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I'm surprised Sergey Brin's involvement in the no-hire collusion wasn't more deeply harmful to his reputation. I tend to agree with the protesters here, but I
by geebee 10y ago
I'm surprised Sergey Brin's involvement in the no-hire collusion wasn't more deeply harmful to his reputation.
I tend to agree with the protesters here, but I absolutely agree with you that there isn't much downside for Brin in taking this stand.
I actually think that tech titans like Zuckerberg and Brin may be in a role similar to Hollywood stars in politics, but maybe even worse. Truth is, the H1B visa isn't really a visa that "allows" foreign workers to come to the US, it's a visa that allows corporate HR departments, largely in high tech, to decide who is and isn't allowed to come to the US - and the conditions under which they are allowed to stay. It's a remarkable power, an unacceptable one in my opinion. Although I'd be opposed to this kind of corporate control over the immigration system in general, I think that google showed itself very specifically unworthy of this power through its involvement in the no-poach collusion. But again, this is what I've come to expect - in fact, I'd say it's very naive to believe that handing corporations control over a big wing of th immigration system wouldn't lead to corporate mischief and an erosion of basic human rights for the workers whose lives they control.
If google, Zuckerberg, and so forth lobbied fiercely for greater freedom for immigrants - freedom to choose what they study, what companies they work for (if any), freedom to move... really, just basic human freedom, then I might be more interested in this sort of stand. Otherwise, I tend to be deeply suspicious of their motives the moment they start to speak, because I know they have a political agenda that involves gaining control over the immigration system.
But as it stands, I think that a lot of Silicon Valley "elites" like to wear the halo of being pro-immigrant while lobbying for a program that allows them to determine the circumstances under which would-be immigrants are allowed to come to the US and stay here. Just like the no-poach agreement, they use this to create a workforce that isn't allowed to participate freely in free labor markets, which I consider to be an essential component of basic human freedom.
As you can tell, I don't care for them much anymore. And yeah, this was a personal transformation that took place over decades - there was a time I admired them.
- mr_spothawk 10y ago> and the conditions under which they are allowed to stay. ^^ this. I've had a few friends on H1B, and as far as I can tell they're just "stuck" in their jobs, or "forced" to leave the country. Maybe, there should be an app for finding US citizens compatible "life partners" that would enable the acquisition of Green Cards.
- rdtsc 10y agoIt would be highly illegal. And there's probably a black market for it. Immigration is supposedly watching for it as well. I have heard in University one of my wives' friends wondering if she could marry an F-1 student to help him stay. Never inquired further what happened there...
- mr_spothawk 10y agogreencardlifepartner82348sxq1.onion ... to could happen silly side note: I read your comment as "a friend of one of my wives" and lol'd a little inside.
- Cpoll 10y agoThat's the correct reading. It should(?) have been written "wife's."
- mr_spothawk 10y ago> one of my [multiple] wives. I think "wife's" is correct... but I'm not a grammaritician
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- flukus 10y agoMore illegal than the foreign brides that have existed for decades?
- battlebot 10y agoThe question I have is: Would SV be so pro-immigrant if they were forced to pay everyone a competitive wage? The H1B thing has been a scam for depressing wages for decades now. All of my H1B friends are exploited workers with no rights and no recourse. Ugly, ugly, ugly!
- geebee 10y agoThey way you ensure they must pay a competitive wage is by retaining free labor markets. If immigrants are free to decide what to study, where to work, who to work for, what jobs they wish to pursue, and so forth, then SV will have to pay enough to convince them to become software developers in the valley, rather than lawyers, real estate agents, drywall installers, dental hygienists, registered nurses, physicians, and so forth. It turns out we have an immigration system that does this. it's called, wait for it... immigration, and the US takes 1.2 million people into the country annually under just those conditions. It turns out that immigrants who are free to pursue their own path in life aren't interested in working in loud, open offices and staring at computer screens for hours a day working on JIRA tickets for the salary that SV feels it should pay. As a result, SV employers have lobbied for a system that allows them to control who is allowed to come into the country, and the conditions under which they are allowed to remain here. They certainly are not lobbying for any system that would preserve freedom for immigrants. There's a desperate need for immigration reform, as right now, it's mainly based on family reunification, which leaves a lot of people out in the cold. But really, seriously, don't look to SV, or Zuckerberg, or Brin, for meaningful solutions. They have an agenda, and this agenda runs through their very secretive HR departments.
- rhizome 10y agoSo, is that a "no?"
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]