Minimum wage doesn't protect me from an oppressive employer, it removes my ability to leverage my skills to negotiate my own value. Minimum wage asserts itself under the bigoted presumption that I am incapable, either by intellect or common sense, not to be taken advantage of. Minimum wage also implies that an employers default is to victimize its employees and/or potential employees. Apparently socialism is the utopia of inherently evil employers and inherently ignorant employees.