Somehow my 6 years of PhD in physics begs to differ.
As I said in another comment, grad students are going to grad school and getting a big bump to their future earning potential, subsidized often by the state. I don't think it's an entitlement that they get to do that for free, much less claim a right to earn living wage level on top of that.
> Maybe you were doing a CS PhD or something
LOL
> PhDs in most fields are not a good good way to maximize earning potential, especially when taking into account lost potential wages and the time value of money.
Nobody made anyone get a PhD in a field that doesn't pay, and so that doesn't mean they're entitled to high pay.
It's not hard to google "starting pay for major x" before making a choice. Nobody should be surprised at what the pay is, especially for someone capable of getting a PhD.