Re: Economic (ignorance) Nativism and me
From: Randy Smith (randysmith101@hotmail.com)
Date: Sun Mar 25 2001 - 07:00:59 MST
>From: Spudboy100@aol.com
>Reply-To: extropians@extropy.org
>To: extropians@extropy.org
>Subject: Economic (ignorance) Nativism and me
>Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2001 16:46:55 EST
>
>I was watching a CNN report, on an issue that has been brewing since last
>year, when an org funded by Gates of Microsoft, and Larry Elison of Oracle
>had a 'study' that postulated something like 1.5 million IT jobs would be
>created in the USA in something like 5 years. Then this org proceeded to hit
>Congress, with the need for permitting much, more 1H-B applicants. This
>category of applicants are non USA people, supposedly needed to keep the
>American technological workhorse from floundering, due to lack of enough
>Americans trained in IT.
>
>My own nasty suspicion, is that this unbelievable, demand, for computer
>geeks, described in the 'report' may merely be a fig leaf to use foreign, IT
>guys and gals to drive down the pay rates of US proggies. My anger (if it is
>justified) is not at all targeted toward these foreign workers; but toward
>their paymasters of silicon valley, and their buds in corporate USA.
>
>Most of you are of Libertarian in temperament, if not in actual voting
>pattern. Is it reasonable to be concerned that our economic living standards
>may be driven down by what might be a scam? Is there any independent,
>corroborating, economic studies, that would indicate that we are indeed, in
>such dire, lack of trained North Americans, that we need to import; lest the
>wheel of intellectual commerce poop-out? If the captains of industry are
>putting such a grand inaccuracy, won't a declining standard of living for USA
>IT workers eventually, puncture their profit margins??
>
>I know I come off looking like a nativist, troglodyte (especially if I am),
>however I am willing to be corrected.
>
>Mitch
No need to be intimidated by media/corp/govt propaganda, Spudboy. Hell, you already have admitted you want to live forever, so why should you be coerced into abandoning your common sense when it comes to your pocketbook?
If you are a citizen in a western country, then you own a share in that country. You are a defacto shareholder. And just as any owner in a business should be able to enjoy the benefits of that business, and not have to share them, so should you (excepting taxes).
If you and several other people own a profitable business, in a good location, I, as a non-owner, do not have the right to set up my own business without your permission.
But that is what is happening in the USA right now, not only with respect to the H1B situation, but in all sectors of the economy.
It is a very old story. Those with the most money want to keep as much of that money as possible. Those with much less, want more of that money for the labors and services they perform. In a boom economy, it is a question of supply and demand.
The more the supply, the lower the wages. If supply is less, wages are higher.
The problem for those with the most money is that the West is set up DEMOCRATICALLY, and by DEFINITION, those with the least amount of wealth (RELATIVELY) effectively control the "corporation" through the power of their citizen-shareholder votes.
So the wealthy resort to propaganda. They use the media.
They put out messages that are intended to make people behave in a way that is good for the pocketbooks of those people with relatively MORE money. One of the desired behaviors is to not speak against immigration. They have effectively demonized those who want to speak out about that pink elephant sitting in the corner.
AS a consequence, you, Spudboy, now are afraid to speak against immigration even though your rational mind tells you that immigration may be bad for your wallet.
Of course, there is another side. Immigration may be good, in some respects, in some ways, at some levels. If we drive wages too high, we will lose.
The reasons why there are good jobs in the West are many, and an examination of those reasons may prove very productive; however, I will leave that as an exercise for the reader.....
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: Mon May 28 2001 - 09:59:43 MDT