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.

    • fluxion@lemmy.world
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      7 months 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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        7 months 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.

        • blackbelt352@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Those programs, while imperfectly implemented, also showed that they really did improve the lives of the people who were able to gain the advantages of them. We need to look to what those programs did well and fix and rework what those programs did poorly.

      • iopq@lemmy.world
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        7 months 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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      7 months ago

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

      • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Is anyone middle class anymore? I mean like doctors and lawyers sure, but for the average worker it’s out of reach.