Posted on 12/28/2002 7:10:41 AM PST by madfly
Angry Mexican farmers are threatening to block U.S.-Mexico border crossings on New Year's Day to protest the lifting of tariffs on agricultural products under free trade rules.
The farmers say they fear they will not be able to compete with U.S. and Canadian producers when tariffs are removed on January 1 as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The farmers and their supporters are calling on the Mexican government to do more to protect the agricultural sector.
President Vicente Fox refuses to re-negotiate the free trade agreement, but he has pledged to help the farmers compete with the United States and Canada.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
Who said higher paying jobs were being created in Mexico? They're not, that's the problem and why you can't do trade deals with third world countries. It becomes lopsided in favor big-business who will simply move to the country that will provide cheaper labor.
American businesses aren't moving to Canada are they, and they're part of NAFTA too. Why would they, the wages up there are comparable to ours, it wouldn't be worth the move.
Every single person who posts that we're losing our high-paying jobs to Mexico. Don't even start down that road.
The whole world continues towards a market economy and there are truisms about a market economy that can't/won't be denied.
Will the US/Mex border tighten? Undoubetedly. will illegal immigration stop? No. Hell, there needs to be somebody there to clean the table next time you go out to eat.
What are you talking about? High paying, liveable textile and electronic jobs in the US are moving to Mexico where they can pay the workers barely anything. That's why illegals continue to pour in in the US. This is undeniable fact of life since NAFTA was enacted.
This is such a ludicrous argument but you keep making it anyway.
Where I live there are few illegal aliens, mostly legal immigrants. And restaurant tables are getting cleaned Ben, same with the toilets, the hotels, and the lettuce and tomatoes are getting picked. You simply don't want to recognize supply and demand. If there's too many restaurants and hotels that can't be properly staffed, they close or pay better wages, and market forces work themselves out. That's why in my area and Canada that have few illegals the work gets done.
But I suppose you'll keep saying it over and over we need millions of illegals till like in 1984 the lie becomes the truth.
No one can argue with a straight face that a Mexican working a Ford assembly-line south of our border is making the same amount of money that he would polishing hubcaps in Mexico City. In other words, a higher-paying job (in respect to the local wage-rate) has been created.
My point is that one cannot argue that we are losing these high-paying jobs to Mexico because of NAFTA, and simultaneously claim that illegal immigration to the U.S. is increasing because NAFTA is reducing Mexican wages, or otherwise adversely affecting Mexican employment.
NAFTA may not be reducing wages in Mexico, but it isn't increasing them very much either. Again, why would anyone want to stay in Mexico and earn $2.00 an hour when he can come to the US and make at least $5.50 or more with all kinds of free taxpayer subsidized benefits? In that sense, NAFTA has been a total failure and has done nothing to stop illegal immigration.
What good are higher-paying jobs if the cost of living has become outrageous there?
No. In that sense, you are admitting that NAFTA has nothing to do with illegal immigration.
Like the Libertarians at CATO are any less pro-illegal immigration and open borders than La Raza!
The Dept. of Labor statistics don't count the chronically unemployed in this country. The Dept. of Labor conveniently assumes that people that won't work for what an illegal alien will work for don't want to work.
You also post INS statistics that were compiled under that other fool Libertarian, James Ziglar. How many times do you have to be directed to Marine Inspector's website before you realize (admit) the INS is lying, too?
When are you going to admit that Ronald Reagan wasn't an open borders, pro-illegal immigration, one-worlder?
You're the one with the problem, Ben.
You claim not to be a Libertarian, but you're very libertarian-minded by your own admission. So, give it a rest already. We all know exactly where you're coming from, Mr. CATO.
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