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0 pointsvalarauko4y ago0 comments

I think the usual counter to this argument is that rather than being the best & brightest, he's a product of his time, place, and circumstances - if he were to remain in Dhaka he likely may not have been noteworthy. We really don't know one way or another.

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chiefalchemist4y ago· 1 in thread

Noteworthy is relative. Aside from being able a person needs to have the "heart" to relocate to the USA. So yeah, she / he might professionally end up an accountant. But the heart to change things? That should not be discounted either.

Like it or not, there is a darkside to USA immigration policy, just because its been normalized doesn't mean it's not there.

valaraukoOP4y ago

I don't think anybody discounts it or hand waves brain drain away. My concern is that these notions might inform (well meaning) ideas of what immigration should look like - it feels overly paternalistic and minimizes the immigrant's desires and agency. Immigration is already an incredibly difficult and uphill task that's near impossible for the vast majority of people even with the means and desire to do so. However difficult you think it is, multiply by a factor of 10. So now should the process be even harder because of concerns about brain drain? For example, should American concerns about brain drain from the underdeveloped countries inform if people should be allowed to immigrate from there? Should immigration be open only to people from rich countries?

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