Thanks FK. Capitalism like anything else can be used for the good or for the evil. My complaint was that some unethical businesses, out of greed, try to maximize their profits by hiring illegal aliens (after all, it's much, much cheaper to hire illegal aliens), and breaking the law as well as creating more illgeal mirgant influx.
In addition to this, this greedy and unethical and illegal exercies of free econopmy further puts our national health at security in peril because US Public Helath Service cannot track those who have communicable diseases and our Homeland Security cannot track those who slip into the country as terrorist operatives.
The local and state and federal governments are further aiding unethical and greedy businesses which illegally hire illegal aliens, by not enforcing existing laws on the books that call for stiff penalties for those who hire illegal aliens.
Some here have tried to justify the practice by saying that a bowl of fruitloops, or something like that, would cost $5 instead of $1.25 if the businesses that hire illegals hired Americans! So, for $3.75 we are willing to create a potential terrorist network of thousands of cells inside the US, essenitally selling out freedom for that price, while our men and women are dying in Iraq trying to keep them out?
All that because of greedy capitalists and corrupt government officials who do not apply the law, some bargain-hunters notwithstanding. With about 13 million illegals, how many potential al-Qaida terrorists couls have slipped in? Why, 1% would be an army of 130K! Sobering.
American capitalism has been good for America, but it did not have such a rosey history. It had to be tamed by child labor laws, because greed and profit motives sometimes do not find cruelty, or even unpatriotic practices objectionable. Capitalism does not police itself; the only thing free market economy regulates is the market, and even that si not fail-proof. The ethical conduct and practice of capitalism cannot be above the law and has to be subjected to social norms and principles.
American labor movement was a formidable force in the first half of last century precisely because capitalism wasn't always the nice veriaty we have today. Powerful unions (some of them corrupt just as much as the establishment) competed with capitalism until it became obvious that the only way to rid oursleves of unions and the associated communist element in them was to improve the conditions in workplaces, and provide better security ofr the workers. That's exactly what socialism did! Most Americans don't even realize how myuch we have borrowed from socialist practices—including political correctness.
These social changes did not come from within the capitalist mentality, but were forced on capitalism from without. Today, we have a milder, kinder, nice and better capitalism than 30, 50, 60, 90 years ago. It's like apples and oranges. Yet, we still lag behind Europe when it comes to job security, vacation time, and benefits.
There is nothing inherently moral about capitalism to raise it to biblical reverence. Like any other economic system, it is the system of our age. It may become obsolete just like all others beofre it, when the age changes and the world evolves into something completely new.
But in the discussion and knee-jer reactions that followed, some of them quite childish, my point was lost or forgotten: namely that greed (profit motive) created the demand for illegal aliens, and thereofr eit is greed and corrupt government that is responsible for the 13 million illegals in this country.
Rather than build walls that never kept anyone from entering or escaping, the solution is to cut the demand by discouraging greedy and unethical businesses from hiring illegals with stiff fines as prescribed by the law, and firing the corurpt government officials who do not enforce such laws at the present time.
Unions, while born of socialism, had their place as a check and balance against corporations who were more interested in taking advantage of the working class. While not the best of form, they had their place in raising social standards. Their failure was simply they lost sight of truly fair and honest treatment of the workers in general.
Today the unions are gone and we have corporations who really don’t give two hoots about the share holders. As long as a few of them hold 51% of the stock, they can vote themselves multi-million dollar bonuses on companies that are going bankrupted. While people complain about this, these corporate raiders are not interested in helping the workers raise their standards as Henry Ford did.
I wouldn’t be so keen on “lagging behind Europe when it comes to job security, vacation time, and benefits.” I talked to a number of Europeans about their benefits. They told me that while its nice that they have the security of knowing they have health care and income security, the price they pay for that is a significantly lower life style. Many I talked to lamented they couldn’t afford to travel or do anything simply because the government took most of their money.
This country has a lot of problems that it doesn’t seem to want to face. We keep sending billions of dollars overseas for poverty while homeless vets beg for spare change in subway stations. We have a war going on 6,000 miles away to keep us safe from terrorists all the while we have illegal immigrants sneaking across our borders. We have companies posting $250 million dollar deficits and they award their board $70 million for doing a great job.
I don’t wish to sound gloomy (not doing a very good job, am I). I’m convince much of this, with the rise in hurricanes, droughts, etc. is simpling heralding in the end times. Of course people said this before-but then I wasn't around to correct them. ;O)
Yes, I completely agree. If we just enforced the laws already on the books, then the illegals here would go home and there would be no incentive for any more to come. That is, except for drug dealers and terrorists, etc. That's why I still think we need a wall.
The local and state and federal governments are further aiding unethical and greedy businesses which illegally hire illegal aliens, by not enforcing existing laws on the books that call for stiff penalties for those who hire illegal aliens.
Yes, and I find that very puzzling. While I consider myself a general supporter of President Bush, he has utterly failed to show any real interest in protecting and securing our borders. Nor has he showed any interest in enforcing existing laws. All of this is despite his own rhetoric. I have tried to figure out why he is doing this and nothing adds up.
If he thinks that an amnesty path to citizenship under Republican rule will magically translate into 15 million new Republican voters he is delusional. :) However, if he is doing this for business interests then he should just do it the "law and order" Republican way and convince the people that his amnesty plan is best for the country. We know he has failed in his attempts so far, but he's not going to convince me to change my mind by using these wholly "un-Republican-like" tactics. We are supposed to be the party that takes the law seriously.
All that because of greedy capitalists and corrupt government officials who do not apply the law, some bargain-hunters notwithstanding. With about 13 million illegals, how many potential al-Qaida terrorists could have slipped in? Why, 1% would be an army of 130K! Sobering.
It is very sobering indeed. I actually would have no problem with reforming the current immigration policies to make it easier and speedier. We just have to know who these people are and what their intentions are. I have the greatest honor and respect for all those who ARE following the rules and waiting their turns in line. They must remain in front, and if there is reform, those who continue to break the rules should be forever banned.
Rather than build walls that never kept anyone from entering or escaping, the solution is to cut the demand by discouraging greedy and unethical businesses from hiring illegals with stiff fines as prescribed by the law, and firing the corrupt government officials who do not enforce such laws at the present time.
You know by now that I am pro-wall. :) I think that a double wall plus technology plus adequate personnel will keep the vast majority of cheaters out. Nothing would be perfect, but I think it would work to a great degree. I also think we need a wall because without one, i.e. if we just increase personnel, then our security will always be at the whim of whoever is in office. If President Bush stationed a man at every half mile along the whole border, then the next Democrat elected would just pull them off and we're back to open borders. Once a wall is in place it's there. No one is going to spend the money to tear it down in the foreseeable future.