Is a business a business if the employee's are paid so little they have to get public assistance to survive.?

Yep. An employer has zero obligation to pay you enough money to get off public assistance. Their only obligation is to give you at least minimum wage. If you find that this one job isn't enough, perhaps you should find a second job, negotiate a raise, or find a higher paying job. If the market doesn't allow this because of low demand for your skillset or high supply of people who can do the same work as you, that's not your current employer's fault.

Sure it's a business that gets subsidized by the government as the government pays a quarter of the employees wages in a way through food stamps etc

no it's not a business it's exploitation it's someone trying to make money that isn't good enough to compete

but it keeps some off welfare so it's business we had slaves for it at one time

Are the employees paid for services? Are taxes paid? Then it is a business.

Sure... that's pretty much Wal-Mart's business model.

YES, it's also the same in the Military ... ain't that nice ... NOT !

Of course.