Accused Human Trafficker/ Slave importer/ GOP Donor: "...doing business legally isn't worth it."

Six individuals involved with Global Horizons (including CEO Mordechai Orian, a major funder of Republicans in the last decade) were indicted September 2 in Honolulu on conspiracy and human trafficking charges. Regarding this indictment, FBI Special Agent Tom Simons said to the Washington Post

"In the old days, they used to keep slaves in their places with whips and chains. Today it's done with economic threats and intimidation."

The first level of intrigue, was already capably covered by kpete's post. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9067795 It shows that through August 2006 at least Mordechai Orian was a major contributor to Republican candidates and the party. DailyKos points out that apparently Orian had only a couple of those donations returned. (See DailyKos link at kpete's post, and see also Orian Contributions detailed at
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=CA&last=Orian&first=Mordechai )

The second level of intrigue - one I haven't seen so far in MSM coverage -- is finding out that in late 2006 and into 2007 Global Horizons sued a competitor and its alleged conspirators, alleging the use of illegal immigrant labor at illegal prices as unfair competition. See http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/ article_1250390.php It caused enough of a buzz to be the subject of a law review comment. http://law.campbell.edu/lawreview/articles/29-2-233.pdf

In connection with the small buzz this lawsuit created as a novel way to attack unfair labor practices, Orian made a number of statements that, if the indictment is true, are fairly damning:

1. Referring to his competitors' illegal labor practices with immigrants and his decision to sue: “You have a guy who wants to break the law, and when you call the government you run into a brick wall,” Orian says. “Enough is enough.” Fortune Small Business, February 2007, reprinted at http://cctiwdc.org/media/March-April07_CTB.pdf

and

2. "He’s an immigrant himself – he arrived from Israel in 1997 – and while he has yet to become an American citizen, he is the proud holder of a green card. His example, he says, proves that immigrants can be successful in business while staying on the right side of the law. “I’m not against anyone trying to make a better life,” he says. “But after doing it myself, it hurts to see people using shortcuts, and other people taking advantage.”" http://cctiwdc.org/media/March-April07_CTB.pdf

and

3. Global Horizons President Mordechai Orian said, “Competitors hiring illegal immigrants is hurting our business badly, . . . It’s to the point that doing business legally isn’t worth it.”

See footnote 35, at http://law.campbell.edu/lawreview/articles/29-2-233.pdf (quoting Workpermit.com link last checked in 2007 no longer active today)

Though these quotes are stunning today, back then they'd have a quite different effect: Although Global Horizons had labor violations of its own even at that point of the lawsuit they filed in 2006, a reasonable person would be led to think that Global Horizons, while far from perfect, was perhaps the best of the bunch in terms of contract "labor" suppliers for agriculture.

The third level of intrigue is in realizing that, if the indictment is true, it's NOT that Global Horizons decided "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" because the indictment for these abusive slave labor-style practices were for the time period of 2004 and 2005 -- BEFORE the 2006 lawsuit for "unfair competition" against a competitor.

One might think that the Republican contributions, which ended about August 2006 around about the time a couple were allegedly returned and also around about the time the unfair competition suit was filed, were before Global Horizons got into human trafficking. But that would be wrong.

And why were a couple contributions returned, and why does Orian seek tougher immigration laws?

The tougher immigration laws are the key to profitability and operation of modern slave traffickers, because the ability to take an immigrant "out o status" and thus facing deportation (such as by "losing" their papers) is the core leverage to abuse their labor, as is putting them into debt, both things Global Horizons is accused of.

Why the contributions were returned? This question deserves investigation. If it's because of known labor violations or trafficking, why did it take until 2010 to indict? Perhaps, instead, it's because of the novel lawsuit for unfair competition drawing too much attention to corporate agribusiness.

Looking past the apparent hypocrisy of the unfair competition lawsuit, if there's any truth at all behind the allegations of the defendants (who underpriced Global's operation), then this indictment, touted as the largest trafficking indictment in modern history, is really only the tip of the iceberg, and it's even possible that Orian's Global Horizons is the best of a really bad bunch.

What's most intriguing, in my opinion, is this: I'll bet that Mordechai Orian has not changed his anti-immigration views one bit. Having a legal H-2A visa track for workers is not going away, and beyond that THE MORE ILLEGAL we can make "illegal aliens" the more profitable his slave trade practices become.

Illegal aliens must live in constant fear of extortion about INS matters, and legal aliens have their foot on a banana peel on the path to illegal status, because any number of things can knock legal aliens into illegal status, like "losing" their passports or an "employer" "finding" an "irregularity" in their papers.

And, it's NOT THAT American's "won't do these jobs" -- like blueberry picking. I myself not only pick blueberries for my own account, I've worked on a farm and picked with what the owner called "the Mexicans." The wage was per bucket of berries picked. The Mexicans were more experienced and faster/better workers than I was. I suggested they complain after I found out I was being paid more for the same sized bucket of blueberries picked. They were not inclined to because the owner had given them each "some shares" in the business (I suspect the shares are worth less in cash than the difference between my rate of pay and theirs, over the course of a whole season). But anyway, I was invited to leave the blueberry farm within hours of that conversation, even though they were having trouble getting the crop in which is why "the Mexicans" (a curious name for co-owners) were brought in to begin with.

It's not that "Americans won't do these jobs," after all, I DID "THESE JOBS." It's that American CITIZENS can't be exploited as SLAVE LABOR as easily and THAT just won't do for "these jobs!"

The existing immigration laws are the foundation of a human trafficking empire - they are used as such. Stronger immigration laws, among other things, enhance the profitability of that human trafficking and keep the workers 'in their place.'

Witness Global Horizons and CEO Mordechai Orian, funding immigration toughness and Republican politicians, and at the same time engaging in human trafficking of INITIALLY legal guest workers.

Enforcing existing immigration laws? The slave masters are ALL for that.

Increasing immigration penalties? That makes them even more excited.

Doing business legally overall? Orian's statement: “Competitors hiring illegal immigrants is hurting our business badly, . . . It’s to the point that doing business legally isn’t worth it.”

I used to be such a Despiser one, too. ;-)

how can this still be happening?

Someone will always be ready to tell us what to do and/or even be a slave driver - if we let them. These are "managers" who think they REALLY know what's right (as many people do) but more importantly are very willing to enforce what's "right."

enslaving these workers via the intimidation along with tougher laws for immigrants. The second is asking/preparing one to produce papers. We will all have to prove who we are.

as a threat should he move to the left --

in which case, I've no doubt he'd be PROVEN to have been born elsewhere --

and probably 22 years old!

The "qualifications" for President are almost entirely in the minds of voters and who they want to delegate THEIR power to. The "constitutional' qualifications are essentially non-existent -- age and residence for Congress and "born" in the case of president? There are two kinds of citizens, {natural} born and "adopted" (natural-ized). Everyone knows Obama was never natural-ized, he didn't take citizenship classes, so he's a born citizen - a natural born citizen. Birthers try to create a third class that is NOT contemplated by the constitution. I agree this issue is waived at him but I disagree that it is an effective form of extortion or pressure.

But even more importantly, 6 people have been elected to Congress in "violation" of age requirements. Since the age was not kept secret so there's no fraud on teh voters, all 6 took office. Only one delayed taking office until old enough, famous Sen. Henry Clay is one of these. If the people are the ultimate legitimate source of power in this country, then they can elect who they please, as established by past precedents of actual practice. The Constitution should not be weaponized and used against the people in elections, it is only supposed to act to constrain the law-making function, not elections by the people.

I'm suggesting that if Obama should fail to sufficiently continue to turn

to the right -- TPTB -- the powers that be -- will ensure that there is a

birth certificate produced which will disqualify him.

The people have the power to elect whoever they want. A minority of people can't take an issue batted about in a campaign and apply it in the courts to second-guess the people's choice absence a fraud on the people (in the campaign).

I'm saying that the Tea Party "birther" issue is based on an assumption that's false, namely that the production of a birth certificate would have the effect that you ascribe to it. Therefore, it properly has no power to control Obama (or us) except the power we psychologically GRANT to it. I give it none because it has no merit, which is the subject of my earlier reply.

and couldn't possibly work because Obama is already elected -- ?

I'm saying to you that that the elites can put a "birther" issue in play and with

the hysteria of the T-baggers now in place -- think Clinton impeachment -- run Obama

out.

Keep in mind that neither one of us has actually seen the birth certificate --

and there is a tendency among TPTB to move people into power they can control --

usually by blackmail.

There's nothing to be afraid of, in other words, unless we choose to accept their premise that a birth certificate really really matters. In addition to what I said before about the lack of any basis to believe that qualifications clause claims for President or Congress can be effective AFTER election AND taking office WHEN the public debated and knew about the issue at some level, that birth certificate mania just reinforces a frame whereby it's really important for everyone to have "papers" -- a next step down the road of un-freedom.

Sure they can file impeachment on anything if they can get somebody to sign on, but don't you think it's an important difference to see impeachment based on a colorable claim (one you ASSUME exists) versus impeachment on some fantasy based on a misunderstanding of the constitution (what actually exists)?

They're be no attempted impeachment?

:rofl:

rather watch an endless series of vampire nonsense, than learn how many real-life horror stories are perpetrated by rich Americans. Rich Brits, too, but on a less insanely riotous scale.

The expansion of H-@A temporary agricultural workers was touted as immigration reform. (makes the slavery and abuse possible and, in significant cases, apparently "legal")

!!!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/la-firm-at-center-of-huge-human-smuggling-case.html#comments

I just thought I'd give you first chance to clean house so I don't have to go out there and help. It's a pride thing, I'm happy to help but want you left coasters to have first chance! :)

:thumbsup:

A letter to the editor of corpwatch in 2007 starts out:

"The H-2A agricultural worker program is the most protective and regulated employment program in the United States, and perhaps the world." http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14462

And still they managed to be accused of slavery and get away with that from 2004/2005 to the present day indictment!

Global Horizons also calls regulatory enforcement of protections for H-2A workers a "form of exploitation" by the government! They go on to claim that every complaint is handled very seriously and completely, etc. etc. :puke:

from corpwatch dot org/img/original/MigrantWorkers.jpg

Another quote from a corpwatch article on Global Horizons:

"Legal status does not guarantee fair treatment, and some {legal} guest workers endure worse conditions with less recourse than their undocumented counterparts. The H-2A program makes them fully dependent on the employer who recruited them and paid for their transport to the U.S. If they quit or are fired, they must leave the U.S. and if they do not, they are considered undocumented and subject to deportation." http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14216

This, of course, is why they try to tie up the foreign guest workers in debt so that getting fired is a nightmare because of "breach of contract" claims and/or requirement to pay back loans... Then they are under the thumb of the employer who has a monopoly on their labor, and are legal temporary immigrants only for so long as the employer is totally satisfied with their servitude in any way they wish to be satisfied.

a picture is indeed worth a thousand words!


@thread K&R

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9072157&mesg_id=9074892

and that the right wing and violence are mirror images of one another --

Given free reign they will attempt to enslave all of us -- and that includes

sexual slavery. That's always been true.

However -- this is always about violence -- it's the only way the right wing can take over.

And, it's been right wing violence -- brazenly on display -- over the past 50+ years which

has brought us to where we are now.



Not saying there was no rw violence before that --

The level of evil, greed and cruelty is beyond overwhelming. May their greedy souls live in a place of unending pain for eternity.

"eternal damnation" theory, the problem is in our physical world. Watching (instead of acting against) these human rights and labor violations is unconscionable.
Yet, we all do it. We have allowed NAFTA and al of the other "Free Trade" acts destroy our jobs and manufacturing base, while the wealthy profit hugely, off of slave labor in our own and other countries. I understand that this OP is about the imported labor and their slave status also.
This is why (at least one of many reasons why) we need real progressive leadership.
Our country has become synonymous with cruel "capital pigs" that destroy our world.
The media and politicians (and yes even entertainers who "have made it" and will tell the audience that America is the best country in the world", because, they came from "rags to riches") propagate this B.S., instead of telling "the truth."
None of this will change until we can take the money out of politics. Considering that 44% of our Congress are millionaires, should be a "wake-up" call to voters of every ideology, unless you are wealthy, you are not being represented.

People get it.

"eternal damnation" theory, the problem is in our physical world. Watching (instead of acting against) these human rights and labor violations is unconscionable.
Yet, we all do it. We have allowed NAFTA and al of the other "Free Trade" acts destroy our jobs and manufacturing base, while the wealthy profit hugely, off of slave labor in our own and other countries. I understand that this OP is about the imported labor and their slave status also.
This is why (at least one of many reasons why) we need real progressive leadership.
Our country has become synonymous with cruel "capital pigs" that destroy our world.
The media and politicians (and yes even entertainers who "have made it" and will tell the audience that America is the best country in the world", because, they came from "rags to riches") propagate this B.S., instead of telling "the truth."
None of this will change until we can take the money out of politics. Considering that 44% of our Congress are millionaires, should be a "wake-up" call to voters of every ideology, unless you are wealthy, you are not being represented.

nt

Thank you for this. Definitely recommended.

This is the type of OP that represents the best of DU's best potential.

you nailed it

:(

Thanks for that quote suffragette.

so it helps to have it in my sig line.
:)
I don't think I'm familiar with yours. Context?