[merrylander]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

I think it would have changed from the agricultural base, due to the rise of mechanization and technology. However, slaves could have been employed during the industrial revolution to fill unskilled and low skilled positions well into the 20th century. And "domestic help", is something that will never go away so long as there are people who can afford it. Consider the fact that the cheaper it is, the more demand there would be. In the manufacturing sector, (Call me crazy, but....), pressure from international competition is definitely driving the push to suppress wages, roll back work rules, squeeze more productivity from workers and deregulate the workplace. In fact, we have lost a tremendous amount of industry over the last few decades in places where people attempted to counter the tide.

If left unchecked, where do you suppose that road might lead?

Dave

The simple answer is screw the WTO and impose tariffs.