Rich Countries Are Becoming Addicted to Cheap Labor

WSJ ^ | Mar 3 2024 | Tom Fairless

[Alberta's Child]

The focus on the “labor” part of this is misguided.

Our economy is built on a never-ending need for customers.

Look at the example cited in this article. The 10 agricultural workers referenced here aren’t brought to the U.S. because they are “cheap labor.” They are brought here because they are 10 more Walmart customers, 10 new potential buyers of cars or trucks, 10 new patients at the local medical clinic, etc. Every one of these industries has a financial stake in bringing people here to buy more things.

[gloryblaze]

About twenty per cent of our workforce is foreign born. To undo this deeply rooted situation won’t be easy, even if enough genuinely want to unravel it.

[Reverend Wright]

No that is not correct. All the countires of western europe had tremendous growth after WW2.

In france it was called Trente Glorieuses or Les Trente Annees D’Or. (thirty golden years)

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trente_Glorieuses

[dfwgator]

In france it was called Trente Glorieuses or Les Trente Annees D’Or. (thirty golden years)

Until the "Soixante-Retards" gained power.

[Reverend Wright]

And because of the Gerontoracy of the West, the Soixante-huitards are stil in power

[Alberta's Child]

The U.S. was funding the reconstruction of Europe during the post-WW2 period. And none of these countries were really competitors of ours for two decades after the war.

That all changed when both Germany and Japan were back on the map as major industrial producers. I don't think Germany reached its pre-WW2 steel production peak until the mid-1950s, for example.

[Reverend Wright]

The Marshall Plan helped, but it ended in 1952.

If you look at france industrial production you can see why they defined it as the 30 golden years.

Indice de la production industrielle en France, à prix constant (base 100 en 1938)[réf. souhaitée]
1938 100
1947 99
1957 204
1967 338
1973 452

[SauronOfMordor]

He relies on 13 Mexican immigrants, up from eight to 10 a decade ago. That has enabled him to avoid making costly investments in robots that can help milk cows

Long term, the ONLY solution which is in the long term interests of US citizens, is to mechanize rather than continue to depend on illegal alien labor.

[SauronOfMordor]

The illegals he hires will eventually take over his farm and boot him and his family out.

Look to South Africa for what happens next.

[dynachrome]

Exactly.