BobKKKindle$
17th August 2008, 18:32
Why do some (arguably many) members of the bourgeoisie in the imperialist bloc advocate the use of immigration controls to lower the rate of inwards migration? If anything, it would seem obvious that employers should support immigration and call on the government to reduce controls which limit the freedom of movement between countries, as immigration provides a larger potential workforce and also an enlarged domestic market for the consumption of goods. Is it possible that immigration is an issue where the class interests of the proletariat and bourgeoisie may coincide?
The only possible material basis for bourgeois opposition I can identify is the importance of illegal immigrants, who are not able to demand improvements in conditions (because open organization would lead to these immigrants being identified by the government, and then deported) and are also not covered by laws which regulate how firms are able to treat the workers they employ, and so represent a highly exploitable (and hence profitable) section of the workforce which can be used to perform dangerous tasks (especially those tasks which are avoided and seen as "dirty" by the legal workforce) at a low cost. An alternative material root is a desire to create divisions inside the working class, by encouraging workers to see each other as competitors for access to scarce resources, and preventing workers from sharing their common experiences through mutual dialog. However, it seems unlikely that the bourgeoisie would be conscious of its own interests to this extent.
The only possible material basis for bourgeois opposition I can identify is the importance of illegal immigrants, who are not able to demand improvements in conditions (because open organization would lead to these immigrants being identified by the government, and then deported) and are also not covered by laws which regulate how firms are able to treat the workers they employ, and so represent a highly exploitable (and hence profitable) section of the workforce which can be used to perform dangerous tasks (especially those tasks which are avoided and seen as "dirty" by the legal workforce) at a low cost. An alternative material root is a desire to create divisions inside the working class, by encouraging workers to see each other as competitors for access to scarce resources, and preventing workers from sharing their common experiences through mutual dialog. However, it seems unlikely that the bourgeoisie would be conscious of its own interests to this extent.