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Europe is not a country, and its members enjoy diverse governments, cultures, and policies. The question was why someone might want to exchange maximal compensa

Europe is not a country, and its members enjoy diverse governments, cultures, and policies. The question was why someone might want to exchange maximal compensation for other options, I answered that question. You’re welcome to choose your own priorities, nothing about my reply was prescriptive, or even making any explicit value judgments outside of my own admittedly subjective opinions. If you (or anyone you care about) is working in the US tech sector on an H1B visa, are you currently better off in the United States? If you’re starting a family? If you’re deeply held personal beliefs run contrary to the local sociopolitical norms? If you want to work as a tech professional in academia? Non-profits? All of these classes are under the explicit threat of the Trump administration. This isn’t some liberal exaggeration, it’s plain to see in their words and actions. If none of that applies to you, then I hope you don’t take that good fortune for granted, as many in your profession right now are not as lucky. So there are lots of reasons—good or bad from your perspective, they are still perfectly valid—and that was my only real point. I don’t think it’s a good choice for everyone, but I can easily see why many folks in many circumstances would indeed make that choice.

scarface_74 1y ago
My perspective? I’m 51 years old and empty nester, retired spouse and we travel - a lot. Including extended stays away from home both domestically and internationally. If you haven’t been reading, many countries in Europe aren’t that friendly to immigrants outside of the EU either and isn’t France still trying to ban Muslim women from wearing Burkinis in public pools? Don’t pretend that most countries in the EU are liberal welcoming paradises free of both race and religious discrimination. As far as H1B visa holders, I can hold two thoughts at once. The H1B Visa system is all about suppressing wages and you can’t tell me that companies like Amazon (former AWS employee) couldn’t find qualified Americans. But at the same time not begrudge anyone that was hired under the H1B system. My personal anecdote is that when I saw Amazon starting to Amazon and put me “on focus”, I didn’t break a sweat, didn’t cancel any vacation plans and played the game just long enough to get my next vest and get my “accept $40K+ severance and leave immediately or over work yourself and still get fired with 1/3 the severance.” Of course I accepted the $40k and didn’t even let my manager complete their sentence about what I could do to stay. I saw some coworkers here on H1B that busted their ass and let AWS treat them any kind of way because no matter how much they had saved, the clock started ticking once they lost their jobs. And what is the niche of the niche that wants to work in tech in non profits or academia?

scarface_74 1y ago

My perspective? I’m 51 years old and empty nester, retired spouse and we travel - a lot. Including extended stays away from home both domestically and internationally. If you haven’t been reading, many countries in Europe aren’t that friendly to immigrants outside of the EU either and isn’t France still trying to ban Muslim women from wearing Burkinis in public pools? Don’t pretend that most countries in the EU are liberal welcoming paradises free of both race and religious discrimination. As far as H1B visa holders, I can hold two thoughts at once. The H1B Visa system is all about suppressing wages and you can’t tell me that companies like Amazon (former AWS employee) couldn’t find qualified Americans. But at the same time not begrudge anyone that was hired under the H1B system. My personal anecdote is that when I saw Amazon starting to Amazon and put me “on focus”, I didn’t break a sweat, didn’t cancel any vacation plans and played the game just long enough to get my next vest and get my “accept $40K+ severance and leave immediately or over work yourself and still get fired with 1/3 the severance.” Of course I accepted the $40k and didn’t even let my manager complete their sentence about what I could do to stay. I saw some coworkers here on H1B that busted their ass and let AWS treat them any kind of way because no matter how much they had saved, the clock started ticking once they lost their jobs. And what is the niche of the niche that wants to work in tech in non profits or academia?