Profit or Pollution?

When corporations say they could reduce pollution but that that would mean higher prices for us, they are really saying that their pollution is OUR fault.  They are saying that we would rather have their pollution, get poisoned from it, get sick, and pay higher medical bills than to pay higher prices for the items they sell us.  Also, corporations are not expected to “discover” that their products are harmful to their customers, and other people who breathe and drink that pollution.  In fact, we expect the corporations to hide what they DO know and then deny their knowledge of it when caught. This translates into another cost of government.

And there is another cost that we all bear when corporate entities declare profit by refusing to pay the real costs of production.  This refers to the “problem” of  “illegal immigrants”.   Almost all of these people who came north into the American southwest seeking jobs got jobs.  They were hired mostly by rich farmers and commercial corporations involved in factory farming, canning, meat processing and so on.  

These corporations said that Americans wouldn’t work for “those wages”, implying that “those wages” had been set by supply and demand (you know, Free Enterprise?), so they HAD to hire these illegals.  By not paying wages that would attract American workers, these corporations were not only able to reduce the costs of their products AND increase their profits but also to shift their labor force “overseas” without actually GOING anywhere.  Also,  it has been pointed out that illegals were more inclined to work under dangerous conditions than American workers would, and if they were injured or became sick they either kept on working or took care of each other, or they just went back across the border and disappeared.  Less worry for the corporations, less “complications”, less cost of production, more profit.

And now suddenly,  we have discovered an "illegal immigrant" problem, and a "serious problem on our southern border" requiring a vast military expenditure.  

Capitalism: Servant or Master?

By John Womack

eBook (ePub): $3.99

Download immediately.

For more information see page 72.