Posted on 04/10/2006 3:03:17 PM PDT by Conservative Coulter Fan
In 1986, Congress passed an amnesty that was, the American people were informed, going to end the invasion of illegal immigrants. As with most government solutions, it exacerbated the problem that it was nominally designed to solve, thus leading for Jorge Bush's call for a second "one time only" legalization of the millions of illegal immigrants already present in the United States.
Jorge and his fellow Republican traitors – for what else can one call those who look the other way while the nation is invaded by a force more numerous than the Europe-conquering Wehrmacht – attempt to justify their treason by arguing that immigrant labor is necessary to the economy. This is not only completely untrue – as the American economy will not only exist, but will also continue to be the largest in the world even if every legal and illegal immigrant went back to Mexico tomorrow – but also serves to distract Americans from a more damning realization.
As I have previously written, the primary reason for the decline in American real wages since 1973 is the mass entry of middle-class women, approximately 31 million in all, into the workforce. The secondary reason, and one that is nearly as significant, is legal and illegal immigration.
Two things must be kept in mind when dealing with deceptions of pro-immigration, corporatist commentators. First, the statistics they use are so incomplete that they amount to intentional dishonesty. For example, the 4.7 percent unemployment rate trumpeted so loudly last week does not count those who are in jail, have given up looking for work or are unwilling to work at the prevailing wage rates. It also equates part-time jobs with full-time jobs. But even using these flawed metrics, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the unemployment rate is far higher than is usually reported in the press, for example, the 6.2 percent rate of the second quarter of 2003 was actually 10.5 percent, by the BLS' own reckoning.
Of course, a simple comparison of the number of employed Americans to the total American population over 16 reveals that the real unemployment rate is much, much higher. In 2002, the employed labor force was 136.5 million, while the officially unemployed (8.4 million) plus the "Not in labor force" (72.7 million) was 81.1 million. Add to that the 1.9 million incarcerated who are not counted in the government figures and it becomes clear that the true American unemployment rate is 38 percent.
While it is true that not all of those unemployed wish to be employed, it is also true that one cannot assume that they would be similarly disinclined to work if their employment was better compensated. For as the law of supply and demand dictates, lower prices will always inspire a lower level of supply. Thus, given the large supply of untapped employment among the American citizenry, it is clear that legal and illegal immigrants are only reducing the price of labor, they are not supplying a resource that would otherwise be nonexistent.
Corporate support for increased immigration and the legalization of illegal workers can best be summarized as insourcing. Think about where illegal immigrants tend to work – almost always in the service industries. These are the sort of jobs that cannot be exported via outsourcing, because they require a physical presence at or near the customer. So, goes the corporatist thinking, if the service industries cannot go to the cheap labor, the cheap labor must be brought to the service industries.
Jesus Christ once asked what it profited a man to gain the world at the cost of his soul. It would be wise for Jorge Bush to consider what it will profit him to gain cheaper wages for the service industries at the cost of his country. Treasonous by nature and economics-challenged, one cannot expect Democrats to see any political downside to supporting immigration, especially as an influx of poor, uneducated "minorities" accustomed to overbearing governments can be safely expected to add to the Democratic vote totals. Pro-immigration Republicans, however, are committing long-term political suicide, and if the reaction of the nation to the recent Mexifornia protests is any indication, quite possibly short-term political suicide in 2006 as well.
Jorge's No Illegal Alien Left Behind agenda, as Mickey Kaus so aptly named the amnesty that dare not speak its name, has now struck out twice in three years. But Americans had better understand that it is not yet out, the con game is not yet over, and if they are foolish enough to bite on the next proposed bipartisan immigration reform bait, they will deserve the loss of their country that will soon inexorably follow.
PING..
Bump..
Where's the amnesty plan for bankrobbers? For tax evaders?
Here are the numbers you were looking for as to the number of adult Americans actually idle. If you take the author's 81.1 million figure, and subtract the 35.5 million who are over the age of 65, that still leaves 45.6 million Americans without a job.
How many are children younger than 16? They shouldn't count for these stats either.
The Author's implied comment is that this has already been taken into consideration for the 81.1 million number:
"the total American population over 16 reveals that the real unemployment rate is much, much higher. In 2002, the employed labor force was 136.5 million, while the officially unemployed (8.4 million) plus the "Not in labor force" (72.7 million) was 81.1 million"
According the the CIA World Factbook, our current total population is ~298 million. Doing the reverse math, 81.1 million + 136.5 million = 217.6 million, leaving an unaccounted-for balance of 70.4 million which could be either the number of citizens under 16, or the number of youths under 16 plus the illegal alien population.
Either way, that still leaves 45.6 working-age Americans who are currently idle. One could probably pare the number down a little further by subtracting the number on permanent disability. One could also add to the number by adding in individuals aged 14-16 who live in states where it is legal for them to be employed in certain industries.
Bah! Should be 45.6 million, not 45.6, and perhaps 'not currently in the workforce for whatever reason' would be a better term than 'idle'.
How many "do their own thing" and don't want to work at a job for somebody else. Me for one.
Please do not tell me you are that stupid? LOL! If you believe that, then I have some beach front property in Iowa to sell you.
'Self-employed' is accounted for in the BLS numbers.
Do I believe all 45.6 million would want to work? No. No more than I believe all 35 million over the age of 65 want to sit around and wither away. The truth of the available American workforce lies somewhere between th 9.0% U-6 BLS Number for February 2006 (7.2 million), and the Author's shoot-the-moon (81.1 million) figure.
I think you're forgetting the millions who are beyind the retirement age (a group growing rapidly with the 'Boomers), those who retire early thanks to living a productive life (and maybe a little lucky investing), and the idle rich. (Paris Hilton is unemployed! We're doomed!!!)
No. I subtracted everyone
over the age of 65 to come up with the 45.6 million number.
"(Paris Hilton is unemployed! We're doomed!!!)"
I seem to recall her and Nichole having a show for a couple of seasons. And as a matter of fact, they were doing 'jobs Americans won't do'!!! Hmmm.... If a couple spoiled heiresses will mid-wife a cow giving birth for a buck, I'm willing to bet there is NO job that Americans won't so (except watch 'the Simple Life', apparently).
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