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First they came for the Iranians

scottaaronson.com

321–330 of 460 posts

Re: First they came for the Iranians

#321
post #272
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am deeply saddened to read this. I apologize, on behalf of the country. Please know that the majority of people in the US do not support this policy. We want to see you reach your potential. We want to benefit from the talent you would bring. Many of us will be working hard to fix this for the next several years. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Why? Everyone should not get a visa. Country should have a right to decide whom they let in. I never heard anyone complaining when the rich got visa more easily than poor.

I've heard lots of complaining about the ability of the rich to effectively buy visas.

As for why? Because this blanket ban is not useful, it violates the spirit of religious freedom, and it's going to cause a lot of real harm both to people who want to come here, and to our own country due to excluding people who will make us better.

Re: First they came for the Iranians

#322

I am an Iranian CS student. I had a fully funded PhD admission at one of the US universities. I was admitted for the Fall 2016 semester. I am currently in Iran due to my visa not being issued despite the 7 months I have waited for it. I was able to defer my admission to Spring 2017 semester, but then _this_ happened. I am quite sure that I will never be able to attend this program. I had very high hopes for my future…

As some have mentioned here, you have other options. Iranian-Americans have been making serious, world-class [1][2][3][4], contribution to American society in a variety of fields. America's loss is some other nations' gain. Just a small sample: [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Javan [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotfi_A._Zadeh [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nima_Arkani-Hamed [4]: https://en.wikipedia.o…

Thanks for those links. I never knew the person behind Fuzzy Sets, a topic highly relevant to the HN crowd. Lotfi Zadeh is one of the giants we stand on.

Re: First they came for the Iranians

#323

Holy shit: > U.S. permanent residents (green card holders) who are outside of the United States may be barred from reentry. That's huge. I don't mean to diminish the importance of banning new immigrants and visitors on a religious basis, that's bad too. But banning people who have already legally immigrated from re-entering the country is completely nuts. There are no doubt people who have lived in this country for d…

But this is not new. If you leave the US for more than 6 months, you can potentially lose your green card at the discretion of CBP regardless of where you're from.

So it's "not new" that a green card holder who happens to be in Canada right now might be barred from reentering the country? It's "not new" that a green card holder whose mother falls ill in their home country will not be able to return home after visiting her for a week?

You're right that CBP can fuck you over at their discretion. But as long as you keep your nose clean, they don't. Having green card holders get suddenly screwed over like this just because of where they're from is new.

Re: First they came for the Iranians

#324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd love to know how (precisely) closing visa access to nations that don't send terrorists to the US (Iran) but not to that those that do, but which happen to make scads of $$ for Trump's business pals (Saudi Arabia), makes America safer than your nation. Try suggesting this policy (visas up the wazoo for oil-rich Wahhabis) to your elected reps. It's a useful test: if they go for it, you know they're either thick or…

Because if you read it, it doesn't close access, it demands background information on visa applicants. Saudi Arabia is already compliant.

Which makes no sense - the US and Iran don't have relations at all, why would they suddenly start handing over information on their visa applicants? This hurts the US more than helps, by a long, long shot.

Re: First they came for the Iranians

#325
post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>is there really a shortage of smart and skilled people? Hell yes, and there always will be, for the right values of "smart" and "skilled". >Given the low pay for many scientific positions... etc The sad fact is that the low pay you mention causes so many really smart people to turn away from science as a career. >Maybe the upside is that with the tap of smart people turned down a little, conditions will improve for…

If there is a shortage, then why aren't they paid more highly and treated better?

[deleted]

Re: First they came for the Iranians

#326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People have been screaming that the Republican party is the Nazi party since the days of Reagan. So far history has held this up to be absolutely not true. Forgive me if I'm a bit incredulous and give Trump the benefit of doubt until proven otherwise. Here's another way to look at it: "I know you've taken it in the teeth out there, but the first guy through the wall. It always gets bloody, always. It's the threat of…

>I don't understand how people who can understand and believe in things like quantum and multiple realities think that the only outcomes our world are strictly binary: Nazism or Progressive Liberalism. That's a bit of a strawman, I think; no-one I've heard of, who thinks Trump is a fascist, arrived at that conclusion by saying "well he's not a progressive liberal so all that's left is nazi". It's been more like (whet…

That's fair, let me go into more detail.

I know a lot of people who fervently believe that Trump is the second coming of Hitler. If you dig around on Twitter it won't be long before you find this sentiment practically everywhere. It's not "could be a fascist" it is "actually is a fascist and we need to actively resist".

This is not unique to Donald Trump. W Bush is the most recent example where Bush=Hitler was practically a slogan for liberals. Again, people claimed the same thing. "Policies and views are similar therefore" and went straight for the extremes. They didn't go for the benefit of the doubt at all, despite there being a lot of evidence that Bush was in no way at all a Nazi. I think it's fair to argue that it's a tenant of faith for liberals that all conservatives hate gays, hate minorities, hate women, etc. That these people exist in the Republican party is impossible to deny. To tar and feather the entire Republican party as this way is how we get to this binary world view.

As far as Donald Trump is concerned, I think if you've really dug into Donald Trump and done your homework on him, I think that calling him a fascist is grossly unfair. Let's take this article from 2000:

http://www.advocate.com/election/2015/9/28/read-donald-trump...

"Do you think gay people should be allowed to serve in the military?"

"Yes, if a gay person can be a doctor or a lawyer or a teacher or take another position of responsibility, why can't they serve this country in the military? “Don’t ask, don’t tell” has clearly failed. Gay people serve effectively in the military in a number of European countries. There is no reason why they can’t serve in the United States. Frankly, the state of our military is a wreck. Military pay is a joke, military benefits are ridiculous, and we can’t attract the kind of quality people we need to have an effective fighting force. The Pentagon is wasting millions on weapons they don’t need instead of focusing on the military needs in the changing world situation. The truth is, our nation defense is in the weakest state since Pearl Harbor. I favor a total reorganization of all branches of our military, and I would address the gay question more forthrightly within that reorganization."

"Are you running just to beat Pat Buchanan?"

"I used to like Pat. I was on Crossfire with him. I thought he was a nice guy. Then I read the things he had written about Hitler, Jews, blacks, gays, and Mexicans. I mean, I think it’s disgusting. That speech he made at the ’92 Republican convention was a disaster. He wants to divide Americans. Clearly, he has a love affair with Adolf Hitler, and that’s sick. Buchanan actually said gay people had chosen “satan[ism] and suicide.” Now he says he welcomes gay people into his campaign. The guy is a hypocrite."

Note that these views are not in a vaccuum. If you go back and read his views before the 2016 election, you get the picture of a Donald Trump who reads like a liberal. Nothing like a fascist at all. And yet many people have practically jumped at characterizing Trump as the second coming of Nazi Germany. The reasons why are a much longer discussion. I'm not saying any of this disproves that he is a Nazi. I'm saying that this decreases the likelihood that it is true. This is why I say people are expressing a binary worldview. From what I can see, many are not expressing that there could be a third possibility. Or fourth. Or a myriad of options.

Re: First they came for the Iranians

#327

I am an Iranian CS student. I had a fully funded PhD admission at one of the US universities. I was admitted for the Fall 2016 semester. I am currently in Iran due to my visa not being issued despite the 7 months I have waited for it. I was able to defer my admission to Spring 2017 semester, but then _this_ happened. I am quite sure that I will never be able to attend this program. I had very high hopes for my future…

On behalf of my fellow Americans, please allow me to offer you our deepest apology. Please know that most of our country doesn't hate or fear you. We will continue to do everything we can to fight this policy and others like it.

I completely agree with you and expressed my best wishes and sympathy to OP - but I'd also like to take a moment to appreciate the irony of your username in this thread! :)

Re: First they came for the Iranians

#328

I am an Iranian CS student. I had a fully funded PhD admission at one of the US universities. I was admitted for the Fall 2016 semester. I am currently in Iran due to my visa not being issued despite the 7 months I have waited for it. I was able to defer my admission to Spring 2017 semester, but then _this_ happened. I am quite sure that I will never be able to attend this program. I had very high hopes for my future…

Dublin Ireland (English speaking) has 2 top 200 universities. University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin (also called University of Dublin). With a student visa you can work in a job 20 hrs a week, 40 hrs in the summer. Funding will be hard enough for PhD, a fair number of people do Masters. USA software companies employ many people in Dublin (for when you finish/get a full work visa). USA software companie…

What is your take on Ireland's situation should the UK race you to the bottom on being a location that provides a tax advantage?

Re: First they came for the Iranians

#329
post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would the US military care about selling weapons? They are made by private companies.

The US military can sometimes get their weapons cheaper, if there are a lot of foreign buyers to share the cost in various ways. If Lockheed is successful and able to fund itself well, fund new weapons programs, the military is happier for obvious reasons. Not to mention the crossover between the public and private spheres when it comes to careers.

There is also a follow on effect. If other countries have F-15s, the US needs to have something better. Today we are friends, but that could change (e.g. Iran and the F-14)

Re: First they came for the Iranians

#330
post #11

Advice from a high-level staffer for a Senator: There are two things that everyone concerned should be doing all the time right now, and they're by far the most important things. You should NOT be bothering with online petitions or emailing. 1. The best thing you can do to be heard and get your congressperson to pay attention is to have face-to-face time - if they have town halls, go to them. Go to their local office…

Is it worth calling a senator who doesn't represent you? For example, there are some proposals being pushed by senators in NC I don't agree with, but I don't live in NC.

Just give a zip code from that state.
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