Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This isn't to argue that we shouldn't deport illegals, but actually the contrary. Right now, they're using illegals who often get paid poorly and go on public aid, which takes money from the taxpayers. If we deported the illegals, the growers claim that we'd get high prices in food. However, if the illegals were deported, wouldn't they just switch to automation to save money? Hence we can't be sure that it would create the ripple effect in the market that Big Ag claims it will.
BTW, I am aware that illegals working in ag only count for a small fraction of all illegals working, but I'm playing along with the argument that deporting illegals will make food prices go up and showing how that might not even be true.
This isn't to argue that we shouldn't deport illegals, but actually the contrary. Right now, they're using illegals who often get paid poorly and go on public aid, which takes money from the taxpayers. If we deported the illegals, the growers claim that we'd get high prices in food. However, if the illegals were deported, wouldn't they just switch to automation to save money? Hence we can't be sure that it would create the ripple effect in the market that Big Ag claims it will.
BTW, I am aware that illegals working in ag only count for a small fraction of all illegals working, but I'm playing along with the argument that deporting illegals will make food prices go up and showing how that might not even be true.
Nope, many of their jobs simply cannot be done by robots, now the rest of us are different matter, many jobs have already been lost to automation, and that will continue.
This isn't to argue that we shouldn't deport illegals, but actually the contrary. Right now, they're using illegals who often get paid poorly and go on public aid, which takes money from the taxpayers. If we deported the illegals, the growers claim that we'd get high prices in food. However, if the illegals were deported, wouldn't they just switch to automation to save money? Hence we can't be sure that it would create the ripple effect in the market that Big Ag claims it will.
BTW, I am aware that illegals working in ag only count for a small fraction of all illegals working, but I'm playing along with the argument that deporting illegals will make food prices go up and showing how that might not even be true.
Automation has been increasing ever since Henry Ford "invented" the assembly line.
Well, they hold 1 in every 8 white collar jobs, and I have not heard of white collar workers being replaced by robots.
Actually, automation is replacing illegal aliens in both agriculture and manufacturing as they are not educated enough to operate the automation coming into play, so they have anchor babies to support themselves.
Many of the jobs being done by illegals are low wage because greedy employers are exploiting them and making profits off them at the expense of the illegals and driving down wages for Americans.
Jobs in construction, domestic jobs, gardening, etc would require wages to increase if the employers were following the law, or people would have to start doing their own yard work if they don't want to pay.
Anyone who puts his/her faith in source like Popular Science has a lot to learn. Adapting any technological improvements to a mass market usually involves a few new obstacles, and this is especially true when a perishable, or fragile product is involved. And a robot might be able to pick an apple under somewhat-tightly-defined conditions, but nature's contours are seldom straight lines and right angles.
When automation displaces workers, it usually means only that the displaced will have to find something else on the low rung of the societal ladder, Because there will always be jobs that no one wants to do; it's just a matter of pricing.
Anyone who puts his/her faith in source like Popular Science has a lot to learn. Adapting any technological improvements to a mass market usually involves a few new obstacles, and this is especially true when a perishable, or fragile product is involved. And a robot might be able to pick an apple under somewhat-tightly-defined conditions, but nature's contours are seldom straight lines and right angles.
When automation displaces workers, it usually means only that the displaced will have to find something else on the low rung of the societal ladder, Because there will always be jobs that no one wants to do; it's just a matter of pricing.
Not my problem. Once we deport a few million on the bottom of the ladder jobs will be open. Fact.
The management of dairy cattle is, to put it mildly, and "unromantic" process; Ol' Bessie doesn't usually lie down directly on a cow-pie, but it can happen now and then, so udders have to be washed before milking. Then it's more than just a simple process of attaching and removing a milking machine; teats sometimes have to be "stripped out" of a few drops of milk that can cause an infection. And Ol' Bessie sometimes has no compunctions about answering Mother Nature's call during the process; (a rotating "carousel" milking system allows the operator to work a couple of feet below the cattle, saving back strain, but it eaves him/her "vulnerable" in other ways).
And I can assure you that the "fine points' of this thankless task will be very difficult to automate, particularly given the fact that you're dealing with food and contamination issues.
Small wonder, then, that the dwindling, and pressured number of dairy operators have fund recent, usually-legal immigrants well suited to farm work. Previous experience seems to make them well-disposed to working "closer to nature", and once a good worker is found, the fine points of the job can be passed on to a fellow countryman in his/her own language.
This is an example of a task often viewed as undesirable getting done in the real working world; but I guarantee you that many Spoiled Snowflakes, a professed love of animals notwithstanding, would run away screaming if confronted with it.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 06-08-2017 at 10:25 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
