We need cheap labor? Our economy will collapse without it? Hmmm. Now where have we heard this argument before? Oh, that’s right…
“These slaves do the jobs white folk just won’t do.”
And, hmmm, once the “slaves” get put on the path to becoming “white folk” doesn’t that just mean we’re going to need more slaves?
I think you’re referring to the South’s justification for slavery pre-Civil War? Plantation owners did argue that the loss of free labor would destroy the US economy for both North and South.
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h244.html
US History shows that the loss of free labor did not devastate the economy. It stands then to reason that the loss of cheap immigrant labor will not devastate our economy now.
Far from devastating the economy many of our social and economic problems would be greatly reduced if we closed our border to illegal traffic:
– school overcrowding
– low test scores
– gang violence
– skyrocketing medical costs
– jail overcrowding
– affordable housing shortages
– stolen vehicles
– illegal drugs
And how many weeks of demonstrations will it take before it’s clear to everyone that most of the demonstrators don’t have jobs?
We’ve discussed the american economy in numerous formats before. There is some logic to the “slave labor” issue. There would be a limited response by “legals” to taking jobs at the rate II get paid. This would create a condition of increasing costs to the businesses (Stat I heard today was 9 of 10 fruit pickers in california are II) in the form of wages, benefits and insurance – increasing consumer prices.
Is this significant? Is it bad for the US economy? That remains to be seen. What it further indicates is the US continues to cost itself out of the global economy. Cheap labor is a huge part of it and hence global outsourcing. The problem we face is you cant outsource mowing your lawn to India.