Does anyone think a five hundred percent increase in the cost of our base goods would effect the economy?

Question

Someone the other day was explaining to me that if all the illegals are shipped back the cost of picking apples could go from 1 cent per apple to 5 cents an apple. He explained a Mexican may pick 500 apples in an hour for $5 an hour while a lazy American may only pick 200 for $10 an hour.....does anyone else have the foresight or knowledge of basic economics to see what a five hundred percent increase would do to the economy?

Answer 1

Apparently the gentlemen you spoke with, and I do use that term loosely, hasn't any idea of mechanized farming practices. Mechanized equipment could run circles around any human when it comes to harvesting many types of crops, in both quantity and cost.

Answer 2

For one the figures are hypothetical. I seriously doubt americans are that more lazy and get paid that much.
Besides, if illegals were shipped out, it s quite simple, appel picking would be automatized, much more than it is presently.
Apples are not base goods, wheat, oil, soja and beef may be considered base goods. Apples I don t think so.
Finally if wages were increased that much, this would mean tons of new consumers, so there is no reason it would hurt the economy, unless of course you mean that european subsidized producers would become more competitive and some apple production would disappear in the USA and be moved to europe.
I doubt it would work much given transportation costs.

So basically what you are saying is that it's cool for white consumers to enjoy cheap apples by underpaying mexican illegals.

I think basic knowledge of morals should tell you that such a line of reasonning is not proper.

Of course sending illegals home is not much better. So may be it s time to really try to do something to reduce poverty in Mexico and latin america ?

May be it s time to realise that a free market for capital and for goods can not happen without freedom of movement of labor.

Answer 3

That may happen in the short term, but the long term effects of millions of drains on welfare and social security will hurt us much more. Besides, why do we need to give in to them? If the laws were enforced, businesses that hired illegals would be paying huge fines. That would make the Dems happy...