What is causing the immigration problem?

May 13, 2010

What is causing the immigration problem?

Cheap labor, corn, beef and NAFTA

By Jim Frazier,
For the Greeley Gazette

“Jobs are the cause of illegal immigration. Cheap labor,” said former UNC professor Roberto Romero. “If no jobs existed in the US, they would not come.”

“Corn is the cause,” said Alonzo Ortiz, an organizer of the May Day march in Denver. “The cause is NAFTA, and the agenda to create a North American Union.” Ortiz says the US is shipping cheap corn into Mexico and destroying the livelihood of small farmers. Corn is fundamental to survival of the indigenous people, and has been for centuries,” he said. “Without affordable corn, they must migrate or die.”

Ortiz said that the only solution is to get rid of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). “But a lot of big corporations and politicians have a strong interest in NAFTA” he said. “Companies in the US obtain benefits from cheap labor. Building borders is not the solution.”

Eduardo Montana, an international businessman, said beef is a key issue. “American ranchers are subsidized. They can provide cheap beef due to the subsidies. Mexican farmers and ranchers can’t compete because they receive no subsidies. Many have gone out of business. When they fold up, they migrate north to survive.”

Ricardo Romero, a long time human rights activist in Greeley, agrees. “NAFTA is the problem,” he said. “These people are economic refugees. They are fleeing the economic destruction created by NAFTA agreements,” he said. The problem started when the Mexican constitution was changed to make NAFTA happen. “Overnight, millions of farmers and peasants lost their farms and land. Article 27 of the Mexican constitution was deleted. Previously, compesinos and Indians had the right to their land. But they privatized all that land, and the problem started. At the same time, 24 wealthy families in Mexico became billionaires. It was done to make NAFTA a reality. It destroyed the lives of millions of people. To survive, their best chance was to migrate north. They are hungry and desperate,” he said. “They are economic refugees, not just immigrants.”

Some feel that NAFTA was just the start of the problem. Another agreement, which skirted Congress, is considered by many critics to be “NAFTA on steroids.” This agreement started in 2005, when President George W. Bush opened a ‘dialogue’ with the Presidents of Mexico and Canada. Titled SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America), the “dialogue’ provided for open borders between the three countries. Congress did not discuss the agreement and no one voted on the terms which basically created a North American union. Due to political protests, the SPP was disbanded in 2009 and now the many agreements are enacted by a group of 30 private businesses from the three nations. The group of 30 business leaders is called the The North American Competitiveness Council (NACC), a private organization that is not required to reveal plans and policies to the media. The original SPP website is now just an “archive” for the original agreements and documents.

US Congressman Ron Paul stated during his Presidential Campaign that plans for a North American Union and a superhighway from Mexico to Canada were not conspiracy theories, but were underway. “Some people believe in open borders, some don’t. It’s a battle of ideologies, but I believe in national sovereignty, and the national sovereignty of the US is under threat.” he said. Today, the superhighway is in progress with Kansas City as the main US hub, and a ‘smart port’ serving as a Mexican customs office in the middle of the United States. One of the most influential business writers, Peter F. Drucker, wrote in his book, Post-Capitalist Society , that “The economic integration of the three countries into one region is proceeding so fast that it will make little difference whether the marriage is sanctified legally or not.”

Ken Buck, Weld County District Attorney and a US Senate candidate, said the issue regarding immigration is complex. “It’s very unfortunate when a state (Arizona) must pass an immigration law because the federal government isn’t doing its job.” But why is the Federal government not enforcing the law? “There is not a consensus in this country on how to deal with illegal immigration,” Buck said. “On one hand you have social justice progressives, on the other, you have business interests. Both groups are satisfied with the status quo. It is now up to the people to take control of the immigration issue.” He supports the Arizona law (SB 1070) and plans to work on a solution to immigration if elected.

For more info see: www.SPP.gov and www.nascocorridor.com

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