tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13869903.post3043672242897709397..comments2024-03-28T04:15:44.459-05:00Comments on nanoscale views: A nation of immigrantsDouglas Natelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13340091255404229559noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13869903.post-46743240464438247722020-06-25T20:28:46.185-05:002020-06-25T20:28:46.185-05:00Henry, I think it greatly overestimates the cohere...Henry, I think it greatly overestimates the coherence of US policy and policymakers, and of universities, to argue that there was some deliberate plan to lower or depress wages for technically skilled workers in the US. Bear in mind that nearly ALL wages in the US have failed to keep up with the earnings growth of the top of the wealth spectrum. Sure, if the average salary of a US technical PhD was $1M per year, more Americans would try to get doctorates in technical fields than now, but that doesn’t mean that the primary cause for international scientists and engineers studying in the US is the level of compensation to US degree holders.<br /><br /> The US has been viewed, rightly, as a place to get top flight education, training, and access to state of the art facilities and resources. The US has historically been more prosperous, with more perceived opportunities for advancement in society and rewards for entrepreneurship than many other countries. The nation has benefited greatly from both the flux of skilled people through the country temporarily and the net accumulation of some of those immigrants here - they have produced many companies, much innovation, and great economic value. I worry that we are doing damage to this, in ways that will hurt all of us for many years afterward. <br /><br />Douglas Natelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340091255404229559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13869903.post-64509891381760079072020-06-25T16:58:30.485-05:002020-06-25T16:58:30.485-05:00https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2020/06/24/bo...https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2020/06/24/boston-university-gives-student-workers-a-choice-come-back-to-campus-or-lose-your-health-insurance-and-salary<br /><br />The worst thing about USA is its capitalist culture. Why cannot it learn from France or Italy for providing quality healthcare at affordable rates. Strange!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13869903.post-84082790328200661362020-06-25T11:10:11.153-05:002020-06-25T11:10:11.153-05:00Henry, thanks for your comment. Given how the wor...Henry, thanks for your comment. Given how the world is getting increasingly globalized and Americans are facing global competition, we will need to lower prevailing wages for scientists and engineers in the US to prevent outsourcing to other countries. As an American engineer with a PhD, I am fully aware of the fact that there are engineers of the same caliber in China and India who can get the job done for a third of the price. Therefore, if we cut off H1Bs and stop foreign students from getting Green Cards, we will just inevitably send more work overseas, where it can be done with the same or better quality at much lower costs. To give you an example, TSMC, the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer, is in the lead in technology over Intel, even though TSMC pays its Taiwanese engineers a lot less than what Intel pays its American engineers. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13869903.post-57963935207563524572020-06-25T07:23:39.036-05:002020-06-25T07:23:39.036-05:00What do you think about Eric Weinstein's paper...What do you think about Eric Weinstein's paper about how an artificial labour shortage was created to exploit and underpay the scientific community?<br /><br />You can find the paper here: https://www.ineteconomics.org/uploads/papers/Weinstein-GUI_NSF_SG_Complete_INET.pdfHenry Axthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10999398123529507614noreply@blogger.com