With the GOP about to realize that they can't win national (or even many statewide) elections without Hispanic votes its a nice time to reflect on this liberal schadenfreude moment. Conservative policies created the illegal immigrant mess so its ironic that the sons and daughters of illegals are going to turn the tide of American politics.
Lets look at how conservatives have been playing immigrants and working class Americans off one another for decades:
First:Conservatives were very successful in de-unionizing industries that employed thousands of low skill working class Americans (meat packing being the textbook example). Once wages and working conditions had degenerated to third world levels corporations (with the tacit support of the GOP) turned to illegal immigrants who would endure slave wages and dangerous conditions without protest.
Second: Conservatives (of both parties) pushed through free trade agreements that destroyed Mexican and Central American agriculture. Tens of thousands of people who had been self sufficient became economic refugees. American business (and their GOP puppets) were more than willing to further exploit these desperate people.
Third: In one of the most cynical political moves ever the GOP courted (and mostly got) the votes of the people their policies had economically disenfranchised -- working class whites. Innumerable GOP candidates got themselves elected by calling for "immigration reform" despite the fact that big money Republicans had no intention of stopping the flow of cheap labor.
Fourth: When the GOP finally did tighten the border a bit (but never enough to actually stem the flow of workers) the result was to stop the flow of immigrants going home during the off season. Since it was now much harder and more expensive to get into the USA immigrants stayed once they got in. Of course these immigrants sent for their families (or started new ones). Ironically GOP efforts to control immigration resulted in immigrants becoming full-time rather than just part-time residents. GOP policies have resulted in a huge increase in so called anchor babies.
So after 40 years of using illegal immigrants for their own cynical interest the GOP is about to get bit by the tidal wave of new American citizens they created. A great schadenfreude moment.
Lets look at how conservatives have been playing immigrants and working class Americans off one another for decades:
First:Conservatives were very successful in de-unionizing industries that employed thousands of low skill working class Americans (meat packing being the textbook example). Once wages and working conditions had degenerated to third world levels corporations (with the tacit support of the GOP) turned to illegal immigrants who would endure slave wages and dangerous conditions without protest.
Second: Conservatives (of both parties) pushed through free trade agreements that destroyed Mexican and Central American agriculture. Tens of thousands of people who had been self sufficient became economic refugees. American business (and their GOP puppets) were more than willing to further exploit these desperate people.
Third: In one of the most cynical political moves ever the GOP courted (and mostly got) the votes of the people their policies had economically disenfranchised -- working class whites. Innumerable GOP candidates got themselves elected by calling for "immigration reform" despite the fact that big money Republicans had no intention of stopping the flow of cheap labor.
Fourth: When the GOP finally did tighten the border a bit (but never enough to actually stem the flow of workers) the result was to stop the flow of immigrants going home during the off season. Since it was now much harder and more expensive to get into the USA immigrants stayed once they got in. Of course these immigrants sent for their families (or started new ones). Ironically GOP efforts to control immigration resulted in immigrants becoming full-time rather than just part-time residents. GOP policies have resulted in a huge increase in so called anchor babies.
So after 40 years of using illegal immigrants for their own cynical interest the GOP is about to get bit by the tidal wave of new American citizens they created. A great schadenfreude moment.
