KY
I am by no means a “brilliant economists” but I’ll try to explain the other side. You say “Nobody is forcing anyone to buy overpriced ice cream.” Now that is obviously true, but it is NOT true that “Nobody is forcing anyone to get a job”
If you overcharge for ice cream, then people don’t buy ice cream no problem.
If you underpay for work people still need to work so they work for less pay then they are worth.
Of course for most jobs this isnt an issue you only want ot pay 100K and I want 101K ? So I decide either I settle for your 100K or look elsewhere. But by definition, at the lowest pay job there is no “elsewhere” If say, Mcdonalds doesnt pay me $7, burger King wont either So I’ll be stuck taking that $6 job which of course turns int o$5 … $4 unless someone comes in and caps that minimum amount.
Hope that helps, again as to the consequences of the above, there is some debate, as IVe said but hopefully you can understand where those who support minimum wage are coming from. As to what that wage shuld be that is a separate albeit related topic
I dont really understand your comment about the Government “Maybe they should pay their fair share to the poor” They do! food stamps, wellfare, Im surprised you too support all that