Originally Posted by
btkr
...Whatever people’s reasons are to come to the US, as a guest in this country, we followed the rules. Others should do so also. At 8 yrs. old, I was very proud to become a naturalized citizen and swear allegiance to my new home and country...
As a Libertarian I often find myself at odds with both the Democrats and Republicans. I believe in a free market, and I think the Wall will only serve to displace and distress wildlife populations and send our national debt levels to soaring heights, pushing us to the brink of an economic collapse.
That said, I do understand the fears your average blue-collar citizen has about illegal immigration and it's effects on the labor force. I don't for a second believe it's only about racism(as if Guatemalan or Mexican is a race) and fear of "brown people".
Before I got into the metal business I worked for a year and a half as a public health inspector in my county. Inspecting restaurants I saw with my own eyes the incredible amount of Hispanic men--in particular--who worked long hours and lived in dormitory-style housing situations to send as much money back home to their native country as possible. It's hard for a U.S. citizen to compete in the open market against these men while paying taxes and raising a family on U.S. soil. I can see now why roofers born and raised in America would struggle to compete against a crew of Mexicans sending the bulk of their $60 daily wage home to their families in Mexico and living 10 to an apartment to pool their resources in the meantime.
It's a tough riddle to solve and I don't have the answer. The only thing I know for sure is that the Pareto Principle has been shown to apply, generally and broadly, to the labor market as a whole. This means that, roughly speaking, 20% of workers do 80% of the work. If I can always be pushing to be in that 20% I have a really good case for why I should be able earn my fair share of the pie!
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