A Real MAGA Civil War or Sabotage?

A short take.

civil war

I will admit that I knew nothing about the debate over H-1B Visas until it erupted on Twitter over the past few days. I watched the MAGA Right transform into something that looked much like the party I had just escaped. They wanted softer language, not hard truths. They were prepared to banish Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy from their version of utopia.

Say it ain’t so.

People I admired were piling on in creepy ways, reminding me how easily we can become corrupted by even the smallest bit of power. We should be able to debate issues like immigration, H-1B Visas, and cultural differences in how American children are raised without people dividing such a powerful movement.

And the media is dining out on all of it.

How convenient just before Trump is sworn in, just before January 6th.

So what’s going on? Vivek Ramaswamy posted something about America that offended the Right, you know, the side that makes fun of the Left for being easily offended?

Vivek’s Tweet:

The thing is, he’s right. Sorry, but it’s true. I know because I lived it. I saw firsthand how cultural differences meant some cultures valued hard work and discipline, and other cultures—our culture—did not.

What do we value? Social justice, civil rights, climate change, personal happiness, and success, if they come easily. Not all Americans, of course, but, in general, that’s the vibe. Check out this chart from Newsweek:

And these are just the ones who haven’t been indoctrinated in our colleges and universities. They want “mental health” breaks. They want shorter hours, more vacation pay, and higher wages. They want a stress-free work environment. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness are fine if someone else is doing the work, right?

If we deny the reality of what America has become, we can never solve the problem of what America should be. This can’t be a war between the tech bros and MAGA or MAGA will lose.

Slave Labor Two Ways

The Left has decided to allow for mass migration from impoverished countries to build a slave labor force because, they say, American workers don’t want to do those jobs. And it’s true. The migrants are grateful for any work that comes their way and are thus more easily exploited.

The H-1B claims they must bring in the best engineers because Americans can’t do those jobs. They haven’t been raised to work that hard, that long, and for less pay. For someone from India that’s a dream job. For most Americans, it’s MEH. Tech companies can’t outpace China or India if they have to slow down and not hire the best and the brightest from all over the world.

Both sides are in denial to some extent about the truth:

—DEI policies have led to discrimination against white Americans who are not placed in any marginalized category and thus, were not hired in most industries across the board.

—Mass migration has meant many workers are out of work, not to mention contractors and other labor companies outbid by those crossing the border illegally.

—AI is already replacing many in the workforce because it talks about labor that won’t complain. Robots and algorithms will probably replace all human labor in the future.

Our future is either dire or hopeful, depending on the choices we make right now. Don’t blow it by breaking up the coalition now, MAGA.

Cultural Differences

I first began to notice the cultural differences in how Americans are raised when I sent my daughter to Wonderland Elementary, a “highly gifted magnet” in the Hollywood Hills. This was in the early aughts, and George W. Bush was still the president. This school had a separate magnet school. Only “highly gifted” children were allowed to attend.

The idea was that wealthy families sent their kids to public school, which meant they were getting a great education. The magnet was intended to give inner-city kids the same education by bussing them in. Well, it didn’t quite turn out that way.

The “home school” was dumbed down. It was guided by self-help gobbledegook. It was “everyone gets a certificate” on steroids. Our kids were coddled, overprotected, overpraised, and then awarded just for being themselves. I noticed this around the third grade and began worrying that my daughter wasn’t getting a real education in this school.

I also noticed that the magnet was 80% Korean-American students. They weren’t so into the social scene, fashion, or school plays. They didn’t have all the latest technology. They were nose-to-the-grindstone, and they were super smart. Home-school kids could not compete on that level, and no one said anything lest they sound racist.

Then, as my daughter attended middle and high schools in the public school district in Los Angeles, they brought in Critical Race Theory around 2012. This meant that the white kids were taught “white privilege” and that merit no longer mattered. All that mattered was re-ordering the power hierarchy.

American culture is different. To pretend otherwise is to deny reality.

Cutting Off Nose to Spite Face

To do all of this right now, just before Trump is sworn in, is so self-destructive. It should be a time of celebration. Now, whenever the press interviews anyone from Team Trump, this will be the only thing they will talk about because they can smell blood in the water.

We can’t even hold on until Trump’s inauguration? Will that give Americans any confidence in MAGA’s ability to guide this ship? That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be an overhaul of H1Bs, but it does mean fighting about it; attempting to divide Trump’s team right now is not the most intelligent move.

This should be a time to have a conversation, not a time to allow powerful forces to divide a powerful movement or to eliminate its most powerful players.

It will take decades before we get to a point where our kids are being raised to want to be another Elon or Vivek or Trump. First, we have to unwind over the last 40 years. Then, begin anew.

For his part, Trump has come out in support of Musk and Ramaswamy.

That doesn’t mean the H1B program should continue or should not be investigated and decided via the American public, but dividing the party is a loser move. Don’t fall for it.

What are your thoughts?