was, by and large, for high school and college kids on a part time basis, and (dated sexist reference, mind you) "bored housewives" working for what was dismissively called "pin money."
In years past, that WAS the paradigm. Not so anymore. In fact, many people work two 'fast food' jobs to make ends meet. Work all day at the burger joint, deliver pizzas in the evening, that type of thing. That's just too much work, IMO.
No one, pretty much, regarded those jobs as "careers," save for the very few people in "management." Maybe a franchise owner, a day and night manager, and a couple of "assistant managers." The rest of the staff was always, when this format was established, traditionally part - time. The kids worked there for a few years, earning money for college or what-have-you, and then moved on to their "real" job when they grew up.
Nowadays, people DO rely on that kind of "kid's work" to feed their families. And maybe that's what the problem is, to no small extent--that adults are doing children's work. There aren't any--or enough--"adult" jobs.
I'd also be interested in knowing how the cost of living compares between a nine dollar an hour US economy and Denmark. I don't know if twenty bucks an hour is, in fact, a "cakewalk" for Danes. If living in Denmark is anything like living in UK, in terms of what things cost and how people are taxed, that money won't go all that far.
Now, by pointing this out I am NOT -- not for a single moment -- suggesting that nine bucks an hour is a fair wage in this day and age. I do think we need to work towards fifteen. I don't think lowering the boom and changing the wage scale overnight is the way to do it, though. It needs to go up incrementally over two to five years. Otherwise, business owners will refuse to back it, and Congress won't be willing to piss them off. That's simple reality. You don't get anywhere without selling the idea to Congress, and the way you sell it is "A rising tide lifts all boats." Thing is, you want the tide to RISE, not create a tsunami. As wages rise, costs will, too--the customer is not going to be thrilled to pay a dollar extra for a hamburger from one day to the next. They'll pay twenty cents more, then thirty, then fifty...but it has to happen over time. A lot of places are doing this, independent of the federal government, already. High cost areas are setting their own standard wages. Fifteen bucks doesn't go as far in NYC as it does in Shaw, Mississippi, for example.
The federal government will likely, as it often does, trail behind the states and local municipalities on this issue. I don't expect Congress to lead the way, here. They'll be pulled along, if not kicking and screaming, pouting and foot-dragging.
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