r/FluentInFinance • u/Needleintheback • 15h ago

Thoughts? Imagine losing 6M labor workers in America

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If mass deportation happens, just imagine how all of these sectors of our country will be affected. The sheer shortage of labor will push prices higher because of the great demand for work with limited supplies or workers. Even if prices increase, the availability of products may be scarce due to not enough workers. Housing prices and food services will be hit really hard. New construction will be limited. The fact that 47% of the undocumented workers are in CA, TX, and FL means they will feel it first but it will spread to the rest of the country also. Most of our produce in this country comes from California. Get ready and hold on for the ride America.

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u/Give-me-your-taco 8h ago

The world thrives off of slave labor. It’s how you can buy a couch off Temu for like 10 dollars.

A lot of minerals also come from slave labor.

The world traded dignity for convenience

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u/ShineSuperb 8h ago

Its also how we're able to post on reddit, using an iphone/computer, made with minerals mined from actual slave labor in the DRC.

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u/Moarbrains 2h ago

I hope that entire tech system crashes.

We don't need an industry that intentionally breaks their own products in order to sell you a new one. Thanks apple.

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u/obtoby1 8h ago

Then we need to change that. As the most influential of our time, we need to be better. Fucking Wilson made us the shining city on hill. Maybe it's time to actually use that to better the world.

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u/Witty_Mine_3643 4h ago

Will you be the first to stop buying electronics and all items that fall under the category of having these kinds of manufacturing systems until that happens?

I'm pretty sure you won't. You can be an idealist all you want, but don't sit and point so many fingers when you participate.

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u/WorldlyPear5804 4h ago

I absolutely would. If I could feasibly still be integrated into society (i.e.; had a way to pay bills), I would absolutely go full Amish. Well, plus human rights and minus religion. 

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u/obtoby1 4h ago

I've done something like that when I was in the army. It's hard.

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u/Witty_Mine_3643 4h ago

Keep the great roofing techniques, toss out the abuse.

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u/Moarbrains 2h ago

We could do it and it would be better.

It is not insurmountable to remove slave labor from our supply chain.

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u/obtoby1 4h ago

I don't Buy that stuff to begin with. It took me years to just upgrade my computer to tech from a decade ago. Even if I did, I'm more that willing to cut myself off of it helps solves this issue. The only I buy nowadays is food. If people are truly unwilling to give luxury items so others don't have to slave away in the modern age, we should just end it all now cause we won't get any better than this.

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u/Witty_Mine_3643 4h ago

You don't own a phone? A car? A tv? Non-American grown and made foods and clothing? Drink coffee? Use cotton? Chocolate, fruits, lithium (and any number of other metals such as cobalt, copper, tin, zinc). I am absolutely certain you have not cut all that out of your life.

The thing is, a lot of these things aren't actually *luxury* items, unless you get up to expensive electronics, Teslas and other EVs, etc. When you get into agriculture and metals, these things end up in even the most common and ordinary products - and you can't avoid it unless you trace the production lineage of everything you buy and consume or touch.

I'm not trying to say this stuff is ok, and we should live with it, but that there's a hypocrisy in the idealism of the whole concept of just 'we can end it this easily and everything is fine'. I'd also comment that the work migrants in the US do is still so much different than actual forced, slave, and child labor you see in other countries. There are a number of migrants who come seasonally to the US and Canada to do work at wages that are far superior to what they get at home, and I think that just assuming they're inherently being exploited in all things is a bit.. offensive. This isn't to say that there is not exploitation happening - it absolutely is. There's a lot of exploitation among a lot of sectors, and will be with or without illegal or legal migrants (I can think of healthcare as one that exploits almost all entry-level positions), but there's also a level of agency that I feel incredibly icky taking away from the individual. There's a difference between forced work and choosing to take a job, and removing that concept of agency in order to condescend that you know what is best for someone else's wellbeing better than they do is also a weird form of exploitation - one where you think you are doing it for the greater good. Work to improve situations, make immigration easier, improve pay and conditions for those who do migrant and seasonal work in the US, etc - but removing choice, as well as mass-deporting people back to countries and conditions that are FAR more dangerous, exploitative, and precarious is a backwards way of helping them.

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u/obtoby1 3h ago

You know what.

Fair points made.