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"How and Why Government, Universities, and Industry Create Domestic Labor Shortages of Scientists and High-Tech Workers", By Eric R Weinstein PhD [Hosted at NB

"How and Why Government, Universities, and Industry Create Domestic Labor Shortages of Scientists and High-Tech Workers", By Eric R Weinstein PhD [Hosted at NBER from 1998-2017 where the author was at one time Co-Director / Co-Founder of the Sloan Foundation funded Program on the Economics of Advanced Training / Science and Engineering Workforce Project (PEAT/SEWP) https://www.ineteconomics.org/uploads/papers/Weinstein-GUI_NSF_SG_Complete_INET.pdf https://www.ineteconomics.org/uploads/papers/Weinstein-GUI_N... https://twitter.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1070327318185267202 https://twitter.com/EricRWeinstein/status/107032731818526720...

rmrfstar 6y ago
Do you think the "why" has anything to do with the blow-back DuPont experienced as a consequence of manufacturing napalm during the Vietnam War? DOD has extremely talented strategists, and an infinite simulation budget. Without considering the willingness of the workforce to do as directed without question, I can't see a reason this would be in the long-term US strategic interest (as conceptualized within DOD). Or, have the strategic questions been subordinated to political ones in the absence of a peer adversary?
- maxharris 6y ago
  That's interesting, but I think a more basic motive is simply that we reached a limit to postwar growth in the early 70s, and this move was a way to keep up the metrics (embedded growth obligations), giving the appearance of growth, but actually taking it out of the wages of scientists and engineers. This is a terrible thing, because it's a particularly insidious form of eating your seed corn, in that you really don't see the full effects for decades. Think of all of the scientific advances we ought to see by now that aren't just your phone and laptop...
  - Devils-Avocado 6y ago
    And those phone and laptop advancements are courtesy of the Taiwanese.
gclawes 6y ago
Came for ERW, was not disappointed.

rmrfstar 6y ago

Do you think the "why" has anything to do with the blow-back DuPont experienced as a consequence of manufacturing napalm during the Vietnam War? DOD has extremely talented strategists, and an infinite simulation budget. Without considering the willingness of the workforce to do as directed without question, I can't see a reason this would be in the long-term US strategic interest (as conceptualized within DOD). Or, have the strategic questions been subordinated to political ones in the absence of a peer adversary?

maxharris 6y ago
That's interesting, but I think a more basic motive is simply that we reached a limit to postwar growth in the early 70s, and this move was a way to keep up the metrics (embedded growth obligations), giving the appearance of growth, but actually taking it out of the wages of scientists and engineers. This is a terrible thing, because it's a particularly insidious form of eating your seed corn, in that you really don't see the full effects for decades. Think of all of the scientific advances we ought to see by now that aren't just your phone and laptop...
- Devils-Avocado 6y ago
  And those phone and laptop advancements are courtesy of the Taiwanese.

gclawes 6y ago

Came for ERW, was not disappointed.