Where is the Passion?
Where is the Passion?
Date: Monday, May 01, 2006 2:53 PM
JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
May 01, 2006 No. 1467
In a recent newsletter titled "H-1Bs go to K Street", I asked the following
question:
WHY AFTER 16 YEARS OF H-1B HAVE AMERICAN WORKERS FAILED
TO ORGANIZE THEMSELVES TO FIGHT FOR THEIR JOBS?
Why do citizens of the United States lack the passion we
are seeing from foreign nationals that are here both
legally and illegally?
In view of the large protests by immigrants today, I thought it might be
fitting to reprint some of these thought provoking ideas that I received.
The opinions expressed below are those of the writers and don't necessarily
represent the views of myself or ZaZona.com.
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You did not define "passion" so I will right here.
(1) There is a PASSION FOR A PROFESSION.....
(2)...and then there is a PASSION FOR A POLITICAL SITUATION.
(1) PASSION FOR A PROFESSION
US citizens do indeed have a PASSION FOR THEIR PROFESSIONS.
They continually upgrade their skills and work long hours at accomplishing
the individual and overall goals of each project. And most feel a personal
responsibility for their part and the entire project as part of a team.
US citizens in fact have so much passion for the goals that they freely and
early-on tell their project or program managers if a specific goal is
unrealistic in timing and in the planned execution. A version of "you
cant build a 2nd floor on a building if you did not provide for that
additional carrying load when you built the 1st floor" but in high tech
style. Some goals are admirable but not executable in a specific design,
which means they require limited redesign.
This is very different from the foreign born, both legal and illegal, who
work in high tech, as they do not see the job the same way. They do exactly
as they are told and feel responsibility ONLY for their individual area of
a project and no responsibility for the entire project.
The foreign born have a passion for learning and KEEPING the job, not a
specific project. Their culture has taught them to keep quiet even when
they know, or have been told, that the design will not work. Their thinking
is that the longer they keep the job then the longer they are paid. They
culture tells them that if they personally are not in charge then they
should keep quiet.
(2) PASSION FOR A POLITICAL SITUATION
US citizens are at an extreme disadvantage here.
I will compare this to two fighters. One has been trained with the
Queens rules of fairness and the other was trained in the rules of back
streets where a loss of a fight usually meant loss of life. The US worker
uses the Queens rules and the foreign born uses street methods.
US citizens evolve in business conditions that do NOT allow for
discrimination nor racial favoritism.
Foreign born evolve in business conditions that do allow and encourage
blatant discrimination and racism as that is normal in their countries.
[I personally know of a foreign born manager working for an American
company who tried to put out a job requirement for programmers that they
must be Muslims and speak Farsi. The headhunter company told him that was
not legal. So he got around it by telling them to just send him all the
resumes. He then proceeded to call those who had the "right" sounding names
and accomplished his goal !!! They see this as the smart way to do
business. ]
US citizens do NOT truly believe that their own President and elected
officials are their most dangerous enemies, which they clearly are.
Foreign born KNOW that their government will lobby the US officials, and
bribe them, to give advantages to them. Their government wants that
knowledge and those dollars flowing back into their country. So a few
million used as bribes is cheap when billions flow back into their
economies.
US citizens have been conditioned over time to not think well of unions and
in some right-to-work states they have NO power at all. High tech citizens
have been even more conditioned to not believe in unions. US citizens also
believe that our constitution and fair methods will save us, even when it
has become clear that our elected ones do not care about that same
constitution. They are far more interested in the money they get from
foreign sources and from American business interests. US citizens are
simply unaware of the extreme lack of any kind of patriotism in the current
President, Senate, and most of the House.
Foreign born have clear evidence that their country and leaders WILL do
everything possible to keep their workers in the US sending money back
home, and when they return, bringing valuable expertise back with them.
by Sandra Beene
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The answer to that is the same answer that keeps about 5% of the population
politically aware/active. We have been fat and happy so long, we let our
government mutate into some grotesque caricature of what our founders
intended. Until people are thrown out of work, they have no more rights,
they are tossed into the ditches to die, there will be no change.
My opinion, of course.
Allan
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I think it is a control issue. Citizens just don't feel that anything
matters. And you can understand this.
There is now a network that has been developed where contractors get a
bounty for placing undocumented
workers. But more than this, family is strong and matters in these
cultures. Ask yourselves, who in your own immediate family (siblings,
cousins, aunts, uncles) can you count on when the chips are down? I can
count only two. And I'm not even sure of them
It didn't used to be like this when my grandparents first came to this
country. Help was available.My grandmother had a place to stay and food in
her stomach when she came from Russia. But now the second generation became
too complacent. The answer is not to apply for food stamps or SSDI or
welfare- how you respond to helping members of your own family in need
speaks much about your own attitude.
Look in the mirror and you may not like what you see.
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First, thank you for the Job Destruction Newsletter. I especially like
your references and citations; this is a key factor in differentiating the
truth from all the misinformation and disinformation that circulates on the
Internet. Please keep up the good work! :-)
I think there are many factors why United States citizens are not
politically active. The ones that come to mind are:
1. We're a bunch of working fools. It's hard to protest when you spend all
or most of your waking hours on an ever-increasing treadmill chasing the
"The American Dream".
2. Troublemakers get squashed. The Challenger whistle-blowers all lost
their careers. Protestors have met with tear gas, water cannons, and rubber
bullets. Government agencies regularly spy on citizens without a court
order. Suspected "terrorists" are locked up without any rights. If you
turn on the television at any given time, day or night, there's a good
chance you can watch police chase down, beat up, and arrest "bad boys".
3. Our political process is broken. Corporations donate hundreds of
millions of dollars to political campaigns, duopoly politicians smear each
other back and forth, the independents and third parties refuse to
compromise and form a coalition, and the voters are faced with a "lesser of
two evils" choice.
4. We have become our own worst enemy. Congress has abdicated its
authority and responsibility to declare war and to impeach warmonger
presidents. We've injured or killed hundreds of thousands(millions?) of
men, women, and children in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, plus
thousands of U.S. and other military personnel. Now Bush is looking for his
next victims. It's no surprise that the rest of the world hates and fears
us; we are the biggest terrorists on the planet. I am ashamed of my
government, and appalled by the evil it does and continues to do in my
name.
All of the above lead to a culture of "shut up, do as you're told; or
else". A choice for political activism could lead to civic, economic, or
personal injury, disability, or death.
David Christensen
Tracy, California
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We are so used to putting our blind faith in our elected officials that we
have become complacent to just let things run it's course and hope for the
best. I guess we have been conditioned to be too responsible to not miss
work or school to attend any gatherings. Maybe we are too worried that the
PC crowd will jump all over us for actually voicing an opinion that isn't
in their agenda.
Carl Martin
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Why do citizens of the United States lack the [com]passion we are seeing
from foreign nationals that are here both legally and illegally?
Rob, that's not too hard: The issues surrounding immigration affect foreign
nationals in the US both legally and illegally tremendously. Being allowed
to stay and work in the US can be the difference in their living a decent
life or not or at least in their children's being able to do so. Most US
citizens do not perceive themselves to be dramatically affected by the
issues surrounding immigration even when they are. I would be willing to
bet that most people who write you have had first-hand experiences with the
downside of immigration, such as being replaced by an H-1B.
Plus even in areas where it is impossible for people to ignore the dire
effects of massive amounts of immigration - legal and illegal - many people
have been so intimidated by charges of ignorance, xenophobia, and racism
that they are afraid to speak out. Who wants to be called an ignorant
xenophobe or a racist? And, you'll have to agree it's the first item
trotted out by the "amnesty-and-open borders" crowd.
Another point is that the MSM is very pro-amnesty and open borders. It is
extremely difficult to get any other opinion treated fairly in the MSM.
Consequently a large number of people are not even aware of problems
regarding immigration and how it affects them. That's the plan. I have even
read or heard that when you consider the great benefits that amnesty and
expanded visas would provide to illegal and future immigrants and their
families, the cost to US workers is not that high as if somehow or the
other we in the US owe these people.
For an example of MSM neglect, have you ever read an article that discussed
the totalization agreement signed by Bush and Fox but not yet presented to
Congress? I am an avid reader of newspapers and magazines and I have never
seen it mentioned in the MSM, and yet it will drastically affect a subject
near and dear to US citizens' hearts, especially if they are over 50: their
Social Security benefits. What it does is to allow Mexican immigrants -
even illegal immigrants - who have paid social security taxes to make
claims on the SS fund even if they are living in Mexico. They will qualify
after a much shorter time than US citizens do and will be able to claim
money paid under fraudulent SS#'s. As we both know, this will open claims
up to an enormous amount of fraud. People can work a relatively short time,
pad it out with fraudulent documents, and go home to Mexico with a claim to
SS benefits.
How much will this cost? We have no idea and won't until after it is passed
because we don't know who or how many will qualify - now and in the future.
But we do know that lower income workers tend to make out better under SS
than higher income workers, and most Mexican workers will be lower income.
The claims could go into the billions especially if we open up a huge
guest-worker program like the ones being discussed now.
How can we guarantee that it will not be raided by false claims, such as
the family of a person collecting benefits long after that person dies or
a young healthy person claiming disability and collecting for years while
working in Mexico? We probably can't. They are living in Mexico and Mexico
doesn't have any reason to help us cut off funds flowing to its citizens
from the US government.
When will it be passed? My guess is only after a major amnesty law has been
passed. Then Bush can present it to Congress and unless one or the other
houses of Congress actually rejects it, it becomes law. In short, the US
public will likely not even be made aware of a situation that could drain
billions from the SS fund.
Remember the outcry when Bush proposed allowing private savings accounts
with part of the SS payments? Is this totalization agreement something you
think the US public might care about? Not if they don't know about it.
Deena Flinchum
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Rob, I don't think U.S. workers lack passion. They are discouraged and feel
powerless because, even when they spend hours writing and calling their
Representatives and Senators, they do not listen. But I can only speak for
myself here. I, personally, feel like I am beating my head against a brick
wall. After months of writing to Senator Domenici, I have received the
exact same response letter from him eight times. In his response he tries
to convince me that guestworker programs, etc. are NOT amnesty and he is
pursuing a fair program for all (meaning foreign workers and illegals no
doubt). Blah, blah, blah.
In spite of the fact that he has served in the Senate for about 30 years
and, apparently, has some power, he has done absolutely nothing to keep New
Mexico from steadily declining into wide-spread poverty and despair. The
middle class has all but disappeared in this state.
On a brighter note, and God knows we all need one today, I thought you
would be interested in reading this article I found in the Las Cruces, NM
paper this morning.
http://www.lcsun-news.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/NEWS01/604270322
Brenda (New Mexico)
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Most American workers are "Sheeple" and thus complacent about immigration
issues until it DIRECTLY affects their employment, i.e., when their company
announces that they will soon be replaced by H-1B workers and are asked to
train their replacements...
I don't know who made up this saying but this is what I always say and I
think it sums up the attitude of the people described above:
"If you lose YOUR job, it is a Recession. If I lose MY job, it is a
Depression!"
Regards,
Steve
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Let's see:
1. American 'Liberals' only care about those whose lifestyle choices and
behaviors made them 'victims' i.e. poor criminals who commit violent crimes
related to drugs and alcohol...or welfare mothers who 'need' cash
payments...for some reason people who play by the rules and try to succeed
aren't liberals' friends...
2. American 'conservatives' only care about THEMSELVES. Others people can
go
to hell as far as they are concerned. This is especially true for those who
espouse literal 'religions' of emotion without research and thought.
3. Other Americans are stuck in a 'multicultural' invaded lifestyle and
can't feel a sense of community anymore. Where did the shared values and
'help my neighbor' philosophy go? Perhaps too many unassimilated
expatriates
have crammed their 'culture' down our throats for too long and regular
Americans have retreated into the imaginary world of TV and hate radio?
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1. American 'Liberals' only care about those whose lifestyle choices and
behaviors made them 'victims' i.e. poor criminals who commit violent crimes
related to drugs and alcohol...or welfare mothers who 'need' cash
payments...for some reason people who play by the rules and try to succeed
aren't liberals' friends...
2. American 'conservatives' only care about THEMSELVES. Others people can
go to hell as far as they are concerned. This is especially true for those
who espouse literal 'religions' of emotion without research and thought.
3. Other Americans are stuck in a 'multicultural' invaded lifestyle and
can't feel a sense of community anymore. Where did the shared values and
'help my neighbor' philosophy go? Perhaps too many unassimilated
expatriates have crammed their 'culture' down our throats for too long and
regular
Americans have retreated into the imaginary world of TV and hate radio?
Valerie A. Chau
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The reason that foreigners work harder and are more aggressive is because
of the following reasons:
1) They KNOW what starving is all about. Americans born after the
depression dont know what starving is. So they dont have the FIGHT in them
to get ahead.
2) Those Americans that DO KNOW are constantly BEAT down by their own gov't
and the neo intellectuals that make white people feel guilty about
everything that has gone bad for other races.
3) Americans are IGNORANT and GREEDY... so of course they WONT have the
TIME to commit to ORGANIZED efforts... they would rather watch TV.
slaveboy -o-o-o-
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Because, Rob, after decades of Social Marxist propaganda via the mainstream
media, Americans have been thoroughly deracinated from any sense of
nationhood. We are taught to think that the U.S. is merely a territory of
land, rather than a distinct nation with a distinct crop of people, whose
ancestors built something where there was once virtually nothing. We were
unchained from the oppression of plutocracy, but alas we're no better than
we once were in distant lands as the kings have merely been supplanted in
our social structure with transnational corporatists. The "American"
archetype is an almost extinct species; hence America the nation has been
replaced with America the coporation, and not really anybody to feel
compassion for as we cannot even define who exactly we are these days.
You may quote me on that sir.
James Trapp,
Los Angeles, CA
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1. Stupidity.
2. Brainwashed (anything business wants is good)
3. Weariness ("useless to oppose trends")
4. Lack of social/labour tradition.
I'd say, "Too busy struggling to survive," but that would apply to H1b's as
well as to Americans.
Eric
www.ZaZona.com
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