Trump Is Right: Silicon Valley Using H-1B Visas to Pay Low Wages to Immigrants

It also depends on what you mean by danger. Are Western European EU countries in jeopardy of being invaded by Russia? Probably not. But considering Russia's position as supplier of most of Europe's natural gas and a big chunk of its oil, danger can have many meanings.

The most plausible explanation I've heard for the situation in Syria involves a proposed pipeline from Qatar that would challenge Russia's position as primary natural gas supplier to Europe. Russia has been propping up Assad, since he's against the pipeline. Western countries, including the US, have wanted him gone so that a more pipeline-friendly regime can be put in place. There's a cold war being fought between Europe/US and Russia in Syria, and ISIS stepping into that power vacuum has been the result. And while that's not an existential danger to Europe, just ask the French how safe they feel. And the refugee crisis hasn't exactly been pleasant for Western Europe either.

Meanwhile, Russia also wants to tap oil reserves in their arctic areas but wants help from Exxon to do it. That requires the US dropping its sanctions. Hence Russia's involvement in getting Putin-friendly Trump elected and Exxon exec Tillerson as Secretary of State.

The reality is that Russia is a petrostate ruled by oligarchs who are intent on exploiting those resources to their fullest. Russia will do everything in its power to thwart transitions to alternative fuels. And it is more than willing to use its military to promote its interests in third-world countries. This isn't unlike what the US does, but to anyone who cares about the environment, it should be a very scary thought, since the Russian agenda means increasing our effect on climate change. Equating Russian danger to military aggression against the West is probably overly simplistic and ignores the primary dangers of Russia. The true dangers are likely more subtle forms of advocating their interests.

I'd love to see the value of their businesses destroyed through zealous over-regulation. I'd love to see the IRS target them for audits the way Obama's IRS targeted conservative groups. I'd love for them to be criminally prosecuted, and -- dare I dream? -- jailed for any violations of the tax code that might be uncovered. That would wipe the smug off their faces.

The political left in America no longer employs persuasion as their primary means of gaining and maintaining political power. Instead, they attempt to inflict social or financial punishment on their political enemies to shut them up. Recall the reaction when Peter Thiel had the audacity to support a presidential candidate they opposed. Google [memories pizza] for another example.

So if that is how the game is played these days, then I want the right to use the same tactics against the left, and inflict massive pain on them until they offer a truce.

I'm basically an Adam Smith free-market libertarian. I think the country, as a whole, would be better off if the cap on H1Bs was lifted entirely. Productive, tax-paying, wealth-creating people would flood into this country and enrich it.

But politics is war these days. And Airbnb is more than just an enterprise, it's a wing of the Democratic party. So I think the Republicans should, to paraphrase Obama, "punish [their] enemies and reward [their] friends."

If Trump were truly bought off by Goldman, he certainly would not be behind legislation that fixes the broken H1-B Visa system. Goldman, Wall Street, Silicon Valley and other firms will have to start paying market wages instead of depressed wages because of the H1-B Visa reform.