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Tarrifs and trade policies can only cover for overblown wage rates for so long. Sooner or later the bill comes due. The cr@p is hitting the fan now. But certainly smart economists have seen this coming for some time.

It never has been a "sin" for restaurants "to charge a price for a meal that was sufficient to provide wages for their legal workers". People will pay whatever price they think the meal is worth in terms of taste, ambiance and service. Restaurants are not subject to global competition as we can't go over seas to get a meal. Restaurants will be impacted by globalism to the extent that they purchase food and equipment from overseas. Labor rates are subject to whatever workers local workers are demanding.

why is it that now in America, we feel that these business have some sort of inalienable right to illegal alien workers, so they can lower their wage costs?

I don't understand this question. Can you explain what you mean.

One side note. I'm sure that most companies that outsource some jobs overseas wish they didn't have to do that. Believe me, from experience, it's not easy and it's not fun. But what can they do? In many cases labor costs are a large part of their total cost of goods. All else being equal they have no choice but to go where the labor costs are lower. Some of this may backfire on companies as i do believe the stats that for years have indicated Americans are among the top most productive workers. And i happen to believe American workers are conscientious workers who really want to do a good job. And so in the long run maybe outsourcing is not the answer after all. But then again, in the long run we're all dead. But in the short run some companies will be dead if they don't follow the cheap labor.

you have businesses like restaurants and hotels - and all you hear from them is whining that "americans won't fill our jobs", "we need these illegals". why aren't they out there in the "marketplace" filing those jobs by offering wages to attract people?

You know what I find really funny?

American corporations are allowed to shop worldwide for the cheapest labor rate.

But American citizens are not allowed to shop worldwide for the cheapest prescription drugs and college textbooks.

The same drugs and textbooks that those American companies sell more cheaply overseas, thereby contributing to the lower cost of living overseas.

I wonder how many Indians would be able to afford the college education needed to take away our jobs, if those Indians paid what Americans have to pay for textbooks and medicines.