These kind of policies and that amortization tax law for software development will probably encourage quite some exodus of talent. Would it be to Europe or South East Asia, though?
A large part of our talent acquisition would stay home, as the Asian countries, especially China, are expanding their investments. American students would go to work in European universities due to the lesser language barrier. When the US was a developing country a large number of children of wealthy families were sent to study in Europe.
I don't think the idea of looking outside the US for knowledge would be natural to many people of this generation. I wonder what the effects on our culture will be - it would certainly reduce the pride.
I think at least some of them will come up to Canada. No language barrier, and close enough geographically and culturally to keep most of your connections. We pay less but live longer on average.
Seeing all this unfold is doing amazing things for our national pride, ironically.
The US still has the best researchers today too, we're talking about the longer-term effects of anti-science policy in the face of continued development around the world.
A boring mansion, with a boring lawn, in a boring, gated community? -- and all that while the other neighbourhoods are on fire.
But at least you can buy $700 sneakers and leave the big garage in style, to work your ass off with a job pretending to "better the world" -- maybe have one or two weeks to fill your social media account with pictures already taken by the millions (you might as well use generative AI).
That’s certainly one way to live life, although certainly not the only way. Many people use tech as a path to financial independence. There’s a running joke/groan that the FIRE sub is filled with software engineers making 6 figures.
For engineers, maybe. But with immigration restrictions, employers can no longer create a workplace where "work with the best in the world" is an attraction.
Because, and I say this as one who already decided against the USA in response to Trump's first election, I rather doubt that the new policy of getting in the news for systematically deporting migrants for even minor things — not even offences, theoretically protected things like blogging — is going to put a rather big dent on people willing to go. I mean, right now, I don't even want to visit the US on a holiday, much less live there.
And that's without all the people saying "sure, you get paid 3x on paper, but all of it goes on rent and health insurance that doesn't actually pay out when you need it" that also makes it seem a lot less interesting.
I don't think the idea of looking outside the US for knowledge would be natural to many people of this generation. I wonder what the effects on our culture will be - it would certainly reduce the pride.