Are Illegal Immigrants America’s Slave Labor?
When you hear about the highly publicized raids on employers who hire illegal immigrants, you think…ahhh, the government is finally doing something about it. But what are they really doing? When you consider that there could be as many as 20 million illegal immigrants making up the “underground labor force”, how could we possibly make a dent in this? With 1,200 arrested over a 10 month investigation — at this rate, it would be the next century before we could round up all the undocumented workers.
The only way to stop this avalanche of illegals is to eliminate the reason that they come here in the first place — jobs. As reported in the September, ‘06, New York Times, The United Farm Workers estimated that 90 percent of California’s farmworkers are undocumented. On some construction sites in Seattle, 90 percent of the workers are native Spanish speakers. And, the Department of Labor figures that about 85 percent of recent immigrants from Mexico are undocumented. Robert Justich, in his 2005 paper “The Underground Labor Force Is Rising to the Surface”, estimates that as many as 3 million people enter the country illegally each year which is triple the “official” estimate and hold somewhere between 12 million and 15 million jobs. The reason is simple — cheap labor. In some instances, its outright borderline slavery. Employers want cheap labor and Mexican workers want jobs — at any cost. And that cost is on the backs of illegal immigrants in the form of human bondage.
Reported in the April, ‘07, Utne magazine, Max Gonzales, an undocumented worker lived in a canvas tent in the isolated mountains of northern New Mexico tending sheep for a rich rancher. He was paid $4,500 a year. He has a wife and three daughters back in Guanajuato, Mexico. The rancher says he “can’t afford” to pay what the job is really worth which would be twice what Max was getting because if he did, he couldn’t compete in the market. Many other workers are laboring under the same condition — living in cinderblock hovels hidden away behind the sand hills of southern New Mexico, making less than minimum wage, suffering inhumane working conditions due to fear of deportation. There are farm shacks, decrepit trailer parks, and urban tenements packed with people who work long hours in illegal and unsafe working conditions in extreme weather handling toxic chemicals and dangerous heavy equipment.
Economically speaking, these laborers are serving the same purpose that African slaves served before the Civil War. Slaves were also considered a vital component of the plantation economy for which landowners likewise rallied against change due to the “inability to compete” without their slaves. It established for America at the time, dominance in the international marketplace. Today, the marketplace is much the same — from the roof on your house, to the food on your table, these jobs are done by undocumented workers. All of whom their employers will say that they can’t make it without them and go right on hiring them for less pay, with less benefits and unsafe working conditions.
But we are just as guilty as the employers by allowing this human bondage to happen just as it did in the plantation days. We look the other way and complain under our breath about these “damn illegals”. In the meantime, they continue to swarm into this country and continue to buttress this illegal and immoral slave economy. But, here is the conundrum. If we acknowledge that these workers deserve the same pay, benefits and working conditions as other workers, we would have to accept the consequences of doing so. This would mean that the cost of doing business would increase as much as 10 to 15 percent.
However, I think at some point as these problems continue to exponentially expand into other areas such as over population and increasing demand on resources, we will come face to face with not only our moral dilemma, but our natural resource dilemma. At that time, we will be forced to bite the bullet to solve this problem. Yes, our economy will suffer a setback but we have endured worse conditions in the past, but if we, as Americans, stand for anything, we must do something now before we get to that breaking point. We can do this by enforcing the laws that we do have by requiring employers to verify documents with enforceable, legal oversight, and heavily fine those who don’t comply. We have to make hiring undocumented workers more expensive than not hiring them. The consequences have to be real and unavoidable. We have to take away the sole reason people illegally cross the border — jobs. It’s as simple as that.
But no politician wants to take the heat for such legislation because it would cause negative ripples in the economy and an unfavorable public reaction. Since they are more worried about getting re-elected than standing up and taking a risk, we will end up doing nothing. This is truly a no win situation. It’s sad to say that our politicians got us into this mess, and they are the ones who will have to get us out. My question is, who has the guts to do it?
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FROM STAN NODVIK:
There is something else below the surface going on here that is of great importance. Follow the dollar. The ‘uncouth’ are sending great amounts back home each month to their Mexican families. How much? I don’t know. Surprise me. The Government can trace money being sent out of the country, you all know. Is there anyone ambitious enough to multipy 1,200 times what each ‘uncoth’ expressed home each month? I don’t have any figures. But say $100 times 1,200 equals $120,000 A MONTH just from the latest roundup. Search through Washington’s fuck-smog and you will see this whole immigration to-do is just another backroom smoke scare. FOLLOW THE MONEY!
You’re right Stan…follow the money. In this case it has been reported to be over $13 BILLION per year. Has anyone ever wondered why Mexico isn’t engaged in stopping the tide of their citizen flight into the U.S.? It certainly solves their unemployment problem and what country wouldn’t want a $13 Billion cash infusion into their economy?
There is an interesting proposal in the Texas legislature now which proposes taxing the money sent to Mexico. That’s an interesting twist since again if we make it more difficult for them to get money back home, maybe they will stop coming. But I still believe it is the job issue that we have to tackle. Solve that and you will solve the illegal immigration problem.
FROM STAN NODVIK:
HO! UNUM, I need your help. You’re better at math than me. The stock market dropped another 100 points yesterday. This is what I want to know, in dollars and cents. If Our Father In Office had made us put social security into the stock market, how much of social security funds were lost this past week? Completely lost?
Stan, you bring up a good point. There has been much discussion about privatizing social security. Along with last week’s huge losses in the stockmarket as you mentioned, here are just a few other reasons why it wouldn’t be a good idea.
1. The odds are against individuals investing successfully. (Boy, am I familiar with that one.)
2. What you get will depend on whether you retire when the market is up or down.
3. Wall Street would reap windfalls from your taxes.
4. Private accounts would require a new government bureaucracy.
5. Young people would be worse off.
6. Retirees will not be protected against inflation.
I think the system we have now could work if we just quit raiding the social security surpluses and quit funding pet projects like exporting American imperialism and propping up pitiful excuses for democracy in the Middle East.
And,if China and Japan ever get mad us, we’re in deep trouble. Thanks for the comment.
FROM STAN NODVIK:
Unum, you do know your scat, well presented in orderly fashion. But you didn’t answer my question. How much in dollars and cents? Take out your calculator when you have a time break and see what the estimated dollar amout might be. A money loss in the collective pockets will catch the attention of those on SS, SSD and SSI and those of whom can vote this coming pres. election. What a hairbrain Bush scheme that was! It sounds like a sidewalk con on the elderly. –”Let me hold your money for you, madam.”
FROM STAN NODVIK;
Unum– I just realized I’m asking too much of you for a dollar and cents amount of rhe proposed social security/stock market scheme. But, seriously, what would be a very rough estimate rounded off in your opinion, on or off a billion dollars, of the loss? This is way out of my area of keeping-up-with-things. I would appreciate your opinion.
I have to offer a disclaimer with my answer since this isn’t my area of expertise.
But if one were to say that with every 1 percent drop in the stock market, there is a subsequent 1 percent drop in real wealth.
Then with the market dropping 4.2 points this week, and with let’s say an average investment of $100,000 (in a private retirement account).
Then the loss would be about $4,000 for each person times let’s say 200 Million people who would have retirement accounts…I would guess $800 Billion.
Thank you, Unum: What a staggering amount. FDR just rolled over in his grave.
Yooo Hooo, Unum — The stock market lost 242 points today (Tuesday, 13 March 07). Please get out your calculator again. Now, Now, Don’t Howl … If our Social Security funds were deposited in the stock market as the Great Decider wanted, no matter what, my question: how much give or take 10 billion would we old folks have lost today — gone, gone, GONE! See above comments for the last possible loss of 800 billion of Social Security funds. Oh Mr. President, anybody home?
but 1 point on the market can’t mean 1%, if it did the market couldn’t lose 200 points in a day. Oh and from my very very limited knowledge of the stock market, I think its safe to say that it does not represent Real Wealth. Of course if SS was tied into it then it would be a far bigger indicator of real wealth.
Thanks for pointing this out, although the counter argument would probably be that the SS would have gained more money in the previous months by being in the stock market than it currently earns. I don’t know but thats what I’m guessing their argument would be.
No, Kilgore…every 1% drop equals 1% loss in real wealth…not every 1 point drop equals 1% loss.
I think the biggest problem with privatizing social security with private retirement accounts is the timing of your retirement. Over the long haul, it may work out to your advantage. But if you wanted to retire this month and the market is in the crapper? You may not have enough funds to withdraw the amount you need to live on monthly.
Well, Do yall wanta know my opinion? very well Stan Nodvik I think you are sfat the stock markets are enough to buy poodles yep thats right poodles!!! You are scat!
Hello, Dr. Suess, assuming it’s a “stage” name you have used because I don’t think this doctor is an expert in economy. Being a specialist in hermit crabs and in the perticular inbread species of hermit dogs, I do believe I am quite experienced in this area and I have to say it is quite an honnor to interact with someone so vibrant and audacious. I would like the Blogs 4 Brains to close the discussion board after my comment, because I would like to congradulate you, Dr. Suess because you are absolutel right. Stan Nodvik is wrong, and you are right it is poodles. Thank you and good night.
Hey Micheals! In your text,
perticular should be particular
inbread should be inbred
honnor should be honor
Blogs 4 Brains should be Blog4Brains
congradulate should be congratulate
absolutel should be absolutely
As for your name and titles, the proper format wouid be either Dr. Martha Micheals or
Marha Micheals, Ph.D.
Hey Stan, that was freaking hilarous! I can’t believe I missed this one. I don’t think anyone could have commented better to such a ridiculous post. Kodoos to you.
[Cerebrl]