Immigration issue shows failure "business first" approach

[yurbud]

The interests of big business and average Americans are diametrically opposed on some issues, particularly jobs.

Big business likes cheap labor. In addition to fighting labor laws and unions, one way to do this is to have structural unemployment, so the employer has leverage over someone afraid they can't find a job elsewhere.

The other way to get cheap labor is immigration, and illegal immigrants are even cheaper.

Ironically, our support of dictators and anti-labor governments in other countries increases the supply of who see our low wage jobs as still superior to starvation wages or no job at all in their own country.

We have neoliberalism, which forces countries to adopt policies that are a Grover Norquist wet dream, to thank for that.

At every stage of this problem, we have put business ahead of people. Even in our support of democracy in the former soviet republics, we back the candidate who will privatize the most and if the other guy wins, we call it election fraud.

During the Clinton years, most of us didn't notice the neoliberalism abroad because Democrats tend not to screw people here as much as the GOP--but they do go along with the neoliberal project abroad which keeps Mexicans, Haitians, and anyone else who can walk or paddle here to get away from those free market paradises.

We must address not only Republicans and Democrats in these terms, and not accept empty platitudes about human rights:

Will they stop the neoliberal project?

Will they respect elections even if American corporations complain?

Will they demand that any trade agreements include tough labor protection and allows for local political control of their economy?

Will you demand an end to any immigration or guest worker program less H-1 visas that allow corporations to import foreign workers and pay them LESS than American wages?

Short of doing these things, this problem will not go away.

[Sinti]

1. This is the very crux of most of the problems we face

Corporations have been given all of the rights of individuals and are above us living breathing persons in the eyes of both parties at this point. Hell, even our military men and women are little more than corporate enforcers. They never go anywhere unless it's in the interest of businesses.

[yurbud]

2. not just corporate personhood, but their money is corrupting the process

Too bad we don't have a parallel extra-governmental structure for people.

[Sinti]

3. I think they stole the "for the people" part ;P n/t

[yurbud]

4. by the major shareholders, of the majorshareholders...