Salon: "The No Jobs President"

[On the Road]

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2004/01/19/no_jobs/index.html

What I found most fascinating and alarming was the analysis of Bush's new "bracero" immigration policy:


The proposal promises minor conveniences to the estimated 8 million undocumented workers in this country. But at what price? ...In a word, employers would judge who stays in the country and who is kicked out. Forget labor rights. Forget unions. Also forget family, home, neighborhood, things like that. Anyone wanting to protect those things will stay out of sight.

---snip

This program will permit any employer to admit any worker. From any country. At any time. The only requirement is that it be for a job Americans are not willing to take. But it is easy to create such jobs: Cut wages. Terminate the unions. Lengthen the hours. Speed up the lines. Chicken farmers have known this for years. Bush's plan is a blank check for every bad boss this country has.

---snip

For millions of citizen workers, what would happen? The answer is clear: Bad bosses drive out the good. Good bosses will turn bad under pressure. The terms of our jobs would get worse and worse. Who would want a citizen worker? A bracero will be so much cheaper, more loyal, and under control. And who among us, in our right mind, would want to look for work? Unless, of course, we needed to eat. Or pay the mortgage. I am not exaggerating: This is a threat to us all.

Note: You may need to be a subscriber to read the whole thing.

[area51]

1. This is a good article.

Fortunately, you can get a "daypass" (@ the salon.com website) & read it & other articles w/o having to spend any $.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. What a depressing article

:-(