Want a BIG Problem? Let a Little One Go:
The majority of really bad problems start out life as little problems; after which they are ignored for a sufficient period of time as to allow them to grow into Godzilla before being addressed.
Our border with Mexico is just one such issue. As a silly comparison, if you allow your kids to jump on the couch until they are 18 and then suddenly threaten them for doing so…let’s just say the conversation is not going to go well.
The Mexican border has been a literal sieve for as long as I can remember. Originally, farmers wanted cheap labor and our government wanted for them to have cheap labor in order for the farmers to produce cheap food because Americans really, really, like the word “cheap” and tend to vote for the politicians who provide cheap anything. (Only FREE is better).
Of course, you get what you pay for and when you pay for “cheap” politicians, they eventually become very expensive. In this case, the cost was our way of life.
But back to the problem at hand, since there are laws in the United States that set minimum labor costs, benefits, and working conditions it became necessary to come up with some folks who were not protected by our laws (at least not originally). These new cheap workers were formerly referred to as “wetbacks” from swimming across the Rio Grande, but today, since the Rio Grande is dry, they are most often referred to as illegal immigrants or undocumented guest workers.
The new flow of labor who would work longer, harder, cheaper and have no taxes deducted at all, was working out quite well for the farmers when the home builders caught wind of the farmers good fortune.
Jealousy brewed up among the home builders over the farmers’ comparative advantage, as it did with the upper crust citizens who had been paying nannies, gardeners, and pool boys American wages. Since you can’t do for one without helping out the other, our government once more turned a blind eye toward the invasion and hung out the “Bienvenido Amigo” sign.
Encouraging illegal entry does not necessarily come by way of a written invitation, but instead, through a willing act of non-enforcement. Once a few thousand illegals arrived and found jobs, housing, and a subculture of support; they wrote home of their exceptional luck and included a map and their address.
This cozy no-tell, no-foul arrangement with our federal government continued to the point of some 20 million brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews and mothers in law joining the club. Until that is, some of the brighter bulbs in America noted that a major problem had developed; the Mexican Nationals had gainful employment in America, and Americans didn’t.
At first, the problem was explained away by such slick tongued individuals as Bill Clinton and George Bush saying, “These people do work that Americans won’t do.” Bill and George were following an accepted propaganda model of telling really big lies and telling them often. To this day I hear normal intelligent American’s saying, “The Mexicans do work that Americans won’t do.” What they really mean is that Mexicans do work that THEY won’t do.” Not yet anyway.
I have explained many times that our system of exponential growth was failing as early as 1971 and that importing cheap labor illegally was nothing more than an attempt to get a few more miles out of a dead horse. Add $13 TRILLION to our National Debt over the same period and you will arrive at 2010.
I have also explained that full employment creates poor eyesight. No one could spot 20 million people who weren’t supposed to be here. A startling medical discovery of recent finding concludes that long term unemployment seems to restore our eyesight to 20/20. Amazin’ isn’t it? By the way, Americans actually will pour your sidewalk and stucco your house and even mow your grass for money.
So then, whose fault is it that we have a Mexican border that is threatening to break out in full blown riots? Who is in charge of maintaining the sovereignty of our nation and securing our borders? Who is in charge of maintaining our borders, language and culture? Who allowed this mess to materialize and who now wants an amnesty program so they can do better next time? Who is chastising individual state leadership for attempting to enforce the laws and take back their own nation?
November is coming and hopefully all of those unemployed people who supposedly won’t work can at least saunter on down to the ballot box and work on installing new leadership.
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I think you missed the mark on the immigration issue. It really isn’t about cheap labor. While jobs or unemployment may seem like the issue, it’s more likely the cost of benefits immigrants receive and the financial load they put on the multiple infrastructure systems without a corresponding contribution. If they were here to pick oranges, tomatoes and strawberries, I don’t think anyone would mind. But when they start drawing social security, unemployment, food stamps, welfare, etc… the so called cheap labor ain’t so cheap and the costs escalate exponentially. When they join unions and start displacing non-illegals, they are also no longer cheap labor, they are cheaper labor but still lack contribution (ants). The real issue, for me, is, was and always will be a secure border. More than laborers are coming into the our country illegally and lots are bringing serious drugs with them. With the drugs comes crime, cartels, and mayhem. Death and destruction will follow. The border can still secure and we can regulate immigration to supply the workers you say we want. I want the crime stopped. And BTW, two previous occasions in our history saw the round up and deportation of all illegal immigrants when the job supply tightened. However, this time, it seems the immigrants are telling us what they think they are entitled to. If they want citizenship and the benefits that come with it, lets make them earn it by serving in the military of this great country. Let them follow the immigration laws. But lets stop the criminals, the Other Than Mexicans who are also coming across that border from Mexico an mean to do us harm. The playing field has changed and we MUST secure the border of we need to surrender now. Jobs will not be coming back like they were, especially with the new fees and costs this administration has in store for us. When electricity and fuel (again) rockets up, watch for the 2nd collapse.
Greg,
Thanks for the comment. My studies still contend that the original problem resulted from the need for cheap farm labor to keep the price of food down. The problem spread from that causation much as I wrote. Add to this the need to continue exponential growth (population growth) at all costs and you have a wide open border.
The unintended consequences that you mentioned followed from allowing a small problem to go unchecked. Much like our exponential growth economic model.
The U.S. would have encountered an employment problem regardless of illegal immigration; it would simply have taken longer to materialize. But, as you stated;
“Jobs will not be coming back like they were, especially with the new fees and costs this administration has in store for us.”
Mr. Obama’s comprehension of even basic economics is nowhere to be found.
Just to clarify, I did not write the first post, so if this one doesn’t seem consistent with that position, it’s because the author is different.
It doesn’t matter whether our problem is immigration, population, energy, or anything else; humans are lousy at assessing long-term risk. When confronted with a small problem that has a gradual onset; overall, we lack the motivation and analytical skills to solve it. We don’t care if it represents a significant risk over time, as Mike has noted…we’re here for a good time, not a long time.
The key factor is how sudden is the onset of the problem. If it happens fast, it gets our attention, but if the onset is gradual, we almost literally don’t see it, and don’t much care. So go ahead, blame our genes, they are at fault.
This is what the PR people from BP have done with the oil spill. By initially playing down the size of the spill they didn’t shock anyone too badly; it is only a thousand barrels a day. That gave people a little time to get acclimated to the idea. Then when it went to five thousand, people didn’t like it, but no one was too shocked. Later estimates have gone to tens of thousands of barrels. Now people are really upset, but not nearly so much as they would have been if BP had announced on day one that the spill was seventy thousand barrels a day, and that it would probably continue for many months. Had they done that the public would have demanded their heads.
The PR people at BP understand human nature and used it to their advantage. Gradual change doesn’t bother us, we just ignore it in hopes it will go away.
We react this way to all of our problems, if the problem is small and has a gradual onset, we let it slide. Only when it becomes a monster do we take notice. As it turns out, this is not such a good strategy when the population becomes large and our technology becomes powerful enough to be dangerous. It worked for cave men, but not so well for modern man.
The problems that threaten our existence today aren’t the small immediate ones with a sudden onset, they are the much larger ones that develop over time. Things like resource depletion and pollution are just two that come to mind.
It’s ironic, we were the ones who changed our environment so radically, now we aren’t able to adapt. How bright is that?
Greg Chadwick,
Thanks for your post and for the clarification. You said; “The problems that threaten our existence today aren’t the small immediate ones with a sudden onset, they are the much larger ones that develop over time.” Bingo!
Our leadership seem to all belong to the cornucopian tribe, those who profess continual increases in human population and industrial output, with the misconception that availability of input is infinite. They are dead wrong!
“It takes an unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.” - Alfred North Whitehead
It isn’t so much where you came from or what color you are, but if I’m paying for you and times get tough, I may take another look at who and what you are doing or not doing. We, forgot to assimilate and not just accomodate our new immigrants. Just wait until the new healthcare comes thru and how everyone will feel entitled to give you advice in how to live. I’m in farm country with vineyards and orchards everywhere. White kids used to work summers and make good money. Now its all people from south of the border. Farm labor makes a person appreciate the earth, gives a person physical exercise and is very satisfying in a job well done. Child labor laws came in due to unions. Is it better for our kids to be indoors watching TV ?
Aw, Karen,
You raise one of my favorite subjects…child labor. We badly need to discuss your important point along with other common propaganda driven beliefs. I’ll write an article on the subject. Thanks for bringing it up.