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100%. In fact, this exact scenario is playing out in the cattle industry. Screwworm, a parasite that kills cattle in days is making a comeback. And we are less

100%. In fact, this exact scenario is playing out in the cattle industry. Screwworm, a parasite that kills cattle in days is making a comeback. And we are less prepared for it this time because previously (the 1950s-1970s) we had a lot more labor in the industry to manually check each head of cattle. Bloomberg even called it out specifically. Ranchers also said the screwworm would be much deadlier if it were to return, because of a lack of labor. “We can’t fight it like we did in the ’60s, we can’t go out and rope every head of cattle and put a smear on every open wound,” Schumann said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-05-02/deadly-screwworm-parasite-s-comeback-threatens-texas-cattle-us-beef-supply?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=copy https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-05-02/deadly-sc...

senordevnyc 1y ago
This sounds like the kind of labor problem that could quickly be solved by hiring more people. So really the worst case here is that beef will cost a little more for a little while. Hardly an existential threat.
- _heimdall 1y ago
  Who will they hire though? Cattle operations are often in very rural areas, and we are putting up huge blockers for immigrants and migrant workers.
  - chii 1y ago
    you're conflating a political issue with a problem having zero possible solutions. A stroke of the pen will fix any and all political issues, if/when the political desire comes about. Vs a problem with no solution - no pen will fix any of it, regardless of political will.
    - _heimdall 1y ago
      Its not just a problem needing a signature. We have the policies we have today because a lot of people want them, or at least agree with the general direction. If the right person signs a change that magically fixes a labor shortage in a rural area we're right back to where we were, and much of the public would be up in arms about it. (This doesn't actually reflect my opinion on immigration laws to be clear, just my view on where we are today in the US)
      - senordevnyc 1y ago
        If beef doubles or triples in price, the political incentives will change rapidly. I’m not saying this parasite isn’t a potential problem, but it’s not existential by any stretch. There are a thousand more intractable and consequential problems facing us right now.

senordevnyc 1y ago

This sounds like the kind of labor problem that could quickly be solved by hiring more people. So really the worst case here is that beef will cost a little more for a little while. Hardly an existential threat.

_heimdall 1y ago
Who will they hire though? Cattle operations are often in very rural areas, and we are putting up huge blockers for immigrants and migrant workers.
- chii 1y ago
  you're conflating a political issue with a problem having zero possible solutions. A stroke of the pen will fix any and all political issues, if/when the political desire comes about. Vs a problem with no solution - no pen will fix any of it, regardless of political will.
  - _heimdall 1y ago
    Its not just a problem needing a signature. We have the policies we have today because a lot of people want them, or at least agree with the general direction. If the right person signs a change that magically fixes a labor shortage in a rural area we're right back to where we were, and much of the public would be up in arms about it. (This doesn't actually reflect my opinion on immigration laws to be clear, just my view on where we are today in the US)
    - senordevnyc 1y ago
      If beef doubles or triples in price, the political incentives will change rapidly. I’m not saying this parasite isn’t a potential problem, but it’s not existential by any stretch. There are a thousand more intractable and consequential problems facing us right now.