To participate in H-1B or not, that is the question. As is well known, and well known by Democrats, there is currently an immigration battle going on among Republicans. The debate, pitting the forces of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy against those of anti-immigrant Laura Loomer and political strategist Steve Bannon, is a major challenge to attract foreign tech workers to the United States. The issue arouses deep passions as it revolves around H-1B visas, which are used to attract Americans. And for good reason. Mr. Musk himself came to the United States on an H-1B and declared that we need to bring new talent to the United States to maintain our nation's advantage. His opponents counter that the program is actually being used to replace American-born employees with foreigners who work for less. This is often the case too.
It's also true that H-1B doesn't just keep Americans out of work, but it's the most important issue yet rarely discussed. It also separates America from Americanism. That's something Musk, Ramaswamy, and most conservatives are missing. (More on this later.)
But this battle also separates the MAGA forces from each other. There is also some disappointment as President-elect Donald Trump recently expressed support for the H-1B program. Therefore, we need perspective, or truth.
passionate objectivity
To provide some context and perspective, commentator Lee Alexander wrote last year (i.e. Monday!):
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire skilled foreign workers in specialized fields. The 1990 Immigration Act split H-1 visas into H-1A (for nurses) and H-1B. The law limited the issuance of H-1B visas to 65,000 each fiscal year and required employers to submit so-called labor condition applications.
So what does that have to do with President Trump's promise to identify and deport illegal aliens? there is nothing.
What does that have to do with confusing and dividing those who support the next government? all.
There is literally nothing in common between H-1B program participants and illegal aliens, other than the fact that they are from a foreign country.
In fact, both groups have other things in common. Both pose a certain danger to the United States (more on this later). Nevertheless, Alexander says that now is the time to “think calmly”, and that is more or less correct. To be precise, passionate objectivity is even better.
Don't cut off your friend's head just because it gives you a headache
Both Mr. Musk and Mr. Loomer have made rude comments while honking their horns. Mr. Musk has since softened his position and tone, which is wise. As you ponder this process, please also keep in mind that I come from a place where I believe all immigration should be abolished.
Now, understand that Mr. Trump won an election that was “too big to rig” only because of what some would call a “political realignment.” He has greatly expanded and diversified the Republican tent, attracting moderates, independents, and disaffected Democrats (Musk is one of the latter). This means there will be more disagreement than ever within the MAGA movement. And when they occur, we must passionately fight for the truth, remembering and applying certain important principles.
First, as Otto von Bismarck said, politics is the “art of the possible.” Many things would be different if you or I were king, but we are not. We have to build consensus to get things done in a constitutional republic. And when resolving disputes, one should keep in mind the old Chinese proverb: “Never use a machete to remove a fly from a friend's forehead.”
Now, immigrants aren't exactly flies. But consider Mr. Musk. he is a friend He certainly seems to care about America, and Trump probably wouldn't have won the election without him. His Twitter takeover has infiltrated the GoogTwitFace phalanx, and his X forum and overall support has become invaluable.
The key is not to let the enemy within, whether it's Musk or someone else, mount an effective divide-and-conquer strategy. We must fight passionately, but cleanly, and with honor for what is right. And we need to continue to be friends with our allies.
H-1B is a problem
That being said, there are problems with the H-1B visa program. Contrary to claims, it's not just about filling positions that Americans can't or don't want to fill. Companies like AT&T and Disney also use the system to replace qualified Americans with foreigners willing to work for lower wages. New American has exposed this repeatedly here , here , and here . Commentator Tucker Carlson also reports on H-1B abuse, including in the two segments below.
Oh, there's also a kicker and salt in the wound.
Americans are sometimes forced to train foreign replacement employees under threat of losing their retirement benefits.
deeper issues
But as bad as this is, there is an even deeper problem. In other words, the H-1B visa debate (and the immigration debate in general, for the most part) centers on the economic impact of newcomers. Is it an economic benefit or a burden?It is overlooked that nations, like humans, cannot survive on bread alone.
I covered this in 2023’s “Hidden Marxism: Treating Immigrants Like Robots” and wrote:
Do the work skills and ethics that newcomers bring define them? Are those attributes the most important things they bring to our shores? No, because they are not robots and are not actually just cogs in the economy. Rather, the most important thing they bring to the table is their beliefs.
To further illustrate the folly of the economic existence approach, let's apply this criterion to our actual family rather than our national family (as it should be). When you consider bringing an outsider into your home, do you only consider economics? Does it only matter that he contributes an extra $800 to the household budget each month? Or does it matter how much he contributes to the household budget? For example, do you first think about what kind of influence he will have on your children?
Of course, the same applies to national families. Absorbing 10 million Islamic Jihadists or 10 million Nazis over time will have some degree of political and social influence, regardless of their low or high skill. In any case, their skills at “being American” will be fatally low.
Not just theory
As an example, consider that Indians receive a huge number of H-1B visas. I hear that this will make us economically wealthy. Of course, Indians are not Nazis or jihadists, but they are also prominently left-wing.
In fact, 90 percent of Indian Americans supported Barack Obama. They also voted for Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris by wide margins.
Of course, one remedy that both the Musk and Loomer camps would be happy with is that recruits would have to return to their home countries after five years, with the ironclad condition that citizenship would never be an option, allowing them to enter the workforce. It only provides visas.
To sum up the real problem with H-1B: It not only imports high-tech workers, it also imports poorly informed future voters.
