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Hell to Pay: How the Suppression of Wages Is Destroying America
From one of America’s leading thinkers, a provocative diagnosis of the cause of America’s decline—and a searing indictment of those who caused it
For nearly half a century, Americans have been bombarded by neoliberal propaganda promoting the lie that wages are objectively determined by impersonal labor markets. This falsehood has been repeated by academics, journalists, business leaders, and politicians so often that even many on the liberal left and the populist right believe it.
In Hell to Pay , Michael Lind, author of The New Class War, debunks this lie. With brutal clarity, he tells the story of how bipartisan political and business interests united to smash the bargaining power of American workers and reduce wages. And with devastating insight he demonstrates that their success has indirectly caused or worsened nearly every symptom of American decline, from the increase in political polarization to the declining birth rate.
Calling for a revolution in the way we think about work and wages, Lind argues that the American republic will collapse if worker power is not restored. Fortunately, Hell to Pay doesn’t just sound the alarm but also offers a plan for breaking the power of the neoliberal elite and reforming America’s disastrous low-wage/high-welfare model—before it’s too late.
For nearly half a century, Americans have been bombarded by neoliberal propaganda promoting the lie that wages are objectively determined by impersonal labor markets. This falsehood has been repeated by academics, journalists, business leaders, and politicians so often that even many on the liberal left and the populist right believe it.
In Hell to Pay , Michael Lind, author of The New Class War, debunks this lie. With brutal clarity, he tells the story of how bipartisan political and business interests united to smash the bargaining power of American workers and reduce wages. And with devastating insight he demonstrates that their success has indirectly caused or worsened nearly every symptom of American decline, from the increase in political polarization to the declining birth rate.
Calling for a revolution in the way we think about work and wages, Lind argues that the American republic will collapse if worker power is not restored. Fortunately, Hell to Pay doesn’t just sound the alarm but also offers a plan for breaking the power of the neoliberal elite and reforming America’s disastrous low-wage/high-welfare model—before it’s too late.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published May 2, 2023
19 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Michael Lind
38 books76 followersCurrently Policy Director of the Economic Growth Program at the New America Foundation in Washington, Michael Lind has been an editor or staff writer for The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, and The New Republic and writes frequently for The New York Times and the Financial Times. He is the author of more than a dozen books of history, political journalism, and fiction, including a poetry chapbook, When You Are Someone Else (Aralia Press, 2002), Bluebonnet Girl (Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2003), a children’s book in verse, which won an Oppenheimer Toy Prize for children’s literature, and a narrative poem, The Alamo (Replica Books, 1999), which the Los Angeles Times named as one of the best books of the year. His first collection of verse, Parallel Lives, was published by Etruscan Press in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 3, 2023
I bought this book after reading the authors summary in the Wall Street Journal. He had framed the discussion by correctly stating the impossibilities of feeding a family of four on the salaries and wages, received by the bottom 30 or 40% of the people in this country. It is only through the earned income tax, credit and other government subsidies that these families survive . Not prosper , but survive.
In his words, the welfare state .
Lind believes, as do I , that people who who have full-time jobs in this country should be able to afford to do more than just survive. He also believes in inherent dignity of providing for oneself and their family instead of relying on the government whether it be for food, medicine or tuition.
Mr. Lind also attributes polarization of the body politic, outsourcing, and most other social ills to this same cause.
Unfortunately, I could’ve just read the summary and not have bothered with the book which is filled with a mishmash of anecdotes, ad hoc statements and mis placed quotes to argue for rebuilding a very prominent place for labor unions in the American economy . And perhaps we do .
For myself , I was disappointed there was not a thoughtful discussion for solutions. Mr Lind also engaged in joyful bashing of all elites and republicans, and most democrats . Only senators sanders and Warren came out in good shape .
So disappointing
In his words, the welfare state .
Lind believes, as do I , that people who who have full-time jobs in this country should be able to afford to do more than just survive. He also believes in inherent dignity of providing for oneself and their family instead of relying on the government whether it be for food, medicine or tuition.
Mr. Lind also attributes polarization of the body politic, outsourcing, and most other social ills to this same cause.
Unfortunately, I could’ve just read the summary and not have bothered with the book which is filled with a mishmash of anecdotes, ad hoc statements and mis placed quotes to argue for rebuilding a very prominent place for labor unions in the American economy . And perhaps we do .
For myself , I was disappointed there was not a thoughtful discussion for solutions. Mr Lind also engaged in joyful bashing of all elites and republicans, and most democrats . Only senators sanders and Warren came out in good shape .
So disappointing
July 17, 2023
Lind explains how supression of wages and the resulting fact that workers do not earn liveable wages affects American life overall. His arguments are well supported and strong. He debunks the idea that increasing wages causes unemployment and inflation.
September 19, 2025
Michael Lind is one of the names I took away with me after discovering the excent online magazine "Tablet" a few years back.
Focused on Jewish culture and takes on current issues, it took me a few weeks to realize that this was a 'conservative' magazine, a label I've seen applied to Lind as well.
Classically liberal, heterodox, well-researched anti-doctrine is automatically conservative now?
Whether or not you think the term is used dismissively, this book, along with Lind and Tablet itself, are worth exploring.
Lind neatly dodges the division of the political spectrum by identifying his villain out of the gate as an elite class of business leaders and their enablers who wish to keep the cost of labour low. This exploitive class, "neoliberal Democrat and libertarian conservative Republican alike" have used the same tactics since the 70s to diminish the bargaining power of labour (xvi).
These various strategies get chapter-length explorations in the midsection of the book: Offshoring, cheap immigrant labour, the 'anti-worker welfare state', credentialism, and Lind is willing to attribute a LOT of modern day ills to the impact of this war on labour.
Lind starts his polemic out with a look at how America has come to this present state. He starts with the notion that "you are paid what you deserve" (p. 1). This fundamental principle of neoliberal orthodoxy, "the greatest hoax of our time", denies that collective bargaining power has anything to do with labour compensation (p. 2).
Lind provides a thorough overview of the history of this, with numerous well-curated quotes illustrating the position of those who believe Lind's "big lie" and those opposed. Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, etc. come under well-deserved scrutiny.
I appreciate Lind's insight that "since the civil rights revolution, many American corporations have ostentatiously embraced symbolic race-and-gender identity politics ... (DEI), even as they oppose unionization, a higher minimum wage and other pro-worker legislation" (p. 19), an insight generally shared by Adolph Reed and Joseph Heath.
Having established the centrality of the 'visionary boss' and the willingness of American corporations to abandon all principles but the supposedly 'invisible hand' of the market, we get examples of strategies deployed to advancing the project of destroying worker negotiating leverage: no-poach agreements, non-compete clauses, forced arbitration, gig work and others.
Sounding much more like an old school unionist than a cold-hearted conservative, Lind's take on globalization would likely appal neoliberals on both ends of the political spectrum. Outside of the context of the culture wars, this is just reasoned economic theory and argument.
It is his take on 'cultural' issues that drives woke antipathy towards Lind, who admits to "violating perhaps the greatest taboo of the bipartisan neoliberal regime that has ruled the United States since Reagan and Clinton" by disputing that "immigration has only beneficial effects on American workers and the American economy" (p. 46).
Lind presents compelling data to demonstrate that increased immigration DOES decrease union membership overall. He notes the ancillary costs, the bureaucrats, the organizations, the social safety net, arguing the the professional managerial class employed in these organizations also have a vested interest in keeping labour in a diminished position.
The welfare state itself is weaponized by the ownership class, as many pay wages that require government assistance to reach a 'living' wage. Lind's solutions are not radical, but as he himself notes, they would take decades - or generations - to fully implement. He does convincingly argue that efforts to reform the system will improve productivity, community - even fertility rates.
Ultimately, Lind wants to empower 'sectoral' collective bargaining, to use trade, including tariffs, in highly targeted and strategic fashion, to empower the interests of the nation. "To avoid economic and social decline, the United States must transition from a low-wage/high-welfare system to a living-wage/social-insurance economy" (p. 165).
This stance has appeal across the political spectrum, and so do many of the smaller suggestions Lind has, an optimistic byproduct of his efforts to distance himself from the traditional left/right binary.
Perhaps groups can come together around issues like pro-family social assistance that supports the choice for a caregiver to stay out of the workforce to raise kids? Perhaps there is agreement to be found to prioritize immigrants based on point-systems, limiting the unskilled sector?
He concludes on an urgent note, arguing that the "Ponzi scheme" of neoliberal globalism will eventually run short. "Given the nightmarish alternatives of stable oligarchy or demagogue-exploited turmoil, the restoration of worker power in the United States of America is worth a try" (p. 189).
I agree with Lind. This book will likely appeal to other heterodox types, but the tight focus on labour conditions in the US may be outside of the purview of some readers.
At a trim 189 pages, you can read this in an afternoon if you wish.
Focused on Jewish culture and takes on current issues, it took me a few weeks to realize that this was a 'conservative' magazine, a label I've seen applied to Lind as well.
Classically liberal, heterodox, well-researched anti-doctrine is automatically conservative now?
Whether or not you think the term is used dismissively, this book, along with Lind and Tablet itself, are worth exploring.
Lind neatly dodges the division of the political spectrum by identifying his villain out of the gate as an elite class of business leaders and their enablers who wish to keep the cost of labour low. This exploitive class, "neoliberal Democrat and libertarian conservative Republican alike" have used the same tactics since the 70s to diminish the bargaining power of labour (xvi).
These various strategies get chapter-length explorations in the midsection of the book: Offshoring, cheap immigrant labour, the 'anti-worker welfare state', credentialism, and Lind is willing to attribute a LOT of modern day ills to the impact of this war on labour.
Lind starts his polemic out with a look at how America has come to this present state. He starts with the notion that "you are paid what you deserve" (p. 1). This fundamental principle of neoliberal orthodoxy, "the greatest hoax of our time", denies that collective bargaining power has anything to do with labour compensation (p. 2).
Lind provides a thorough overview of the history of this, with numerous well-curated quotes illustrating the position of those who believe Lind's "big lie" and those opposed. Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, etc. come under well-deserved scrutiny.
I appreciate Lind's insight that "since the civil rights revolution, many American corporations have ostentatiously embraced symbolic race-and-gender identity politics ... (DEI), even as they oppose unionization, a higher minimum wage and other pro-worker legislation" (p. 19), an insight generally shared by Adolph Reed and Joseph Heath.
Having established the centrality of the 'visionary boss' and the willingness of American corporations to abandon all principles but the supposedly 'invisible hand' of the market, we get examples of strategies deployed to advancing the project of destroying worker negotiating leverage: no-poach agreements, non-compete clauses, forced arbitration, gig work and others.
Sounding much more like an old school unionist than a cold-hearted conservative, Lind's take on globalization would likely appal neoliberals on both ends of the political spectrum. Outside of the context of the culture wars, this is just reasoned economic theory and argument.
It is his take on 'cultural' issues that drives woke antipathy towards Lind, who admits to "violating perhaps the greatest taboo of the bipartisan neoliberal regime that has ruled the United States since Reagan and Clinton" by disputing that "immigration has only beneficial effects on American workers and the American economy" (p. 46).
Lind presents compelling data to demonstrate that increased immigration DOES decrease union membership overall. He notes the ancillary costs, the bureaucrats, the organizations, the social safety net, arguing the the professional managerial class employed in these organizations also have a vested interest in keeping labour in a diminished position.
The welfare state itself is weaponized by the ownership class, as many pay wages that require government assistance to reach a 'living' wage. Lind's solutions are not radical, but as he himself notes, they would take decades - or generations - to fully implement. He does convincingly argue that efforts to reform the system will improve productivity, community - even fertility rates.
Ultimately, Lind wants to empower 'sectoral' collective bargaining, to use trade, including tariffs, in highly targeted and strategic fashion, to empower the interests of the nation. "To avoid economic and social decline, the United States must transition from a low-wage/high-welfare system to a living-wage/social-insurance economy" (p. 165).
This stance has appeal across the political spectrum, and so do many of the smaller suggestions Lind has, an optimistic byproduct of his efforts to distance himself from the traditional left/right binary.
Perhaps groups can come together around issues like pro-family social assistance that supports the choice for a caregiver to stay out of the workforce to raise kids? Perhaps there is agreement to be found to prioritize immigrants based on point-systems, limiting the unskilled sector?
He concludes on an urgent note, arguing that the "Ponzi scheme" of neoliberal globalism will eventually run short. "Given the nightmarish alternatives of stable oligarchy or demagogue-exploited turmoil, the restoration of worker power in the United States of America is worth a try" (p. 189).
I agree with Lind. This book will likely appeal to other heterodox types, but the tight focus on labour conditions in the US may be outside of the purview of some readers.
At a trim 189 pages, you can read this in an afternoon if you wish.
June 6, 2023
Informative without being too detail or jargon heavy. Persuasive. Well read (Audible version), and engaging.
February 15, 2024
As a millennial who has slowly become jaded by watching factories get offshored, companies operating illegally (because fines are cheaper than doing the right thing), and bailouts of 'too big to fail' companies that knew exactly what they were doing...nothing in this book came as a shock.
However, I've been dumbfounded by the levels of anti-union sentiment I've seen in the past few years as well as the worship of CEOs that exhibit bad behavior. Not to mention the finger pointing to automation as the reason for job loss. Disinformation in general. So clearly there is a need for the book.
Personally, I think the target audience, or who SHOULD be the target audience, is not the kind to read a lot of books. To reach them IMO a viral social media trend or an interview with the right podcasters would've gone farther. Or even a movie like The Big Short. Which was, ironically, originally a book written by one of my favorite authors, Michael Lewis.
To anyone debating reading this, I would personally recommend it. Lind writes well and with detail and backs up his arguments with facts. For me, at the least, it was confirmation of what I already believed to be true.
However, I've been dumbfounded by the levels of anti-union sentiment I've seen in the past few years as well as the worship of CEOs that exhibit bad behavior. Not to mention the finger pointing to automation as the reason for job loss. Disinformation in general. So clearly there is a need for the book.
Personally, I think the target audience, or who SHOULD be the target audience, is not the kind to read a lot of books. To reach them IMO a viral social media trend or an interview with the right podcasters would've gone farther. Or even a movie like The Big Short. Which was, ironically, originally a book written by one of my favorite authors, Michael Lewis.
To anyone debating reading this, I would personally recommend it. Lind writes well and with detail and backs up his arguments with facts. For me, at the least, it was confirmation of what I already believed to be true.
August 30, 2023
U.S. citizens interested in a functional economic system, sustainable growth and learning from hard fought lessons from the past that appear both forgotten and continue to be circumvented by inventive rapacious, value extractive behavior, otherwise known as rentier capitalism.
For the price, this is a well researched book with sound solutions from a historical and legal perspective. The explanations and details that argue low wages exacerbates an algorithm of social issues, otherwise called "crisis", are essential fundamental facts citizens should know, to the degree we should add it as required knowledge for citizens to renew citizenship (unfortunately not a thing), or at least add it to the new citizen curriculum.
Similar authors are James Kwak and Eric Liu, whom are also lawyers well aware of the shortcomings of a liberal market economy form of capitalism and the importance of legal frameworks that are proven to empower citizens.
For the price, this is a well researched book with sound solutions from a historical and legal perspective. The explanations and details that argue low wages exacerbates an algorithm of social issues, otherwise called "crisis", are essential fundamental facts citizens should know, to the degree we should add it as required knowledge for citizens to renew citizenship (unfortunately not a thing), or at least add it to the new citizen curriculum.
Similar authors are James Kwak and Eric Liu, whom are also lawyers well aware of the shortcomings of a liberal market economy form of capitalism and the importance of legal frameworks that are proven to empower citizens.
January 30, 2024
The book encourages readers to take a moment and truly contemplate the challenges faced by hardworking individuals struggling to make ends meet. It suggests that we should support a shift away from the current system, characterized by low wages and extensive government assistance, towards a new system with higher wages and reduced reliance on government support. The book delves into what this change would mean for society and prompts readers to reconsider their perspectives on money and the structure of our society.
As you reflect on the ideas in this book, you'll realize it's not solely about identifying problems in our society. It aims to stimulate conversations and reflections on making changes. It's very thought-provoking and definitely worth the time to read!
I recommend it.
As you reflect on the ideas in this book, you'll realize it's not solely about identifying problems in our society. It aims to stimulate conversations and reflections on making changes. It's very thought-provoking and definitely worth the time to read!
I recommend it.
October 13, 2023
Not a bad book. Definitely leans right as it is pro meritocracy and capitalism but it is done in a way that promotes life work balance and financial security which is very under looked due to financial stress being American societies norm. Wasn’t surprised at the end to see it was pieces from an essay as it felt formatted like so. I would recommend to someone who wants basic information on the current American economy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2024
A concise diagnosis of US worker disempowerment and an outline for a path forward. I disagree practically/morally with his position on immigration but his arguments for worker empowerment and social insurance reform are clear and compelling.
Read
June 14, 2023Wonderful book about all the reasons low wages are bad and solutions to better future
July 9, 2023
very interesting & thought-provoking. Not my typical topic of interest but I'm glad I picked it up, learned a lot.
December 11, 2023
Let the people unionize! Lots of good information and I still will remain steadfast on taxing the rich.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews