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Immigration isn’t the problem, it’s capitalism
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Recently, I went to see Carlos Mencia at Boise State University’s Morrison Center. Mencia is well-known for his “in your face” comedy, making it a point to hit below the belt. His aim is political – he kicks Bush in the teeth, talks about the war, civil liberties, immigration, religion, parents being too soft, stereotypes and racial concerns. I think he’s funny as heck, and although I don’t agree with him always, he makes some good points.
One of the issues Mencia often rants about is the argument over immigrants and jobs, specifically the heated debate that Americans are losing jobs to Mexicans. At the base of this accusation is the fact that undocumented workers are willing to work for less money, thereby taking over entire job markets with their unscrupulous business savvy, and sending poor Americans to the unemployment line. I don’t think so. The other side contends that immigrants are simply doing work that Americans won’t do. The media prefer the focus to remain on the former, not the latter. Being almost as opinionated as the four-letter-word-throwing Carlos Mencia, I say you are missing the point entirely. The real point is that by identifying two sides and polarizing them further, we create a situation of division. Division is the capitalists’ smoke screen and serves to maintain a lower class argument, which keeps the focus off those responsible for the poor state of the economy in the first place. Some of you scoff because you are obviously in a higher income bracket than those who are truly suffering without the luxury of a living wage, or you’ve been watching the B.S. on television that poses for news.
In 2004 the living wage in Idaho for a family of four was $14 per hour, assuming a forty-hour work week. How many Idahoans actually earn this wage, and where are immigrants, single parents and the uneducated in the pile?
The center of the issue revolves around the economy, and the economy revolves around a small group of power elites. This group represents corporate America, controls production, banks, media and you. This power group agrees on these principles of capital and free enterprise, profits, private property, an unequal and concentrated distribution of wealth, and private economic power. Decisions that are made in boardrooms of banks and large corporations determine the fate of inflation and unemployment in the U.S. The most important thing this elite depends on is an abundance of disposable labor. They own the means of production, and by keeping a large pool of low-paid labor available, ensure their future positions of power and profit. That’s where most of the American population and beyond come into the picture. We are the disposable labor force. The five percent at the top of the pyramid that are controlling most of the wealth, have successfully hidden themselves as we, at the ever-widening bottom, duke it out senselessly. My advice is to get involved and work toward change, or get used to being disposable – but don’t blame our immigrant and migrant population for the poor state of the poor.
Amy Bowman
