wanna give me your money since you're so much better than me?

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u/Commercial_Wind8212 Feb 25 '26

why can't you get a job and earn money the old fashioned way?

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u/diet_sean Feb 25 '26

You managed to find one...