Not All Meddling Politicians Are Mexican

I wasn't aware that there is a problem with illegal Irish immigrants in the United States. Bertie Ahern, Prime Minister of the Irish Republic has "sought help" to remedy the problem by attempting to use the U.S. as a safety valve for unemployed workers as do the Mexicans.

Apparently Ireland is having its own "guest worker problem," a "consequence of the Treaty of Nice, which expanded the European Union to the old Eastern Block. Membership of the EU makes the theoretical demand that labor be permitted to move freely between member nations."

On June 8, 2001, the Irish people rejected the treaty via referendum. "Or so they thought."

Ahrern was not deterred by a matter so slight as the will of the Irish people. He held a second referendum in 2002, which the pro-Nice camp won, on a turnout of 48 percent; after considerable interference by the Eurocracy.

What is the point. I'm getting there, but first:

Recently, on December 9, 2005, 100,000 Irish joined a strike in support of the staff of Irish Ferries, whose management was seeking to displace them with cheaper Eastern European agency labor. Irish ferries later got its way, but only by guaranteeing the Eastern Europeans the Irish minimum wage.

Irish workers lost 38,000 jobs which is a large number in a population of only four million. Unemployment is rising even though the number of jobs in Ireland is growing. How can this be? "The thought that this might be connected to mass migrant labor now comprising 9 percent of the workforce and providing 50 percent of jobs growth does not appear to have occurred to An Taioseach (Prime Minister) Ahern.

And another thing: "the Irish wage rate is falling; an inevitable consequence of packing a small workforce with more and more people."

Does this sound familiar? It should as more and more American jobs have gone off shore or to so-called "guest workers."

"That this (fall of Irish wages) could have happened within a space of just under two years shows just how devastating an impact mass migration has had on the Irish Republic."

A a reminder: Fjordman has written an excellent essay about the effect on Europe of other "guest worker program." Both the Irish Republic and Scandinavia have imported workers of a different cultures which clash significantly with the native populations.

Like capital, labor is "only a commodity" that is now being encouraged to migrate to locations of "superior return on investment" and where "wages and working conditions." The example given by workers in the Irish Republic and other parts of Europe show that cheap labor brings down wages and lowers the standard of living for existing labor, regardless of the education and skill level of any concerned.

Is there a lesson to be learned? Our leaders persist with the notion that a guest worker program will best serve the United States. How will this program be adapted to best "reflect our values and benefit our economy and protect our homeland?" If wage arbitrage patterns follow those of Europe and India, will American workers be forced to emigrate as have "guest workers" in other parts of the world?

Pack your suitcases.