Party Elites Wage War on Wages

Democrats charge that Republicans are waging a “War on Women.” Surely that is an overstatement crafted for partisan advantage. But the elites of both parties most definitely are waging a war against average citizens of both genders, and that is the War on Wages.

Specifically, both sides are promoting mass immigration, for their own selfish purposes. They claim, citing the research of highly qualified and highly paid-off economists, that the flooding of our labor markets at a time of high unemployment does no harm to working Americans. Indeed, they even claim that it brings enrichment.

In truth, mass immigration does enrich the rich, with generous helpings of cheap labor, but only at the expense of the rest of society. One way most Americans are hurt is wage depression. The economists who say otherwise ignore one of the most fundamental principles of their discipline, the law of supply and demand.

It states that that when the supply of an item goes up – all other factors being held constant – its price goes down. Applied to labor markets, this means that increasing the size of the labor force will tend to lower wages. And since the inception of mass immigration decades ago, the nation has witnessed significant stagnation of wage levels in terms of constant dollars.

The amnesty/mass immigration bill passed by the Senate will only heighten the War on Wages by encouraging more illegal aliens to come and take jobs, as well as opening our job market all the more to legal immigrants and temporary visa holders. Sadly, there is little compassion among political leaders on either side of the aisle for citizens victimized by the War on Wages.

One most outstanding exception is Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL). Commenting on the principles recently outlined by Republican leaders, which endorse amnesty and mass immigration, Sessions said:

This would be an extraordinary act of self-sabotage. Would it not be in the national interest to help move Americans off welfare and into good paying jobs that can support a family? Is there not an argument to be made that we should slow down [immigration] and allow wages to rise, assimilation to occur, and both immigrants and citizens rise together into the middle class?

Sessions’ principles are honorable and patriotic. If the War on Wages continues, the American Dream of a decent standard of living for most citizens will fade as we awaken to a reality of widespread economic distress and downward mobility.