The consequences of conservative attacks on “illegal” immigrants could soon show up at the grocery store. Farmers in fifteen Southern states are facing a severe shortage of workers and may be unable to pick their crops. Conservatives, however, aren’t changing their tune.
The problem, conservatives argue, is that farmers won’t pay a wage high enough to attract American workers. If farmers did so, there would be no labor shortage. While this argument seems plausible, it ignores two simple facts, one economic and one moral.
Economically, picking fruits and vegetables is not a highly skilled job. (In fact, I picked strawberries when I was a child, so I can vouch for the skills required.) Economically, it makes no sense for a farmer to pay more than a job is worth. Further, if Americans want to earn higher pay, then they should develop skills that are superior to those of illiterate Mexicans.
Morally, each individual has a right to act on his own judgment. The farmer has a right to offer whatever wage he deems appropriate to any individual he chooses, and that individual has a right to accept or reject that offer. Conservatives don’t see it that way. They believe that the farmer should not be free to contract with the individuals of his choosing, and instead, he should be forced to contract only with Americans.
For all their talk of free markets, conservatives often forget that the operative word is “free.” And freedom means the absence of government coercion.