Comment by dangus | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dangus | Hacker News Reader

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Used to be that America was great because the smartest researchers in the world wanted to come here, often escaping oppressive regimes to do so, and become American citizens (e.g., Albert Einstein)

So now all the world’s best and brightest scientists will move to China where they’ll be welcomed in open arms, enjoy living in a modern society with affordable electric cars, the world’s premier high speed train network, glimmering new subway systems, and ample affordable housing.

They’ll work on cutting-edge research projects that receive ample funding and support while American scientists wrestle with a federal government torn apart by anti-intellectual strongmen.

You ever see a Tesla robot demo like this? https://youtu.be/mUmlv814aJo

Are we tired of winning yet? It sounds like we are beyond tired of winning, we’d rather lose from here on out.

Seems like Russia and the USA are hell-bent on destroying themselves fighting forever wars to allow China and the EU to take the reins as the beacons of global stability and strength.

The language is still a barrier to that so it will happen slower than one would think. Top scientists from everywhere outside China generally know English and not Chinese.

That said, China is sponsoring lots of foreign students from belt and road countries to come there and learn Chinese, so its a work in progress.

A scientist moving to a country isn't usually expected to learn the local language, the vast majority of laboratories speak English.

I've seen a much more impressive Tesla robot demo: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8vsTNFUFJEU

Large scale movements are much easier.

I, uh, actually went and took a look at both, are you really really really sure you want to pit the clumsy awkward thing as the best challenger America is capable of putting in front of China's kung fu ninja robots? :)

>So now all the world’s best and brightest scientists will move to China where they’ll be welcomed in open arms

They'll also get to experience as much or more racism than they would have in America, but likely far more racism. In America you find racism in some (usually rural) areas, and people who are very accepting in other areas (big cities where most science research is typically done). I'm not sure China is going to be the easiest place to build a life for foreigners.

Of course this pitch is more like “white people might something resembling the kind of experience that natively born non-white people have in America.”

Is a black person whose parents grew up in segregation, redlining, etc, really getting a worse experience in China?

I know fully English speaking born in USA Asian people who avoid certain parts of the country over the racism they get from Americans.

This “lack of racism in the USA” only exists if you’re white.

Don’t forget that ICE is currently arbitrarily detaining people for looking/sounding foreign, and that actual US citizens and people with permanent residency status have been caught up in it.

At least in China they have their fucking paperwork in order.

>Is a black person whose parents grew up in segregation, redlining, etc, really getting a worse experience in China?

Some places won't server you in China, if that's what you're asking. It isn't as bad as some time in the past in the US, but it's not going to be smooth sailing at all.

>I know fully English speaking born in USA Asian people who avoid certain parts of the country over the racism they get from Americans.

Yes, and I covered that in my comment. Rural areas are always going to be worse for minorities.

>This “lack of racism in the USA” only exists if you’re white.

Where the hell did I ever say that??? Why are people reading things into comments that simply aren't there??

>Don’t forget that ICE is currently arbitrarily detaining people for looking/sounding foreign, and that actual US citizens and people with permanent residency status have been caught up in it.

Gee, no kidding. You don't say.

I'm really not sure what you're trying to call me out for, or why.

> Used to be that America was great because the smartest researchers in the world wanted to come here, often escaping oppressive regimes to do so, and become American citizens (e.g., Albert Einstein)

By this measure, America is now greater than ever.

Of course, it's convenient to pretend that Trump is building a racist dictatorship with a Gestapo, and that's why no one wants to move to the US. But the true is that the number of people around the world who would like to move to the US is higher than ever. Especially when the current administration is trying to purge society of foreign criminals.

> So now all the world’s best and brightest scientists will move to China

Yes, of course. It's practically the same thing. The only reason scientists go to China is because they are not allowed into the US.

There are a lot of leaps in this comment

So build an argument against it. I think hes right, so if you claim he is making leaps, feel free to fill in rhe gaps?

I’ll fill in the gaps. I didn’t initially want to respond to that person because they are MAGA-brained.

Basically, their whole comment is based on non-factual information.

US is discouraging talent by revoking student visas, China is offering more funding and incentives while the US has flat federal funding with future cuts likely: https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-europe-us-scientists

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-resea...

China produces more research in top journals than the US: https://quincyinst.org/research/chinas-historic-rise-to-the-...

The commenter claimed that there’s no ICE Gestapo, and that this administration is deporting criminals, but 74% of detainees have no criminal convictions and only 5% have any violent criminal record: https://www.cato.org/blog/5-ice-detainees-have-violent-convi...

ICE told officers in a memo to disregard due process and the 4th amendment:

https://apneas.com/article/ice-arrests-warrants-minneapolis-...

Undocumented immigrants commit crimes at a lower rate than US citizens:

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU01/20250122/117827/HHRG...

More people are moving out of the US than moving in for the first time since the Great Depression: https://fortune.com/2026/02/27/trump-immigration-crackdown-w...

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-08-22/la-na-im...

I have no link for this one, but it’s worth pointing out that educated immigrants likely have the most options on where they want to live. They’re not in the same situation as a day laborer hopping the border to the closest country that has work available. The US doesn’t have to be a bad option available for that kind of person to say “nah, I’ll go somewhere else.” It just has to be a less good option with enough negative aspects, and they’ll say, eff that, I’m going to find a position in Germany/Netherlands/China/etc.

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