Even the economy has taken a hammering. Saudi Arabia has 25 per cent of the world's oil reserves, but the average Saudi woman has six children, and state funds have not kept pace with the population boom. Incomes have fallen by about two-thirds since the Eighties, and unemployment is up to 30 per cent. Saudi women and children beg at traffic lights, a sight unthinkable just a few years ago. Meanwhile, more than 4,000 princes live lavishly at state expense, and millions of foreign "guest workers" from Asia, often treated like servants, keep the country running by taking the jobs Saudis are unable or unwilling to do. Foreigners make up a staggering 90 per cent of all employees in the private sector.
Hmmm...that sounds so familiar...a country of unimaginable resources where average incomes have fallen since the 1980s...where some people toil in abject poverty while 4000 families live lavishly, possessing wealth neither they nor their children nor their children's children could ever possibly need or spend...
And then there's that thing about the "guest workers", who do jobs Saudis are unable or unwilling to do. Those poor foreigners who are treated like servants. Where have I heard that "guest worker" thing before?
Oh, I know!
Bush administration officials outlined details of the proposal: -- Employers, working with existing workforce development boards or employment opportunity centers in local communities, would have to demonstrate their need for workers and prove that U.S. citizens won't take the jobs.
-- Illegal immigrants already in the United States and people still in their home countries would be matched with employers. Those in the United States illegally would have to pay an unspecified fee and prove they are employed.
-- Guest workers would be allowed to travel home and return. They could move families to the United States if they demonstrated that they could support them.
-- The matched workers would get "guest worker" cards allowing them to stay in the United States for three years. The cards would be renewable for three-year periods but not indefinitely. Guest workers would be required to return to their home country at the end of their stay.
Yeah, Bush has got a vision for America, all right. And it's a doozy. It comes right out of Riyadh and Kuwait City.
You didn't really think Prince George cared about all those Mexicans, did you? Did you?
Dude --- you always seem to say the stuff I want to say just more eloquently.
It frustrates the “crap” out of me that people in this country don’t give a damn about what is happening or are just ignorant lazy bastards who will believe anything there are spoon fed and that includes a whole lot of Texan sized bull crap. Thought I could voice my two cents this election but the Homeland security honcho seems to be trying to pull some crap – which I was a betting man and in Vegas I would bet my life savings on a 85% that they could actually pull off something as lame as terrorist threat during the elections. Cuz help me god if I saw a terrorist while I was voting. I would put multiple chads: hanging, pregnant ones all over his arse.
Later keep up the good work. We need to help promote your site some more.
Posted by: Jigme Chhimi | July 13, 2004 at 07:30 PM
"You didn't really think Prince George cared about all those Mexicans, did you? Did you?"
I did. He said brown people should be free and he's very concerned about hispanically owned stuff.
Posted by: dosali | July 13, 2004 at 08:01 PM
Well, thanks Jigme. But, what's really depressing is how many liberals have seriously embraced Bush's "guest worker" proposal. They, unbelievably look at this thing as if it is actually a humanitarian proposal to help illegal aliens.
And it's not.
It is exactly what I seem to be joking about. It's an attempt to bring an underclass of workers into the country, legally, to be the servants of the very rich, like they do in Kuwait, like they do in Saudi Arabia.
And liberals--all Americans--should be repulsed and disgusted by this idea.
Yeah, there are illegal aliens in this country. Yeah, they already do a lot of jobs that Americans don't want to do. And yeah, they face deportation and live in fear of that and are exploited because of it.
But, if you think legalizing a "sub American" class of workers is the answer for that, is in some way humanitarian, you're either Nick Kristof, or you're out of your mind.
This is the one of the most hideous, un-American proposals by a hideous, un-American administration.
It's a proposal to create a servant class for the American aristocracy. And that's it. Cheap, disposable, and the back breaker for American labor.
And once you've broken the back of American labor, hey, guess what? You won't even have to import people anymore to make them your servants.
You can just use the people you find here. The ones born in America.
Posted by: ricky | July 13, 2004 at 10:20 PM
Thanks for the perspective. I don't trust a damn thing that Bush does, but I didn't make the connection to Saudia Arabia and the like.
My first experience with someone who had a "guest worker" card was when they were dying of kidney failure in the hospital. They tried like hell to ship him back to El Salvador to die. They didn't get their way. We fought hard for him to get the rights that American workers would have automatically had in this situation. We won! But...I have no illusions.
Posted by: Michelle | July 13, 2004 at 11:34 PM
Wow. I agree with J, but then again, Ricky, you are nearly always eloquent. Living in San Diego (my apartment 20 miles N of Mexico) this 'guest worker' idea has been a hot debate. Thanks for helping me add a clearer angle to my arguement. Have any ideas as to how we can actually solve the problem though? And when are you running for president, anyway?
Posted by: anna | July 14, 2004 at 03:31 AM
Out of curiosity what are you guys and gals doing to ensure that Bush doesn’t make it to Part 2. You know how Part 2 to every movie sucks (except maybe Spiderman) and god we know how much Part 1 sucked I really don’t want to see Part 2 of GWB. Apart from the voting this coming election (that is if Mr. Ridge allows it) – do you guys participate in anything else – donation seems really out of the way maybe the smallest donation – got to save my money for the dang ridiculous gas prices we are paying in California. Aren’t we pumping barrels and barrels of crude oil?
Take Care. Y’all.
Posted by: Jigme Chhimi | July 14, 2004 at 12:44 PM
Florida is loaded with "guest workers." Maybe if Americans got some of the same bene's (free medical- no strings attached, etc.) they'd offer to do the jobs.
Posted by: Ellen | July 14, 2004 at 06:04 PM
Hey Jigme, As if all this bitching is not enough. Seriously, I signed up at moveon.org and last weekend went to a call party where we called people that aren't registered to vote and am following up with letters. I have gotten 5 people I personally know to register as Democrats and if I have to I will drive them to the polls Nov. 2nd. I actually carry voter registration cards with me, just in case it comes up. I hope to sign up at least 5 more before October. I also talk Republicans into staying home on election day. Really, it's not that hard. Bush has done most of the work for me.
Posted by: dosali | July 14, 2004 at 11:25 PM