Immigration and Slavery

[jeffolie]

Illegals and their apologists argue that the nation is economically dependent on the work of illegals. This is the low moral ground.

Southern slaver owners argued that the nation was economically dependent on the work of slaves. This was the low moral ground.

We abolished slavery. We should abolish the dependence on illegals

[blazespinnaker]

I agree with your logic, but I'm not sure I agree with your terminology (or probably your solution).

They are not "illegals", they are human beings like everyone else trying to make a life for themselves. They are also people who are willing to work for that life, so obviously they have many redeeming qualities.

It is also important to note that immigrants help keep inflation low, which lets ben keep growing the money supply without painful consequences (ie, just asset inflation).

I believe that wage pressure is the only thing that's keeping pricing stable at the moment. As soon as we lose that .. well, doom and gloom will prevail.

[BobtheCanuck]

Wage pressure, and imports from China. But the wage pressure does not affect the production side of your economy because both union leaders and management have their heads in the sand.

Most of the "illegals" end up in the service sector, but a hotel in central Boston still costs $270 a night and charges $7 for a one quart of bottled water. The simple solution to inflation is don't buy - even when the tele says you should.

And when the tech wreck was followed by the great China rush, your neighbors to the south dumped over 500,000 jobs in electronics manufacturing alone over about 2 years. Those were real jobs - in Mexico - supporting Mexican families. But supporting viable business next door doesn't look as fashionable to shareholders as jumping on the China bus. No wonder Mexico and S.A. are turning left.

[blazespinnaker]

It's a good point, Bob, about the resurgence of socialism in SA. Especially when socialism has such a great provider - black gold. A resource which when artifically held back creates high prices and can sustain a nation for a very long time.

You have to give Chavez credit though, a lockin price of 50$ is a great idea (who's CPI will they use though to adjust for inflation? hehehehe). Not only will it support his socialist programs, but it will also bring some stability to the world.

It's a curious thing .. does the US have the guts to not accept it?

[YoDiggity]

Illegals and their apologists argue that the nation is economically dependent on the work of illegals. This is the low moral ground.

Southern slaver owners argued that the nation was economically dependent on the work of slaves. This was the low moral ground.

We abolished slavery. We should abolish the dependence on illegals

Southern slave owners never argued anything other then they had the right to succeed. Comparing Illegals to Slaves is incorrect. Slaves had no choice. Illegals want to come here to work.

Problem is our incompetent govenrment can't handle the enforcement of the borders.

YoDiggity

[jeffolie]

In the 1600's, when tobacco was founded by John Rolfe, tobacco
became the main source of income for most of the colonists. The
economic prosperity of the colonies was primarily dependent on the
amount of tobacco produced. The growing of tobacco, needed a large
amount of land, with a large stable work force. The increased demand
for a large, stable work force combined with the availability of
African slaves, led to the use of slavery in the colonies. During the
late 17th century, the indentured servants were running away from
their masters farms, if a slave had run away from their master's
farms, then the slave would be easier to discern because of the color
of his skin. To the planter, slavery was the ideal form of labor that
would be most beneficial to productivity of his crop.

Planters had an abundance of land and a shortage of labor.
This relationship, made the amount of tobacco directly proportional
to the number of slaves that the planter owned. Slavery was the
backbone of the prosperity of the colonies. A major factor in the
consideration of slaves on plantation, is the flux of the land.
Tobacco was the major crop of the 17th century, and tobacco is a plant
that exhausts nutrients from the soil, which led to the rotation of
crops, inorder to replenish the crops. The planter needed to educate
his workers on certain agricultural techniques inorder to know how to
make the land most productive. With a permanent work force, such as
slaves, the slaves would only require to be educated once, instead of
the planters having to re-educate indentured servants every X number
of years. The African slaves also had other characteristics that
enticed colonists to use them as a labor force. The African slaves
were immune to malaria, which resisted them from disease. The africans
also were subsistence farmers in africa, thus, they had a tradition of
farming, and essential agricultural skills.

Slavery was a course in history, where it was opportune for
the colonists to use slavery as a labor force. The decline in
population of indentured servants exacerbated the situation, as time
progressed, slavery became more and more imminent. Morality was not
taken into consideration, because of the settlers were only viewing
slavery from a economic view, rather than a humanitarian point of
view. The introduction of slavery into the colonies can be summarize
with a cliche of the settlers being "at the right place at the right
time".