I imagine the conversations circa 1855 about eliminating slavery sounded much the same. "I beg to ask you, sir - how will the agricultural economy survive emancipation of the Negro?"
Importing people as slaves was a mistake.
Importing people as the menial laborer was a mistake.
Not much to differentiate the two. Neither had legal standing. We are to blame. Us. Not them. Us. Just like slavery. and you thought no one would ever point to your generation as you have to the gentried one and ask, what were they thinking??