Comments on Upturn for Science Doctorates

• Foreign students what is really going on
• Posted by Gordon Smith on December 5, 2005 at 9:38pm EST

• Professionally educated people in an international labor market are fungible quantities since whom they choose to work for is a matter of personal choice. It is a mystery to me why we bring foreign students here, finance their education at taxpayer subsidized expense, accomodate their politics and cultural idiosyncrasies, and subject ourselves to possible physical attack and intimidation. Sure the top cohort of foreign students maybe the best in the world, but who are they going to work for when they graduate? Al Queda and Usama bin Laden or Uncle Sam? Can we take the chance?
  Domestic students know the tuition bill is rising and in the 80's it was financed by the middle class to help train these foreign students and we sacrificed a generation of our own domestic students in the process because we all know undergraduate studies is poor in the united states. We hate American academic administraters for their incompetence and vanity.
  The British provide a better example. They starve (the politicians) their academics and actually got more out of them. Look at British, Canadian, and Australian education websites today in higher education and they talk about improving quality and competing in international markets. American colleges and universities moan about the lack of funding.
  Now what? Well you might improve undergraduate education and offer scholarships to native born american students since you have spent the last thirty years screwing them. Remember that they are going to be financing the nursing home where you are ultimately going to end up.

• Gordon Smith
• Posted by Alex on December 13, 2005 at 10:43am EST

• I like to think Mr. Smith is just trying to be devil rouser to start a long debate about "native-born" versus foreign students. This is a dangerous protectionist path which benefits no one. I am appalled by his characterization of foreign students working for Bin Laden. Mr. Smith will do himself and the country a lot of good by realizing that the reason this wonderful country is great is its welcoming attitudes toward outsiders who have unlimited energy to contribute. He is well advised to remember when there was a drop in foreign students application post 9/11 many science and engineering programs had ringed alarm bells for a very good reason. Mr. Smith should also remember that not too long ago his ancestors were also "foreigners" and were probably shunned by the likes of Mr. Smith. Also, remember the cliché: he is an American by luck and immigrants that he is picking on are here by choice and will contribute (they already are) to his grandparents’ welfare.
  Peace on earth ..