Published on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 by CommonDreams.org
Today's Immigration Battle - Corporatists vs. Racists (and Labor is Left Behind)
by Thom Hartmann
The corporatist Republicans ("amnesty!") are fighting with the racist Republicans ("fence!"), and it provides an opportunity for progressives to step forward with a clear solution to the immigration problem facing America.
Both the corporatists and the racists are fond of the mantra, "There are some jobs Americans won't do." It's a lie.
Americans will do virtually any job if they're paid a decent wage. This isn't about immigration - it's about economics. Industry and agriculture won't collapse without illegal labor, but the middle class is being crushed by it.
The reason why thirty years ago United Farm Workers' Union (UFW) founder Caesar Chávez fought against illegal immigration, and the UFW turned in illegals during his tenure as president, was because Chávez, like progressives since the 1870s, understood the simple reality that labor rises and falls in price as a function of availability.
As Wikipedia notes: "In 1969, Chávez and members of the UFW marched through the Imperial and Coachella Valley to the border of Mexico to protest growers' use of illegal aliens as temporary replacement workers during a strike. Joining him on the march were both the Reverend Ralph Abernathy and U.S. Senator Walter Mondale. Chávez and the UFW would often report suspected illegal aliens who served as temporary replacement workers as well as who refused to unionize to the INS."
Working Americans have always known this simple equation: More workers, lower wages. Fewer workers, higher wages.
Progressives fought - and many lost their lives in the battle - to limit the pool of "labor hours" available to the Robber Barons from the 1870s through the 1930s and thus created the modern middle class. They limited labor-hours by pushing for the 50-hour week and the 10-hour day (and then later the 40-hour week and the 8-hour day). They limited labor-hours by pushing for laws against child labor (which competed with adult labor). They limited labor-hours by working for passage of the 1935 Wagner Act that provided for union shops. (Select for full story)
While I do not agree with broad stroking conservatives who are concerned about immigration as racist or corporatist, I do find that this article is informative and useful in pointing out how labor has struggled to avoid work force saturation. --Van
Today's Immigration Battle - Corporatists vs. Racists (and Labor is Left Behind)
by Thom Hartmann
The corporatist Republicans ("amnesty!") are fighting with the racist Republicans ("fence!"), and it provides an opportunity for progressives to step forward with a clear solution to the immigration problem facing America.
Both the corporatists and the racists are fond of the mantra, "There are some jobs Americans won't do." It's a lie.
Americans will do virtually any job if they're paid a decent wage. This isn't about immigration - it's about economics. Industry and agriculture won't collapse without illegal labor, but the middle class is being crushed by it.
The reason why thirty years ago United Farm Workers' Union (UFW) founder Caesar Chávez fought against illegal immigration, and the UFW turned in illegals during his tenure as president, was because Chávez, like progressives since the 1870s, understood the simple reality that labor rises and falls in price as a function of availability.
As Wikipedia notes: "In 1969, Chávez and members of the UFW marched through the Imperial and Coachella Valley to the border of Mexico to protest growers' use of illegal aliens as temporary replacement workers during a strike. Joining him on the march were both the Reverend Ralph Abernathy and U.S. Senator Walter Mondale. Chávez and the UFW would often report suspected illegal aliens who served as temporary replacement workers as well as who refused to unionize to the INS."
Working Americans have always known this simple equation: More workers, lower wages. Fewer workers, higher wages.
Progressives fought - and many lost their lives in the battle - to limit the pool of "labor hours" available to the Robber Barons from the 1870s through the 1930s and thus created the modern middle class. They limited labor-hours by pushing for the 50-hour week and the 10-hour day (and then later the 40-hour week and the 8-hour day). They limited labor-hours by pushing for laws against child labor (which competed with adult labor). They limited labor-hours by working for passage of the 1935 Wagner Act that provided for union shops. (Select for full story)
While I do not agree with broad stroking conservatives who are concerned about immigration as racist or corporatist, I do find that this article is informative and useful in pointing out how labor has struggled to avoid work force saturation. --Van
posted by Van at 5:18 AM
4 Comments:
I was glad to catch your "editors note" at the bottom. I was going to have to go nuts on you otherwise.
I am for throwing everyone out, building the fence, then commencing immigration. I personally like it, but I think there are a few opposed to it. Then that little issue over being realistic, which really is a pain. Reality always seems to be getting in my way.
Anyway, I have given up. I got to the point where I was ready to bend over for amnesty, as long as there was a wall - physical and virtual - to close the border down. You want to come in you do it the right way. The end.
Then last weekend fired up and the protests all week and my opinion changed. I think some masses are hurting those who really want to be here. Get them their wages, help them become a citizen.. But deport the (blank) out of these groups that find it reasonable to "piss" on the US flag while praising the Mexican flag in the same motion.
I'd say my blog went in to a little more detail of my feelings. If every single one of those Mexican flags had been US flags... I would have been saying, "we cannot be deporting true patriots such as those people." They would have sold me!
Instead they sold me on the fact that they are patriots to another country than this one.
PS- I do find it odd that just because I want a fence to protect the border of my country I am a racist. My favorite vacation spot is in the Caribbean, why? For the people, they are fantastic. Is every homeowner that has a fence racist? Military bases, racist. White House, racist. Zoos, racist. Embassies, racist. I leave the other stuff up to smarter guys like Van that can figure out what the economy could handle, but I don’t care if half of Mexico moves here (in theory) just as long as it is documented and done in a way to preserve National Defense.
Hi MD -
Thanks for your comments. I listen to Thom Hartman's radio program, he has a 3 hour national show - I usually pod cast it.
He is normally very fair in dealing with both sides of the political fences. I generally do not have to add comments about broad stroking - this came as a suprise for me.
But anyway, the protestors fired me up too. I hear that they were riled up by local D.J.'s in LA. What ever the reason, they should have been more respectful of the American flag.
You're not a racist. You're a responsible American. Caesar Chaves was not a racist, yet he did not support open borders. He supported a strong work force, not a saturated weak group of frightened, insecure laborers.
Next time someone calls you a racist, as that person if Caesar Chaves was a racits.
That'll shut them up!!
Thanks for pointing out this aricle Van. It is a good summary of the fundamental causes of the problem we are facing and presents some valis solutions. A lot of people aren't familiar with the labor movement here in America but some of us grew up with it. West Virginia coal mining family here.
Fallenmonk: I am ashamed of how little our people know of the labor movement.
I suspect that since it was such a volitle time for our nation that maybe it's a chapter that many would like to forget.
It's time to remember though. The conditions that started the labor movement are occuring again.
Thanks for your comments.
Post a Comment
<< Home