that's just a BS excuse to divide us. I'm for the worker, all workers, I don't really give a fuck where they were born or what their status is. All workers have ONE thing in common, and that is that they are trying to survive, they cannot be faulted for that. What I DO care about is when workers are TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, in all sorts of various ways. This is something that really PISSES me off!
I'm against exploiting people to the advantage of corporations for the sole purpose of shaving pennies off their bottom line. I'm not one of those types that will say that Illegal Immigrants do jobs Americans won't, that's as much bullshit as saying that they come here for the sole purpose of "stealing" our jobs. Illegal Immigration is a PROBLEM, but its a problem of corporate greed, and has little to nothing to do with the actions of poor people from other nations. The only reason the Repukes have concentrated on the illegal immigrants themselves is because they are VISIBLE, and easy to demonize. What they won't tell you is the ACTUAL cost of doing business in this country, from the lowering of wages for American workers, to externalizing their costs. Look here for some figures from 1995, I wonder how much more we pay now?
http://www.stakeholderalliance.org/corpcost.htmlPeople always talk the talk, but won't walk the walk, I've walked it, I worked jobs that are now both mostly in sourced and mostly outsourced as well. I've seen factories that fired EVERY SINGLE WORKER, then rehired them under a temp placement agency so they can avoid paying benefits and higher pay. I've cleaned up shit and vomit off the floors of Wal-Mart for barely 6 bucks an hour, because they are too cheap to pay us a living wage, and yet made MORE profit than the TOP five other companies COMBINED. I've cleaned bathrooms and offices as a janitor, and still haven't been paid a living wage.
Its not all bad, however, I cheer when I hear of workers taking control of their own lives, the problem is it isn't American workers doing this type of stuff, except for the weakened unions that sometimes attempt it, and its still rare. From the burning of factories in Bangladesh, to squatters in Coke factories, to the kicking out of Oil companies from many different nations. I cheer because these actions WILL affect me, and hopefully it will help wake the American people up that they are being royally screwed by Corporate America. Workers around the world are beginning to wake up, and while in some cases they die because of this awakening, they are beginning to have an affect.
The biggest problem I think we have in this struggle is this, we are too Nationalistic when it comes to worker's rights and worker's struggle. We unionize a factory here in the States and that company closes it in response and moves the factory to another nation that doesn't have those same protections we currently enjoy here. We fine a company millions for hiring illegal immigrants, and they appeal it, or, if they are large enough, simply shrug it off as the cost of doing business because it would still be cheaper than paying people living wages. The biggest slap in the face is the fact that OUR government's sole purpose in this is to protect the assets and profits of corporations over the rights of the people employed by these corporations.
I find it especially disturbing that we always make excuses for these corporations, they employ thousands of workers, and they use that as a threat, a subtle one, that says that they don't need us, but we need them instead. This is the biggest myth about corporations, we don't need them, they need us, they need us to build their crap, buy their crap, and also to pay the taxes so they can stay in business.
You are probably asking what this has to do with Illegal Immigration, its rather simple, the Mexican government at the time, a corrupt one party ruled nation with barely a semblance of Democracy(kinda like the US) signed onto a deal that sold out their entire economy to corporate America. And what was the result? High unemployment, destruction of agriculture, and an influx of illegal immigrants that these same assholes that destroyed their economy now hires at well below living wages here to save a few bucks.
Do I blame Mexicans for taking these jobs? Not really, what choice did corporate America give them? What are their options? I can think of two, to starve or steal. We talk about building walls or fences, sealing the border, and even making Illegal Immigration a felony, I guess so Wackenhut(worked there too) could increase its profits, and what would this accomplish? Will the wages of Americans magically increase at Wal-Mart, the single largest private employer in this nation, when these policies are enacted? Somehow, I strongly doubt that.
Not to mention that when taking in the whole picture, Illegal Immigration could be considered just a drop in the bucket. Depending on who you believe, we have anywhere from 11 million to 20 million illegal immigrants working in this country at this time, out of a working population of about 150 million Americans. Thats anywhere from less than 10% to a little over 10% of the total workforce, yet, I have to ask, how many Americans were forced out of good unionized factory jobs and forced into the service sector at a fraction of their previous pay because of outsourcing?
So what is to blame for this, is it the policies of our governments that support corporate fleecing of the people, or is it poor brown people coming across the border to survive?
Look at Ken Lay, as an example, a man who cost millions of people millions of dollars, from Californians being fleeced, to employees losing their pensions. The biggest problem is the fact that this is SOP for corporate America, it is NOT about a few bad apples, but is instead an indictment of a system that is propped up by nothing more than smoke and mirrors. A system that is intrinsically corrupt, and ALWAYS looks to increase their profit margins, regardless of the law or morality. Does it really matter who they are hurting, or where they are hurting them?
So what are the solutions? Well, I say fuck fining companies for hiring illegals, instead let's just pull thier corporate charters, on the first offense, and liquidate their assets to be paid back to their shareholders, and the money left over to be paid back to ALL americans who have been fleeced. It wouldn't be much money given to us, but institute this "death penalty" on corporations themselves and maybe they will change their tune. As far as a border fence, well, that's a waste of time and money, that's all I can say about that. The thing is that this first "solution" I offered isn't an end all, be all, its a first step in comprehensive reform of our trade policies and protection of Corporate America. I get in more detail here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1064574OK, that's it, end of rant, I just get sick of all the bullshit being spouted.
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