Comments on: Arizona: Corporate greed for cheap labor http://sfbayview.com/2010/arizona-corporate-greed-for-cheap-labor/ Black liberation news and views Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:57:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ann Garrison http://sfbayview.com/2010/arizona-corporate-greed-for-cheap-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-6559 Ann Garrison Fri, 14 May 2010 01:30:00 +0000 http://www.sfbayview.com/?p=11346#comment-6559 Thanks for that analysis. I've barely had space to take this huge story in, but now that you point this out, it seems obvious. Thanks for that analysis. I’ve barely had space to take this huge story in, but now that you point this out, it seems obvious.

]]> By: John Mulligan http://sfbayview.com/2010/arizona-corporate-greed-for-cheap-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-6541 John Mulligan Wed, 12 May 2010 15:17:51 +0000 http://www.sfbayview.com/?p=11346#comment-6541 Sorry about the links. Here's two better ones. Cadillac Desert: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cadillac-Desert-American-Disappearing-Revised/dp/0140178244" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Cadillac-Desert-American-Di...</a> For automated harvesting in the UK try this:<a href="http://www.sciencecodex.com/intelligent_harvesting_machine_could_prevent_waste_lower_food_prices" target="_blank">http://www.sciencecodex.com/intelligent_harvestin...</a> Sorry about the links. Here's two better ones.

Cadillac Desert: http://www.amazon.com/Cadillac-Desert-American-Di…

For automated harvesting in the UK try this:http://www.sciencecodex.com/intelligent_harvestin…

]]> By: John Mulligan http://sfbayview.com/2010/arizona-corporate-greed-for-cheap-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-6540 John Mulligan Wed, 12 May 2010 15:10:59 +0000 http://www.sfbayview.com/?p=11346#comment-6540 Great article Mr. Debro. The sad truth is that the US has always been addicted to cheap labor. African slaves, Irish, Italians, Chinese and then recycled farmers from the Dust Bowl have all served this purpose. When we can't grow our own cheap labor, we import it. When we can't import it, we ship our jobs overseas. The US government has consistently shown a willingness to undercut the interests of workers. Unions are attacked, and where they cannot be broken, tariffs and borders are dropped to allow union wages to be undercut. We also shelter corporations under our generous corporate protections while at the same time allowing these domestic corporations to set up factories abroad. Farmers are by far the worst. Farmers are, in fact, the recipients of the most per capita welfare in this country. They get free land, free water and subsidies to grow nothing. Check out Cadillac Desert, a film and a book by the same name. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Desert." target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Desert.</a> Meanwhile, farmers employ no US citizens and they treat migrant workers like slaves. I remember in the 1990s some workers were living in caves. <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19910911&id=wm8VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mOoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5457,2406560." target="_blank">http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&da...</a> There has always been an option of course. After all, we built the nuclear bomb and put a man on the moon. Why couldn't we design a machine to do the work rather than depend on people who make less than minimum wage? The answer is, of course we can build such machines, its just that farmers are too greedy to fund the technology until the labor gets scarce. <a href="http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/06/robo_picker." target="_blank">http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/200...</a> As you can see, only now the farming industry is getting interested in these devices. I don't know why this country has been so afraid of innovation lately. Mechanized harvesters could be built in America's traditional industrial zones, places like Detroit and Bay View. We build these machines for ourselves and export them. Fewer farm workers would be needed and they could earn a living wage. Factory workers would see jobs again. Greed and small thinking have and always will be to blame. Great article Mr. Debro. The sad truth is that the US has always been addicted to cheap labor. African slaves, Irish, Italians, Chinese and then recycled farmers from the Dust Bowl have all served this purpose. When we can't grow our own cheap labor, we import it. When we can't import it, we ship our jobs overseas. The US government has consistently shown a willingness to undercut the interests of workers. Unions are attacked, and where they cannot be broken, tariffs and borders are dropped to allow union wages to be undercut. We also shelter corporations under our generous corporate protections while at the same time allowing these domestic corporations to set up factories abroad.

Farmers are by far the worst. Farmers are, in fact, the recipients of the most per capita welfare in this country. They get free land, free water and subsidies to grow nothing. Check out Cadillac Desert, a film and a book by the same name. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Desert. Meanwhile, farmers employ no US citizens and they treat migrant workers like slaves. I remember in the 1990s some workers were living in caves. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&da…

There has always been an option of course. After all, we built the nuclear bomb and put a man on the moon. Why couldn't we design a machine to do the work rather than depend on people who make less than minimum wage? The answer is, of course we can build such machines, its just that farmers are too greedy to fund the technology until the labor gets scarce. http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/200… As you can see, only now the farming industry is getting interested in these devices.

I don't know why this country has been so afraid of innovation lately. Mechanized harvesters could be built in America's traditional industrial zones, places like Detroit and Bay View. We build these machines for ourselves and export them. Fewer farm workers would be needed and they could earn a living wage. Factory workers would see jobs again.

Greed and small thinking have and always will be to blame.

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