COLUMN: The Immigration Con Artists

Note: If you are tired of major issues like this getting no coverage in the face of a media blackout and thus you would like to see my nationally syndicated column in your local paper, see the bottom of this post on what to do to make that happen. - D

The debate taking place in America over illegal immigration is not just overheated. As I discuss in my new nationally syndicated column out this past Friday, the debate is dishonest. Both parties are trying to focus attention on the illegal immigration issue in order to distract attention from the underlying problem of worker exploitation and regressive economic/globalization policies that intensify the exploitation. We see it most often from Republicans, but we saw it just last week from Democrats at the presidential debate, as that debate only addressed the immigration issue from a punitive standpoint (driver's licenses, etc.) - rather than discussing the root of the issue, which is economic exploitation of all workers.

The fact is, both Democrats and Republicans know that exploitation is at the heart of illegal immigration, but neither party is really willing to confront that exploitation because that would mean confronting their big corporate donors who are profiting off the status quo. And so, taking a scapegoat play out of the Reagan and Clinton playbooks, the con artists in both parties are trying to channel Americans' intense anger at Big Money interests into a rage at illegal immigrants.

This is particularly disgusting on the Democratic side, mainly because the Democratic Party is supposed to be the party of the little guy, and of fairness. Instead, it is becoming the party of Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) - the former investment banker and NAFTA architect who is cravenly trying to protect the moneyed interests that have underwritten his political career by playing to the ugliest societal instincts. The whole debate is about how much or little to punish undocumented workers - rather than about how to punish the moneyed interests that are abusing all workers, undocumented or otherwise.

Clearly, illegal immigration is a serious issue that needs to be addressed - but simply bashing illegal immigrants or proposing punitive measures against them doesn't go the root problem, nor will it solve the issue.

But then, perhaps neither party wants to get to the root of the problem. Maybe both parties want a scapegoat to take take heat off the interests writing the big campaign checks. That would be a real tragedy, especially considering polls show that the American public is ready to embrace the kind of populist power-challenging politics that would be required to beef up wage/workplace safety enforcement and reform our globalization policies so that they lift up all workers, rather than crushing them and exacerbating the illegal immigration problem.

Go read the full column here. And if you'd like to see my column regularly in your local paper, use this directory to find the contact info for your local editorial page editors. Get get in touch with them and point them to my Creators Syndicate site. As you can see from the graphic above (and linked here), the Denver Post ran my column right next to an op-ed by Tom Tancredo himself - so it shows that helping to get progressives' work far and wide has a real effect - it makes sure the Right does not go unanswered.

Comments

[nyfilmmaker]

I would add to the immigration debate that when it comes to our national security we need to protect America's farms.

The vast majority of the farms in the U.S. are family farms.

The vast majority of the employees on those family farms are undocumented Hispanic workers.

We need to address an immigration system that is filled with so much bureaucracy that it does not function.

After traveling 15,000 miles to shoot my documentary it is very clear to me that in most cases there are U.S. born citizens that are unwilling to work on America's farms. (I'm sure someone is going to write that if these jobs paid better they would attract domestic workers.)

From my experience these farm workers are being paid between $9 and $20 per hour. If these workers were being exploited they would go elsewhere for work.

In the U.S.the current LEGAL H2A system that is used to bring in guest workers the pay is between $8 and $10 per hour. So this is not a matter of wages as most would like to take as the easy way out.

I would add that in the current LEGAL system the grower is also responsible for housing while they're in the States, transportation to and from their home countries, transportation to and from the store weekly while they are here to work, their visas, their paperwork, etc.

This is not a matter of money. The farmers I have met are willing to pay a premium for "good" workers.

The other side is that over a 50 year period we have become an entitlement state. And yes I said over 50 years.

This is a long time for this problem to develop. We cannot expect to fix this problem on the backs of the American farmer.

I would say to anyone, when it comes to the immigration debate, or any other, it is best to look at all the facts. Not just those that suit you.

Angelo Mancuso
Director
American Harvest - (the Real Truth About Immigrant America)

http://www.americanharvestmovie.com

[ErikKengaard]

Excellent analysis by Mr. Sirota! Dovetails with the revelations of Fredo Arias-King in Elites, Power, and the People’s Will (July 2006).
Contact your representative and your senators at house dot gov and senate dot gov and let them know we are, at last, onto their sneaky efforts.

[lanefiller]

Anyone interested in a very different story (and analysis) on illegal immigration should try:
http://goupstate.us/index.php/lanefiller/2007/11/14/the_illegal_immigrant_next_door

[TuffPosh]

Most of the "rage" is directed at politicians who refuse to enforce the law; by claiming it's directed at the illegal aliens themselves you're assisting those who want to profit in some way from illegal immigration. Rather than pushing a far-left global worker's utopia, let me suggest a) not playing into the hands of the profiteers, b) not accusing those who oppose illegal activity of being scapegoaters or worse, and c) concentrating on the corruption aspects, something everyone can understand.