Sam: Is it possible that King George got one right this time? If 'illegals' are made 'legal' i would think they would be entitled to those lucrative minimum wage pay scales. And less subject to employer abuse. They would, i hope, have recourse if labour standards were breached. It certainly may increase the legitimate labour supply of people willing to work for low wages (consistent with your socioeconomic power class thesis) but unless it increases the number of bodies in the US prepared to do that work, it really hasn't changed much -- except offer protection and slightly better pay to people who were in the US anyway. The alternatives were: 1. Relax immigration. My preference, but not saleable at the country club. 2. Limited amnesty. What he did. With time limits. "you're not really american, but we'll sort of accept that you exist" 3. Ignore and continue. What i expected he'd do. No 'crackdowns' that might affect your labour supply, but no protection to the individuals either. Who needs labour laws anyways. 4. Send 'em all back. Upped enforcement. Lose that hush hush labour supply. Appease the law and order crowd. Given the alternatives, i think Ol' George may not have messed this one up. Unless you don't think these individuals are worthy of even the lowest standards of american labour laws. Khan's response is pretty fair (except for his disdain for minimum wage laws -- but that's a different thread altogether!)
bnb: you and FD Khan think I am criticizing illegal immigration itself or the amnesty policy. I am not at all. In fact I would probably say that I am in favor of the policy. Others had suggested that this was somehow a "moderate" policy proposed by a right wing president... my point is that open immigration is, and has long been a 'right wing' policy, motivated as much out of greed as it is of benevolence.
I thought i saw a hint of that in your post . It was simply obsured by your rant against all things Bush. (most of which we are agreement on!) Whether open immigration is a right wing, or left wing policy doesn't consern me so much as whether it's a policy i support. The Left and the Unions often don't. (protect local jobs, keep wages up). The Right and Business often do. (Cheaper labour, but what's with all them foreigners?). I'm just glad immigration laws weren't so tight back in the 1500's to 1800's.
