Summary

Senator Bernie Sanders criticized Elon Musk over his support for the H-1B visa program, calling it a tool for corporations to replace good-paying American jobs with lower-wage foreign labor.

Sanders cited data showing U.S. companies laid off 85,000 American workers between 2022 and 2023 while hiring 34,000 H-1B visa holders, arguing this undermines U.S. competitiveness.

Musk, who credits the visa program for his success, defended it, stating he’s ready to “go to war” over the issue.

The debate has divided MAGA conservatives, exposing rifts within Trump’s coalition.

  • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    No Bernie let them fight. “Never Interfere With an Enemy While He’s in the Process of Destroying Himself.”

    • ikidd@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I think the expression is “Don’t interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake.”

    • ɔiƚoxɘup@infosec.pub
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      1 day ago

      I generally agree with you but I think there’s an exception to every rule, I mean, he just dumped gas on the MAGA dumpster fire. What’s wrong with that?

      Also, love me some barqs my dude.

    • blackbelt352@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Oh he’s absolutely letting them fight, he’s just stoking them up more playing into the big issue splitting the republican party in two.

    • takeda@lemm.ee
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      2 days ago

      Bernie always was MAGA but not for the slogan but actually to improve people’s lives.

        • fluxion@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          We did have a 90% tax bracket… and Roe v. Wade, and Presidents who were presumably accountable to the justice system, and elections that people generally accepted the outcome, and much less toxic disconnect between political parties, and media that wasn’t all owned by a handful of billionaires, and we had the Fairness Doctrine, and Citizens United.

          So yah getting back to that basic level of functionality would be nice actually.

          Whenever I think of “MAGA” I think of the strong middle class that characterized post-war America and wonder wtf these people are actually doing.

          • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            I hear you, but that strong post-war middle class was overwhelmingly white due to our racist systems. As much as I like the things you’ve mentioned, we need to stop looking at our past and look at the future.

          • iopq@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            90% was the top rate, in practice the rich during that time paid less tax than today because they had huge loopholes

            Top 1% paid only 16.9% of their income in tax compared to 25.9% now (of the total amount, you can be in a higher bracket and your total percentage will always be lower than your bracket)

        • takeda@lemm.ee
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          2 days ago

          US has a lot of dark history for sure, but being middle class wasn’t as bad as it is right now.

            • xtr0n@sh.itjust.works
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              1 day ago

              Tech workers are one of the few groups that can get a 4 year degree, work hard and be able to afford a house, health insurance, a few cars, annual vacations, education for their kids and have a decent retirement. Granted, it’s not all of tech and it isn’t guaranteed, but it’s fucked that everyone who works can’t get this basic shit (car as basic shit is debatable but much of the US is designed around cars). But Phony Stark is desperate to knock the techies down a peg or two because I guess he needs more money to fund his king of mars fantasy? What a fucking dick.

              • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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                1 day ago

                He’s intentionally reducing the opportunities for well-paid work in the country. What an asshole. The whole immigration process needs to be streamlined so people don’t even need to deal with this H1B indentured servitude bullshit.

                • xtr0n@sh.itjust.works
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                  17 hours ago

                  Visas being tied to an employer and getting only 1-3 months to get a new job if you get laid off is fucking awful. If we had the same number of tech workers here on visas but they had real mobility then it would be an entirely different story.

                  And to add insult to injury, Elmo didn’t even follow the visa rules when he started in the US. If he weren’t a billionaire he could legit get deported for breaking immigration laws in the past.

                  • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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                    2 hours ago

                    A tale as old as time. Or at least the past 50 years. Undocumented immigrant gets legal, turns and hates undocumented immigrants.

    • Kowowow@lemmy.ca
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      2 days ago

      I don’t know man I think now would be the perfect time for aoc to take the opposite side of bernie and then both sides of musk vs maga can point and say they are working with the dems