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'Guest' worker wilderness (Victor Davis Hanson)
The Washington Times ^ | 8/12/2005 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 08/13/2005 4:22:50 PM PDT by 4.1O dana super trac pak

Millions of people in Mexico need work. Americans have millions of jobs that we apparently won't do ourselves. Presto. The answer to illegal immigration is obviously a lawful guest-worker program.

That simple logic is behind various immigration reform bills under discussion before Congress. Most entail guest-worker provisions that bring set numbers of temporary workers in from Mexico, attached to particular employers who can "prove" they can't find Americans to work for them.

The problem is that we have unsuccessfully tried this approach before, from 1942 to 1964, with the so-called braceros -- the hired "arms" from Mexico.

Various programs to bring Mexican laborers across the border were initially small, supposedly temporary, and aimed only at alleviating wartime shortages of labor.

But some 4 million braceros later, the idea of guest workers had evolved into a huge labor exchange, delivering hardworking -- and very cheap -- farm workers to American employers, most of them large agribusiness concerns.

President Kennedy, under union pressure and shortly before his death, began to phase out the braceros. He worried that the system was "adversely affecting the wages, working conditions and employment opportunities of our own agricultural workers."

(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: aliens; immigrantlist; vdh
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1 posted on 08/13/2005 4:22:57 PM PDT by 4.1O dana super trac pak
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To: 4.1O dana super trac pak

We have to address the issues of paying for their health care, educating their drop, and letting them vote (which makes our own votes meaningless). If we let them stay, regardless of the arrangements, these things will continue. To think otherwise is to live in dreamland.


2 posted on 08/13/2005 4:25:59 PM PDT by warchild9
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To: Tolik

ping


3 posted on 08/13/2005 4:41:55 PM PDT by afnamvet (Jet Noise...The Sound of Freedomâ„¢)
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To: warchild9

You pay what the job is worth. If it sucks it is worth more. Someone here will take the job. Don't pay wages that warrant welfare or emergency room visits at the expense of the taxpayer. I do not want to subsidize any slave drivers staff.


4 posted on 08/13/2005 4:43:08 PM PDT by Sterco
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To: 4.1O dana super trac pak
Just an idea on how far the dems have veered in the 40-odd years since Kennedy. No dem today would say

"...He worried that the system was "adversely affecting the wages, working conditions and employment opportunities of our own agricultural workers."

Since he would be roundly chastised as being anti-immigrant. Sticking up for American workers is unacceptable in the face of the immigration lobby.

5 posted on 08/13/2005 4:43:27 PM PDT by Personal Responsibility (Register to vote as a Dem! You get to vote in their primaries and it screws up their polling data!)
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To: warchild9

Agreed. In the United States, these young [Mexicans] wouldn't be WORKING, they be in school getting an EDUCATION.

People shouldn't be working and having a family unless they can support basic services (health care, ed'n, etc.).

Mexicans and other poor immigrants come here, and immediately start min. wage jobs, PLUS start droping their kids.

This is PAID for (subsidized!) by us, the more educated, income earning taxpayers.

THIS IS NOT FAIR and IS HOW AN INDUSTRIALIZED SOCIETY WORKS or SURVIVES!

FIRST you get an education & high skills. THEN you start a family you are 100% able to support, ON YOUR OWN!!

We are subsidizing others reproductive & consumer activities, this is not fair.

I have my OWN bills & retirement savings (bwaahahahah. Like THAT's happening) to worry about.!

Where's my TAX CUT?!?!?!! Why do I have to get harnessed with other people's household expenses & bills???

Thanks, liberals for stealing my hard earned money


6 posted on 08/13/2005 4:45:54 PM PDT by 4Liberty (Lettuce already is "$5 /head"- when you add in ER, school, welfare subsidies we pay for non-citizens)
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To: Sterco

If you buy anything made in China, you're subsidizing slave labor. The Communists have more people in slave labor camps making Wal Mart goods than we do middle class citizens.

Always keep that in mind.


7 posted on 08/13/2005 4:46:20 PM PDT by warchild9
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To: 4Liberty

typo:

THIS IS NOT FAIR and IS HOW .....
should have been
THIS IS NOT FAIR and IS >>NOT<< HOW....


sorry.


8 posted on 08/13/2005 4:47:37 PM PDT by 4Liberty (Lettuce already is "$5 /head"- when you add in ER, school, welfare subsidies we pay for non-citizens)
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To: 4Liberty

Please note, it isn't "liberals" doing this--it's the American business community. They're the ones profiting the most.

Always follow the money.

//I can remember when they were whining about having to pay Burger King workers 50 cents an hour over minimum wage. Ha.


9 posted on 08/13/2005 4:48:38 PM PDT by warchild9
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To: warchild9

We need to invade mexico and alleviate the suffering and curruption forced on its citizenry. Their society is a net negative to the world, and we bear the burden. They cannot govern themselves. Should talk about a week. And no we shouldnt stick around and rebuild it.


10 posted on 08/13/2005 4:51:14 PM PDT by samadams2000 (Pitchforks and Lanterns..with a smiley face!)
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To: 4.1O dana super trac pak

I was with him up until here "And, most controversially, work out a one-time-only citizenship plan for those who have resided for substantial time in the United States."

Now, I don't know what we are going to do with these hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of people and their citizen children. The idea of a fine of $1500- is absurd, when these folks (back in the impoverished home country even) are scraping up 10 times that amount to get smuggled in, that's just for a start. I really don't have a better clue (but I'd make a steeper fine, far steeper), which is why I suggest we start with deporting the criminals amoung them first. However, I do know we did the "one time only" thing back under Reagan, so please, don't insult my intelligence and tell me "one time only" when it will be twice for a start.

I'm quite sure the current anger over illegal immigration comes from a gut realization of the failure of the "one time only" already tried. As we are filling out our I-9 forms a horde of new illegals arrive daily.


11 posted on 08/13/2005 4:53:14 PM PDT by jocon307
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To: warchild9

"If you buy anything made in China, you're subsidizing slave labor."

I knew this was true 20 years ago when I worked in the importing dept. of a major dept. store. We brought in all sorts of goods from all over the world. There would often be little discrepancies with the orders, sometimes they'd send too many, sometimes too few, except for Red China. They filled every single order, for every type of item, to the very last widget, and not a drop more.

It was pretty creepy, you just knew this was the result of forced labor. And extreme organization, I'll say that too.


12 posted on 08/13/2005 4:57:34 PM PDT by jocon307
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To: jocon307

Extreme organization...communists love paperwork.


13 posted on 08/13/2005 5:00:52 PM PDT by warchild9
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To: warchild9

Oh absolutely. Am. Business is 'in on' this, too.

This is pure corporate welfare, no doubt about it.

Whenever I see "public transit" buses headed toweard the wealthier neighborhoods in the SF Valley each day, I am reminded that I AM PAYING TO TRANSPORT NANNIES,HOUSEKEEPERS, & GARDENERS to wealthier people's door steps.

Geez -- I could REALLY use that money, -- maybe I could hire someone to do MY mowing!?!!

grr


14 posted on 08/13/2005 5:01:33 PM PDT by 4Liberty (Lettuce already is "$5 /head"- when you add in ER, school, welfare subsidies we pay for non-citizens)
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To: 4.1O dana super trac pak

The U.S. had better make up it's mind. Cheap labor = cheap food. If we get serious about stopping illegal immigration, we can expect some economic dislocations in agriculture until they find ways to adapt and mechanize.

It will also require protectionist policies to protect domestic agriculture from cheaper imported fruits and vegetables which are more dependant on cheap labor than commodities like wheat and corn which are already highly mechanized.


15 posted on 08/13/2005 5:04:32 PM PDT by Valpal1 (Crush jihadists, drive collaborators before you, hear the lamentations of their media. Allahu FUBAR!)
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To: 4Liberty


...
Why can't wealthier people pay the transportation costs of THEIR OWN "HELP" (Staff)?

grrrrrrrrr!


16 posted on 08/13/2005 5:05:01 PM PDT by 4Liberty (Lettuce already is "$5 /head"- when you add in ER, school, welfare subsidies we pay for non-citizens)
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To: 4Liberty

You'll profit from this situation when you're on the "receiving" end of the Golden Rule: he who has the gold makes the rules. When you can pay for politician's political campaigns, then your perception of the problems of illegals will change!


17 posted on 08/13/2005 5:09:12 PM PDT by warchild9
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To: 4.1O dana super trac pak
Contrary to what this article says, the bracero program worked well while it was in place. Under it, a specified number of Mexicans came into the United States for specific jobs. Mexico fully cooperated by closing and guarding the border from ITS side.

And all of the braceros returned to Mexico when their work assignments were completed. (And none of their children became American citizens because they were born in the US.)

A new bracero program would have to be more humane -- better living conditions, better education, better health case (most of it provided at the expense of the Mexican government). But a new version of that old program would make a great deal of sense.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "The 9/11 9/11 Commission" (Not a Misprint)

18 posted on 08/13/2005 5:10:06 PM PDT by Congressman Billybob (Will President Bush's SECOND appointment obey the Constitution? I give 95-5 odds on yes.)
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To: Congressman Billybob

Sorry - but we're past that point now. We've been lied to too many times by the suits in DC. We want deportation and absolute seals on the borders.

Until government fulfills its' half of the bargain, no deals. NONE.

Until those suits in DC realize once again that they are PUBLIC SERVANTS, we will not compromise our safety for their convenience. They are not in DC for their convenience - they are there to represent US. "We the People". PERIOD!!


19 posted on 08/13/2005 5:24:06 PM PDT by datura (Molon Labe)
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To: gubamyster; JustPiper; Happy2BMe; NewRomeTacitus; HiJinx

immigration ping


20 posted on 08/13/2005 5:26:54 PM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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