They’re not paid according to either. The value of what they create is exploited.
What they create? What does a stock boy create? What does a barrista create? Or a cashier at a Wal-mart, or a restaurant server? What does a secretary create? How many people at lower levels create anything at all?
Others profit off it, while they receive subsistence wages and even then that doesn’t happen.
Subsistence wages? The only people who get subsistence wages are those at the bottom. So maybe that should inspire them to improve their skillset so they make more? That's what it did for me, after all.
To suggest that the value of labour can be below subsistence is a ludicrous proposition, since even slavery required the means to keep your slaves fed, clothed, and sheltered.
I didn't make any claim regarding subsistence. I merely pointed out that capitalism gives people payment in keeping with the value of their labour to the marketplace. If you want to earn a higher wage you need to increase your value by increasing your skills. And by the way, you seem to have forgotten why we work in the first place. We trade our labour for money to buy food, clothing and shelter. What you're complaining about is that some of the lower paid jobs ONLY do that, and don't give people luxuries. So what?
Walmart today doesn’t even have to pay that since YOU bail them out with your taxes. If you’ve got a problem with how much you pay to support people who can’t support themselves, blame those in charge of the economic conditions of our society, not those being screwed by it.
Walmart pays enough to get by on. My basic complaint is that socialism is twisting our society to the point where the majority of voters have no economic responsibilities to support the government's they're voting for, and thus no concerns whatever with governments which increase taxes and debt. In fact, many of the socialist set get furious at the mere suggestion the government might cut back some of those free services they get, and castigate those who call for such things as immoral! They also, of course, as in this topic, get furious at those who suggest that they ought to be contributing something to the upkeep of the government they're allowed to vote for.