Trump on Immigration..Who will pick the crops on Farms?

[ProudMNDemocrat]

As he stressed "protect the American worker."

That is code speak for..."We don't want non-Americans working here."

[ProfessorGAC]

1. Find Enough Americans Willing To Do It

Those workers come to the US because agribusiness can't get american citizens to do the work.
Those companies will be screaming bloody murder when the next crop cycle goes unpicked, or threatens to go unpicked.

[handmade34]

2. ...

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-04-21/trump-restrict-immigration-coronavirus

The administration has made exceptions for some workers, however. Officials recently touted bringing in Mexican and Central American agricultural laborers and extending H2A permissions for agriculture and seasonal workers, saying that would “protect the nation’s food supply chain, and lessen impacts from the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency.”

[handmade34]

6. and my reply to that is...

we're too fu#king lazy to pick our own food and too self-centered to sacrifice more than a month to protect our fellow citizens (well, talking about trump cultists anyways)

[Hekate]

17. We are now a nation of big cities and suburbs. *Very few* Americans have *ever* done farm work...

They/we simply don't know how and don't have the muscles for it either. This is especially true of stoop labor, the backbreaking jobs of growing and harvesting our fruits and vegetables.

Sure, a lot of backbreaking manual labor went in to running an American family farm in Ye Old Days, and it was taken for granted. But why do you think people left those farms by the millions when they had other opportunities? That exodus started after WWI, just about a century ago.

Since then, farms have been increasingly consolidated by agribusiness, and when they hire people they have to look for those who come from rural areas themselves and have the knowhow. Those people have to be willing, and there are plenty of places south of the border where life is so hard that even American farm labor (or chicken-packing) looks better than what they have. Sorry, it was ever thus.

I don't think the American worker is "too lazy" to do farm work. I think our workers will work hard at what they know. I don't think they are much inclined to travel far away from what they are familiar with in cities, all for the privilege of doing backbreaking work 6 days a week, and sleeping in their cars or sheds or thoroughly substandard housing, and gettng a thoroughly substandard wage.

PS: In case it's not clear, I believe immigrant farm workers are badly treated and deserve better. But refusing them entry is not the answer.

[Quemado]

12. Would that include an exception for meat-packing plant workers?

They work in the food supply chain.

[Newest Reality]

3. Enlist...

Enlist all those covfefes of Branch Covidians out there who are tearing their hair out wanting something to do. This will fill the bill and get them closer to nature, too.

Even though some forms of picking really does require skill and experience, (which the covfefes and their god don't seem to realize) after a while, they will get used to it and I assure them all that they won't be wound up and complaining about freedumbs as they drop into a deep sleep the minute they get to their cots after a long day in the fields.

Fixed!

[tazkcmo]

7. My thoughts exactly.

Some might even lose some weight.

[Newest Reality]

11. You got it.

They seem to be very easily manipulated so just touting all the great benefits should get them to enlist.d

Free suntans, (look like General Trump in no time) health benefits (disclaimer: not medical care) and weight loss, natural settings, plenty to do, etc. Throw in some free hair cuts as a fringe benefit and what's not to like?

[2naSalit]

15. +1

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. He should get his fat ass out there and pick strawberries in the sun all day.

[CatMor]

8. He can also have ...

Ivanka, Jared, Jr., Eric, Lara and Guilfoyle out there with him.

[bdamomma]

5. he is

such a stupid bastard, and Stephen Miller can go to hell.

No American is going to pick produce out of a field, that was reported on MSNBC Andrew Zimmern special What's Eating America. The work is grueling.

Stupid ass regime, I hope they contract it. They deserve it.

[Ohiogal]

9. Who is willing to work

in the Smithfield plant now. Let’s give all those nutso protestors those jobs, they want to go back to work so badly. Immigrants are all getting sick and rump says no more immigrants allowed in.

[0rganism]

10. eventually displaced American workers will pick the crops

it's inevitable.

for many years, Americans let undocumented agricultural laborers define and inhabit an acceptable, invisible underclass. we allowed the invisible underclass to stabilize within our petty-bourgeoisie society.

soon many of us will join it, and drink from its bitter cup.

[captain queeg]

13. It would be good if that came to pass, even for one season

I picked apples and pears a couple years. It’s hard physical work and it’s piece work; you get paid by how much you pick. It would be good for a certain element of society to have to do that. And if the economy gets bad enough people will do it. I think the piece work aspect would really shock a lot of Americans. I’d also worked in meat plants so knew how to use my hands and keep them moving constantly. I’d hate to have to have to do something like that to survive at my present age.

[jmg257]

14. He said those on temporary visas will still be able to come in

[central scrutinizer]

16. "Take my job, please"

https://money.cnn.com/2010/07/07/news/economy/farm_worker_jobs/index.htm
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Facing growing anti-immigrant rhetoric, the United Farm Workers union is challenging Americans to take their labor-intensive, low-paying farm jobs.

As communities nationwide grapple with tenacious unemployment, migrant workers are often accused of stealing jobs from Americans. The union believes this accusation is without basis, and intends to demonstrate this with a newly-launched campaign called "Take Our jobs, please”

“Farm workers do the work that most Americans are not willing to do," said union president Arturo Rodriguez in the announcement of the campaign.

At least half a million applicants are needed to replace the immigrant workforce, so the union has posted an online application for Americans who want to work on a farm.

Through its Web site, at www.takeourjobs.org, the union promises to connect applicants with farm jobs in their area.

Since June 24, at least 4,000 people have responded to the application, said Rodriguez. Some are serious responses and others are hate mail. "Only a few dozen have really followed through with the process," he said.

[Hekate]

18. Very interesting! nt

[Windy City Charlie]

19. At the same time

At the same time, Trump really doesn't mean that. Think about it. The people that own these farms, who support Trump and the Republicans, want to be able to pay people less than minimum wage. Who fits that bill? None other than the immigrants. These big corporate farms want nothing having to do with paying employees more money to do the work. Not only is it the farmers, but so does Trump at his various properties.