The Left Is No Friend of the Working Man, But President Trump Is
I have never been fond of the term “working man.” After all, surgeons and hedge fund managers have difficult and stressful jobs, but I don’t think they are considered part of the group. Nevertheless, I will use the term here as it is traditionally used.
Let us think about the line cook, the janitor, the maid and the gardener. Also, add entry-level tradespeople. All of these jobs require above average exertion and some thought to pull them off well.
Another thing they have in common is they generally don’t pay high wages. The reason is simply the supply of labor available for these types of jobs is fairly high relative to the demand for them.
The last thing you want to see if you are a member of this group is a flood of similarly skilled illegal arrivals. This is not a profound observation, but it must be lost on the so-called protectors of the working class.
The popular meme is that Chamber of Commerce Republicans do not rack with worry over low wage earners, but you’d expect at least lip service from their liberal champions. Not the case.
The Democrats have written off this demographic just as they wrote off white-skinned, blue-collared voters in 2016.
The new Democratic calculus is a wholesale welcome to the desperate souls fleeing socialism so that a new socialist Utopia can be established here.
Those already here whose wages will be affected by the influx will be cynically cast to the winds of social services. Doubly cynical is the throwing over of constituents in favor of invaders.
Listening to local talk radio in my border state is enlightening. Latino callers tend to be hawkish on the subject of illegal immigration. Illegals are viewed as uninvited, illegitimate competition.
The elites believe there is a tie between those here legally and the gate crashers due to some common heritage, but that isn’t the case.
Many on the low end of the pay scale view illegals as those taking food from their plates. Their standards of living are closer to those of the illegals than to furloughed federal employees.
Liberals can console themselves by believing the displaced can be handled by the welfare Leviathan. This dismisses the pride of self-reliance experienced by earning one’s own way, even if only living modestly.
But the left prefers an electorate beholden to them and this is why non-citizens now rule the day.
But Donald Trump is the actual friend of the working man. The job creation that has taken place during this administration is phenomenal and the president’s fight for orderly immigration will serve to move the labor supply curve, thus increasing wages.
This is preferable to minimum wage legislation that artificially inflates the cost of labor with no market inputs causing decreasing employment.
Low wage earners will not be sacrificed on the altar of soul-sucking government dependence, but will rather enjoy the satisfaction of a growing paycheck in a nation that controls its borders.
Dennis Salazar is a former traveling salesman. In his travels of the Southwest, he heard many stories and met many storytellers.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
