[raybbr]

Mercy

I'll try again. How did we become the greatest industrial nation on earth before all those wonderful illegals came here?

This the second time I am asking.

[Klickitat]

"How did we become the greatest industrial nation on earth before all those wonderful illegals came here?"

Our forebears were hard working, frugal, American patriots who put God, country and family first, that's how.

[elli1]

How did we become the greatest industrial nation on earth before all those wonderful illegals came here?

To start with, the United States is an immigrant nation. Immigrants have built virtually everything post-contact. At the heart of every expansion you will find waves of immigration. Without immigrant labor, we would not have become ''the greatest industrial nation on earth''. The Chinese & Irish built the railroads, the Germans & Poles were at the heart of the beer, construction, packing, agriculture, machine & foundry industries in the upper middle west. Germans were also a significant presence in agriculture & ranching in Texas. During the potato famine (1845), approx. 2 million Irish came to the US & formed a huge pool of unskilled labor & filled many menial labor jobs across a multitude of industries--railroads & garment industry, notably. Scandinavians settled in the upper Mid-west and expanded the agriculture & fishing industries. Italians were a major force in fruit, wine & contruction. And each group in their turn was met w/ the same sort of derision that is currently being heaped upon Hispanics. But the simple & undeniable fact is that this nation would not be the force it is today w/o the tremendous fuel of expansion that the immigrant has provided.

[txdoda]

This the second time I am asking.>>>>>>>>

GOOD LUCK.......maybe he won't *insert* words into your posts, that ARE NOT there.
Or *spin* what you say to suit his argument........:o)

[mercy]

You're obviously not reading this thread. I addressed that three time now.

I'll add this. We ARE a nation of immigrants. This entire nation was built on cheap ... hell, and FREE .... labor.

Right now we have a very unbalanced labor situation. The unions have gotten wages for SOME semi-skilled-highschool-educated workers (dock workers) over $100 an hour while some illegals are working for four or five dollars an hour.

Some companies with profit-share plans are paying their employees three and four times industry standard and their workers are so motivated the company is still leading in their industry.

Other companies are saying they cannot make a profit here and are sending everything over-seas.

Seems to me that forcing up the bottom tier by instituting a guest-worker program would help to balance the labor market and actually increase competitiveness.

This cannot be done without near draconian enforcement leveled at the consumer of illegal labor. Not the provider. As to the costs .... I don't think all told it will cost us anything more than we are already paying in welfare and crime related costs as it is.

There really is no arguing with folks who refuse to see the vital role the Mexican laborer plays in our present economy. I think they walk around with blinders on. Maybe all the cubicle-bound can pretend that they don't depend on south of the border labor but anyone who works with their hand knows they are everywhere.

Few amoung us understand the agricultural system in this land. They themselves will tell you they are barely making it. The processing and distributing end of that industry takes the LIONS share. Take their cheap labor from them and you will see havock and empty shelves at the market.