While I wholeheartedly applaud Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau’s and labor advocates’ proposal to overhaul the unemployment system in order to address the crisis caused by the pandemic, I reject the dangerous premise that “the blame lies with an international company,” to quote a reporter’s paraphrase of Fecteau.

This, and Fecteau’s references that the system is “speaking a foreign language,” perpetuate xenophobia that obscures the history of then-Gov. Paul LePage’s decision to work with this company in order to save the state money – to profit off overseas labor to reduce costs in Maine.

Since FDR first launched unemployment insurance, there has been a public fight by Republicans and austerity politics to gut it, and I applaud Fecteau’s fighting back.

That said, he can advocate reform without scapegoating the India-based company for these deep institutional failures. Don’t blame a business for taking a contract. Instead, look at the intentions of those who sought them out.

In the age of mounting anti-Asian rhetoric and racist attacks, comments like these stoke the fire. We can have a conversation about the merits of government contracts without it. Do not sow division between unemployed workers in Maine and workers in India. The issue is not a foreign one. In fact, they have more in common with each other than with any politician who would create a system that would leave so many desperate and wanting.

Exploitation of labor of the poor by the wealthy is a global issue – to point fingers at India redirects from the tyrants in our own backyard.

Arlo Hennessey
Gray

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