Cheap labor needed for the economy, a myth?

Question

In the 1800's Slave owners said that once slavery was made illegal the economy would colpase from rising costs. This did not occur. Why should we believe that we need cheap labor from illegal immagrants just like the slaves were.

Answer 1

Of course it is a myth. Big and small business want the cheap labor so that their profits continue to soar with NO concern about what it is doing/has done to America and its citizens. The ultimate greed. Notice what America's teens are doing now that they cannot get the fast food jobs, the landscaping jobs, the hospital orderly work, the temp jobs, the construction jobs (note: Young black men once had a monopoly on drywall in the major cities.). Teens and young blacks have turned to drug sales, copying and selling DVD's, selling stolen goods on ebay, porno and prostitution on the web, etc. etc.
Our government (both Dems and Republicans) knows we are headed toward a one world government and they need to secure Canada, U.S. and Mexico as one big USA. Notice who are buying up land and homes and the best new cars: Illegals who band together and get the Dream but without any intent or wish to assimilate. This is what is different. The illegals, courtesy of the Latino Activists, have been told they do not have to "water down" their blood line and culture. Individually, they want to assimilate but are afraid they will be identified by the Activists (read: Mexico's corrupt government) and so they do stupid things like march with the Mexican flag. This is so serious that all you out there who think you can avoid the crash are going to be so sorely awakened. Thank God for the Minute Men and talk radio. The border will be secured and deportations of gang members, law breakers (ask the LAPD about Special Order 40, terrorists, cartels etc. will be deported when caught. The rest will stay and assimilate. ONLY if the other half of this country understands what is happening. God help us all.

Answer 2

Let's just say that "cheap" labor is another form of exploitation. There are cases where there is insufficient labor such as agriculture. There are others where citizens lose jobs to immigrants who are willing to work for less. I had a hoot hearing Mexicans in Florida complaining they couldn't get work because Guatemalans were willing to work for nothing.

If we paid aliens (legal or illegal) a minimum wage of $12 an hour what would happen? We could cut the border patrol in half. We could forget about a wall. We would cut welfare. We would give employers an incentive to hire citizens. And we can find out if our economy is dependent on cheap labor.

Answer 3

It's not just about cheap labor but willingness to do the job. As a business owner I know how difficult it is to get folks to do hard dirty jobs for laborer wages. I have yet to meet anyone that WANTS to slop hot tar on a flat roof in Texas 110 degree heat for $8 bucks an hour. Or to pour concrete in the same weather for 12 hour days. So much menial labor is low paying because a lot of it is temporary and not highly skilled. Most of you have not had the experience of trying to find men to do only three or four days work and then let go. The cold hard reality is 100% of American Citizens I have hired for day labor talked on their cell phones while we were trying to work, would hide to keep from working, would walk off the job if it was too difficult, hot, cold, windy. lie about returning for the next day to work, etc etc etc. You ask any contractor who they have that works the hardest, longest, smartest, and it is those same folks i hear called "illegal". I know they are but to consider 90% of them anything but folks this country needs is to not have worked with them ..they make this country stronger. And I tell them so.

Answer 4

This is being pushed by employers who want to continue to have cheap labor.
My brother-in-law used to work in construction as a carpenter back when it was a prestigious job and paid an excellent wage. That is until illegals started moving in and, since they were willing to do the job for a lot less, they were hired and the US citizens were fired. So, is construction now one of those jobs that pro-illegals say "Americans won't take"? I'm so disgusted I could scream.
Why don't they fire the illegals, throw the jobs open to Americans, and see which ones that Americans REALLY won't take. I mean, after all, who was doing these jobs before all the illegals moved in, anyway?

Answer 5

Truth be told we have always had cheap labor....It does make the economy work and its just a fact of life....

Basic ingredients of the U.S. economy:


The second ingredient is labor. Number of available workers and, more importantly, their productivity help determine the health of an economy. Throughout its history, the United States has experienced steady growth in the labor force, and that, in turn, has helped fuel almost constant economic expansion. Until shortly after World War I, most workers were immigrants from Europe, their immediate descendants, or African Americans who were mostly slaves taken from Africa, or slave descendants. Beginning in the early 20th century, many Latin Americans immigrated; followed by large numbers of Asians following removal of nation-origin based immigration quotas. The promise of high wages brings many highly skilled workers from around the world to the United States.

Labor mobility has also been important to the capacity of the American economy to adapt to changing conditions. When immigrants flooded labor markets on the East Coast, many workers moved inland, often to farmland waiting to be tilled. Similarly, economic opportunities in industrial, northern cities attracted black Americans from southern farms in the first half of the 20th century.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Answer 6

No, cheap labor is just a continuation of where you are at. If you are doing cheap labor you obviously have no education...in order to get an education you need to have money...but if you are not getting paid much, you have to work all the time just to eat. If everyone was educated the supply of cheap labor would go down and the pay would go up...interesting if you think about it, causes the gap in middle lower and upper classes to close til you only have slightly better off instead of super f*#(ing rich and tiny poor guy. I HATE CAPITALISM,CORPORATIONS, AND GREED OF HUMAN BEINGS!!!!!!

Answer 7

No i am not worn out of it simply confused that folks do not see or realize the complexity of the trouble.In a way it is only the ordinary people turning at the ordinary people at the same time essential firms quietly transfer their operations out of the nation.True if the illegals did not do the roles others could however at larger wages,then funds cuts,layoffs,and eventually the massive exodus of firms to others international locations in which exertions is inexpensive and environmentalist scare.Truly a tangled internet.Peace.

Answer 8

It did not occur because machinery took its place, machinery made in the North.
And look up in economics and see why cheap labor is convenient for the US then form your opinion based on facts.
Its not a myth.

Answer 9

It's just a ploy for big business to put more money in their pockets. People, that is what the Republican Party does, takes the money out of the pockets of the working class and puts it in the pockets of the rich folks. This is a union busting tactic besides. Since when were the unions and Republican politicians known to be great friends.

Answer 10

This post above mine proves a point, how they just want to pay $8 an hour for hard work! Have you ever poured cement before in 110 degree heat? That is hard work and deserves better payment then that. This guy is part of the problem!