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Brain Drain Across the United States

jec.senate.gov

31–40 of 213 posts

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By that logic, we should all be aspiring to live in Upper E. side Manhatten, because, 'why stay anywhere else'. Education is only one factor, there are many others. FYI - 'Worker mobility' in the US is actually declining, and has been for some time. This could possibly mean that regular workers are moving around less, relative to educated one's. It also could mean as communications and transportation become easier, t…

So why should kids with the opportunity to leave choose to stay?

family? friends? sense of belonging?

I'm not saying that applies to everyone. I was "brain-drained" despite those things. But I know others who couldn't just pick up their lives for a job on the other side of the country.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#32

I wonder why we consider “highly educated” to mean “college educated.” I know plenty of college educated people unfit to manage a lemonade stand and plenty of “lesser educated” people that own successful companies. Using a degree as a proxy for intelligence is a mistake.

Agreed 1000% Oh, you have an MBA? Guess I’ll have to show you how this works.

It could be a learning experience for you both. For example, they could teach you about percentages.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#33
post #23
post #11

Brain drain within the US is just as frequently about cultural rather than economic issues. The culture wars the republicans have been running on since the 80s turns off thoughtful people - anti-intellectualism is killing these states. That said, it’s incredibly underserved and there’s tons of very capable and friendly people. Edit: maybe I didn’t get the intended point across - I’d ask though, how many people do you…

This is an entirely fair point—there's a fair amount of brain drain that can be attributed to "I don't want to live in a red state." The LGBT thing is anecdotally true in my experience, and in particular, leaving your home state for college is a good socially-acceptable excuse to leave your home state and meet others you suspect are like you at exactly the same time that you're no longer a minor under your parents' c…

Sick leave, parental leave, legal marijuana, assisted suicide, non compete bans, better environmental protections, pro choice, are all desirable to the young people I know and red states go the other way on those policies.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#34
post #11

Brain drain within the US is just as frequently about cultural rather than economic issues. The culture wars the republicans have been running on since the 80s turns off thoughtful people - anti-intellectualism is killing these states. That said, it’s incredibly underserved and there’s tons of very capable and friendly people. Edit: maybe I didn’t get the intended point across - I’d ask though, how many people do you…

> The culture wars the republicans have been running on since the 80s turns off thoughtful people

You accuse "republicans" of running a culture war on a board that you know will never downvote you or moderate you... while announcing you're part of the LGBT community.

Real quick: can you name one country throughout history where LGBT lifestyles aren't promoted or endlessly sustained by massive, massive, massive media effort/high-level cultural/religious/military infiltration? Your "community" is a living, breathing culture war artifact that is 100% artifical and is, literally, made in advertising board rooms.

Imagine the amount of people who intentionally avoid anywhere your fake culture infiltrates and how much brain power refuses to help you out.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#35
post #9

Imagine what the effect of this is in the EU, where average income can differ up to 5-10 times between the poor and rich countries. Freedom of movement means they can still work in any of the EU countries.

That seems like an exaggeration. Sorting on the net PPP column at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_countries_by_...

the lowest EU member is Bulgaria (1475), the highest is Luxembourg (3843); that's a factor 2.6.

The EU also has much larger cultural barriers to movement than the US (different languages, just to mention the most obvious one).

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#37
post #17
post #16

The article overthinks this. I been brain drained by being offered higher pay. You want to stop brain drain? PAY! Solved.

This is an oversimplification of a more nuanced issue. For example, perhaps the places that need it most can't afford it, and the places that can afford it can only do so because they already have the existing market for it.

"Can't affordness" comes as a result of a lack of a resources/budget.

Which means decision makers or ultimately state/federal government think that funding of certain things at certain geographies is not important. (Or alternatively not offering any stimulus such as reducing taxes).

Article misleads reader by claiming "what is" without explaining the driving force behind the dynamics of skilled market.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#38
post #6

I'm sure I will be downvoted for even mentioning his name, but Charles Murray has been writing about this for decades.

bummer that just mentioning someone’s name requires this kind of prefacing

Hardly surprising. As has been mentioned else where unless you follow a particular political dogma then you are anti intellectual and therefore to be excluded.

It's amusingly ironic how exclusive the politics of inclusion can be.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#39
Brain Drain is about networking. Why would most give up the opportunity to relocate around the top thinkers in their field? Inhibiting this movement would arguably slow down progress, while making the country more robust (much like the pros/cons associated with most centralization vs. de-centralization topics).

People from my hometown (pop. ~7500 in Midwest), do not realize that they are falling behind at an almost exponential rate. Many are working jobs that require common training, they do not continue their education, and they spend far too much time behind screens in the form of entertainment. And, even for those who want to continue to learn, they do not have access to a nearby tech meeting hosted by a top firm speaking on the state of the art. If you're not in SF or NY, then you do miss out on a lot of opportunities per people and shared information.

* I am personally ashamed to say that I only realized the power and advantage of networking in recent years.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#40

Interesting... I've only ever heard of brain drain used in an international context. Which is where the US comes out as a winner, as we're gaining from all the highly educated Chinese and Indians who come here to work and start companies. I actually find the concept rather odd to use domestically, because it's generally used to show a contrast between a country paying for your college education, and then you reaping…

Tuition for in-state residents is often subsidized and can be considerably lower than tuition for residents of other US states.
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