Watching the presidential debates is really better than taking an LSD tablet. Outside of Ron Paul, the candidates are as sound on economics as is Keith Richards when he contemplates life from a tree limb.
The candidates can hold such simultaneously contradictory positions that it would require a circus mirror to make them look sound. Consider their views on jobs. They all see a jobs problem in the United States and all offer varying solutions that make no sense. BUT, during the same debate, they admit there are too many jobs in America and most want to build a huge armed wall along the Mexican border to prevent Mexicans from coming into the U.S., because their are so many illegals finding jobs in America.
What gives? The minimum wage gives, for illegal immigrants. With no legal standing as far as wages go, they have to take the underground wage offered to them. They can't go to the Department of Labor and complain they are being paid less than the minimum wage---they would get bounced from the country. This edge illegals have is huge. Some estimate that that illegal immigrants fill a quarter of all agricultural jobs, 17 percent of office and house cleaning positions, 14 percent of construction jobs and 12 percent in food preparation.
The largest unemployment rate in America is for black youth. Their unemployment rate as of August 2011 is 46.5%. Like most of the illegals, they are unskilled, but have a significant advantage, they speak English! So why is it that non-English speaking illegals can find jobs and American black youth can't?
Countervailing the edge black youth have is the fact that black Americans have legal standing in the United States, minimum wage laws apply to them and they are not going to be booted out of the country for reporting an employer to the Department of Labor for paying a wage under the legal minimum. Thus, it is much more dangerous for an employer to hire black youth. Illegals are not going to report an employer to DOL. All it takes is one disgruntled black youth to drop a dime and an employer will face serious fines. The risk for hiring unskilled black youth, thus, is much greater than hiring an illegal.
If these bozos in the debates understood the first thing about economics, they would know that eliminating the minimum wage would give a big boost to employment in the country by allowing unskilled black youth to compete with the illegals who are gaining all the jobs because the black youth are minimum wage blocked by their own government. And that, folks, is the sad truth and one bad trip.
Although your argument is based in sound logic, there is one thing that you are not considering... and that is that even without the minimum wage, you're unlikely to see black people compete with illegals for agricultural jobs, for obvious historical reasons.
ReplyDeleteI read an article here in Sweden about the Reagan Library debate. Rick Perry was shown in a big picture. The article discussed the debate and mentioned all candidates EXCEPT Ron Paul.
ReplyDeleteThe mainstream media blackout of Ron Paul is not confined to the United States, just so you know.
@Matthew
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell kind of idiot response is that? Did you read RW's post about illegals taking construction, food preperation and office and house cleaning positions.
I've often pondered this question and agree with Wenzel. What is often left out of the picture, and I've often encountered often,is the fact that blacks have been doted upon, fawned over, literally made "projects" of, since the days of LBJ's "Great Society." They've repeatedly been the targets of different welfare schemes that have sucked away the incentive to work, destroyed their communities, and bolstered an air of entitlement, which in turn, has escalated the crime rates among them. My comments here are simply general observation. There are indeed many blacks who have worked their way out of really bad conditions, and I'm certain many who would like to do so now.
ReplyDeleteMatthew's comment above also has a nugget of truth to it, though maybe not in the manner he meant it. The whole idea of agriculture is probably repugnant to blacks today, precisely because the story of present black poverty is always linked to past black slavery rather than the more contemporary failures of "progressive" schemes, such as forced busing, housing projects, welfare entitlements, and so on. These realities have also been a part of black history in the US, though the admission to their failures is somehow held to be disingenuous at best, even while they have contributed to destroying black communities, work ethic, and sense of responsibility. Rather than honestly looking at the effects of these welfare programs, policies and projects and admitting their utter failure, the prevailing "progressive" mentality seeks instead to place blame upon the ever-present phantom of "racism" and slavery. The belief that bad consequences could arise out of "good" intentions is, for this mentality, the very mark of ignorance, intolerance, and bigotry.
Unfortunately, this has left the majority of blacks facing what amounts to a Sisyphean task.
Wenzel,
ReplyDeleteCompounding the problem is that with legal standing, poor American citizens of all races are eligible for unemployment, food stamps, public housing, medicaid, etc. Many of them can probably make more money on the dole than they would even with a minimum wage job.
The honest poor American citizens that are willing to work at low-wage jobs at places like McDonald's and work their way up or pay for education should be commended in light of the strong incentives they face not to work.