Economic woes in US midwest - 18 March 2009

The economic downturn has been having devastating effects in many parts of the world and small US towns such as Postville, Iowa, are no exception.

Mike Kirsch reports from the midwestern town that is struggling to cope with the deportation of illegal workers and widespread job losses.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• aljazeera al jazeera
• Mike Kirsch
• Postville
• Iowa
• US
• economic crisis

[Rundstedt1]

I don't think the meat processing plant is open. The owner is putting up a difficult and ultimately loosing fight, but he is drawing it out and making it nasty. He is even trying to claim prejudice because he is Jewish and the plant produced kosher meats. I think the people of the town should march down to the plant and take it over, pay decent wages and run the business as a collective for the town. F* the owner.

[itubadelic]

It's really not confusing at all.....OBEY U.S. IMMIGRATION LAWS.

[Renegen1]

How can 400 illigal immigrants be the "lifeblood" the of the economy? This is bullshit. The lifeblood of any economy is a well paid middle class.

[Mobliz]

How ever sorry you may be for this small town, you cannot forget that this town (and factory) was expanded due to a use of of illegal immigrants. The blame is really on the community and the company who did not oppose the original decision to employ these workers. When you have a building built on a weak foundation, you cannot be surprised when it all comes crashing down.

[itubadelic]

The current illegal entry into the U.S, does not benefit our Country as did the immigration of our ancestors. There are no Henry Fords jumping the fences these days. The Fords and Einsteins, now stay home, or come legally, and often return to help their homeland. Those who enter illegally may come to believe that there is reward for breaking, what they believe is only an "inconvenient" law not meant for their circumstances, setting them up for a lifetime of reward through lawlessness.

[12235117657598502586]

Er....If the biggest employer in the town has purged all of the poor illegal immigrant workers...Surely there's now enough jobs for many of the legal workforce...

So I don't really understand why did the town's radio broadcaster said that "There aren't enough jobs to go around".

Is that because the legal workers won't work for the very little money that the Kosher factory was paying the illegal's...Or is it because the factory can't afford to pay a decent legal wage?

I'm confused?

[fredsisland]

Yea, but why pick on the guys at the bottom, 99% of damage to the economy is caused by the greedy at the top !

The war on drugs is also a total waste . Drugs are made illegal for the sole purpose of increasing the prices by 10.000 %, the profits going to fund violence anywhere they can start a war, so they can sell weapons and control that part of the world and plunder it.

The rulers of the world are vicious evil basturds.

[itubadelic]

Most of the weak, empty, and stupid illegal border-jumpers, who left their homeland when the going got tough there, have now escaped our recession, and fled back South. Seems the easy pickings are gone. Furthermore, people who abandon their homeland in rough times don't make good citizens anyway, and shouldn't be trusted to come here, all they really seek is the cream off the top...The illegal aliens turned out to be nothing more than opportunists......out to pillage our Great Country.

[itubadelic]

This jerk-off holy man should not have encouraged illegals to enter the U.S. He enables them to break the law, and helps to teach the same illegal craft to THEIR kids...The U.S. is not a watering-hole for anyone to drink from at anytime. A Country must control and limit immigration, to avoid disruptions like this one, when the faucet gets turned off, all are suffering now, and my kids had to leave an invaded-area to find jobs because the illegal imports parked their asses in jobs my sons needed.

[jak1428]

clinton wasn't any better.

[Rundstedt1]

The company has rules, if an employee breaks the rules they could be fired, and the tough decisions would be made as they are in all democratic societies. Look at what's been happening with employee take-overs in Argentina. - watch?v=T9ZkrXH0u4s

The failed companies that were taken over have been doing well over all. Under capitalism the private debt of the capitalist is shifted to the working public, while the capitalist captures the profit for himself. That is a drag on society overall.