Re:The deep roots of modern resentment
by soundwave106 on Tuesday January 31, 2017 @01:49PM
(#13533845)
Your usage of "slaves" seems way too strong to me. From my perspective, most immigrants are seeking economic opportunity voluntarily.
This phenomenon is a sort of "global labor arbitrage" and it is perhaps right to argue that industry is exploiting this. Also, there are indeed also certain pockets of immigrant labor dominated industry where the conditions for workers have been so bad, "slavery" might be somewhat applicable. But calling migrants universally slaves to capitalism? I can't see that.
And, even if you want to fix this global labor arbitrage, figuring out how will be hard (at least, to do it without making the problem worse). Historically, government enforced attempts at egalitarian economies have worked out rather poorly.
This phenomenon is a sort of "global labor arbitrage" and it is perhaps right to argue that industry is exploiting this. Also, there are indeed also certain pockets of immigrant labor dominated industry where the conditions for workers have been so bad, "slavery" might be somewhat applicable. But calling migrants universally slaves to capitalism? I can't see that.
Furthermore, at least recently in the United States, not all immigrants are of the "cheap" variety. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2017/01/20/the-to...)
And, even if you want to fix this global labor arbitrage, figuring out how will be hard (at least, to do it without making the problem worse). Historically, government enforced attempts at egalitarian economies have worked out rather poorly.