One thing is consistently left out of this thread. Back when we made low wages as teens to do these service jobs, Mom and Dad (or sometimes just Dad) went to work for big companies, many industrial, that paid good wages and good benefits, pensions, etc. Today? Mom and Dad are very often having to work in the service economy because all of our "good" jobs are in foreign countries. For those with few skills, it's a different world today. They can't go turn a screw at the same job for 30 years and raise a family.