ICE Cold to Kids

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• Reader Comments (3)

  Page 1 of 1 pages

  The list of arrested did not include the owners or managers at the meat processing plant.

  Arresting those who employ illegal aliens is the only sensible thing to do.

  Arrest the business owners. Forget about tracking down the aliens — no jobs, end of the problem. If the fines are not enough to end it, let the employers do jail time.

  Posted by whattheheck on Jun 16, 2008 at 8:09 PM

  If we’re talking about the “problem,” let’s talk about the predatory economic policies implemented by the U.S. in the countries from which these immigrants come from.  History reveals many countries that took measures to improve their economic situation, only to be met with violent, US-backed coups when those policies were found to not be in the best interests of US corporations.  In the ensuing civil wars and economic strife that plagued most of Latin America throughout the 70’s and 80’s, many families fled to the country that was largely responsible for the misappropriation of resources in their country (namely, the US). 
  In response to our devastating foreign policy in the 70’s and 80’s, we enacted NAFTA and CAFTA, which have only exacerbated their economic plight of Latin American nations by flooding the economies with low-paying jobs and cheap US products which produced an outflow of capital from the local economy. 
  Rather than employing ICE agents (gotta love the terror-inducing acronyms of our government) to purge our country of hard-working men and women, we should be trying to help the sending countries retain their labor force by helping with land-reform measures that give the land back to the people who live there, and by policing our ever-greedy corporations who gladly flood foreign markets with cheap products in order to stamp out any local competition. 
  Stories like this one in Iowa are shameful, and not generally representative of most Americans.  I say we begin to pay credence to the real “silent majority:” those people who think its wrong to traumatize children, terrorize families, and vilify decent human beings.

  Posted by diciteco on Jun 16, 2008 at 11:14 PM

  NAFTA and CAFTA are purely economic con games devised to peddle the idea that globalization (economic imperialism) is good for us all. With the exception of Ross Perot and Pat Buchanan US politicians billed it as a win-win situation which would bring foreign masses up from poverty and “We will only lose the low-end, low-paing jobs here.”  Gore said it was inevitable, Clinton pushed it through congress after G.H.W. Bush set up the ball for a spike.

  The result was obvious to anyone with an once of imagination…

  • Major US manufacturing job losses — These made a move to the middle class possible for millions of our less educated, but skilled workers.
  • Imports of nearly everything under the guise of “lower consumer prices” —Now as the dollar falls the prices rise and we have no domestic alternative products.
  • With the US economy 70% dependent on consumer buying most spending goes to foreign economies.

  The help to the masses in emerging economies is virtually zero in Mexico where US corporations pay a pittance to workers who live in pitiful conditions. In China many live better, but in terrible environmental conditions (a good way to solve the population problem). China’s super managed society let’s us see what they want just as they (with the help of US tech companies like Microsoft) manage what their people see and read from outside.

  The idea that WE know what’s best for the whole world is the height of arrogance. We do nothing about our own major issues — health care, job quality, food safety, border security, energy independence — we have nothing to offer the world when it comes to designing a universal quality of life.

  Our congress is currently jawboning about possible “commodity speculation,” and “windfall oil profits.”  Of course there i speculation — that’s what capitalism is all about. In itself it is neither good nor bad. At the same time those who created the subprime fraud are being aided and abetted by the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve. It’s all a game of the pea under the walnut shells.

  We’ve had thirty years to “cure”” our oil dependency, but too many are making too much money by simply diverting attention and keeping it going.

  First NAFTA, then CAFTA and now the SHAFTA!

  Posted by whattheheck on Jun 18, 2008 at 12:37 PM

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Also by Kay Steiger

• ICE Cold to Kids