The MAGA civil war is here

Call it the Christmas massacre, a not-so-silent night of post-yuletide jolly interrupted by a full-on civil war within MAGA world. The conflict played out exclusively on X, probably because the platform is the only media that matters. For those fortunate enough to spend time with their families rather than yelling at strangers on the internet, the conflict is between the tech bro wing of the Trump coalition, who decided it was a good time to advocate doubling the number of H-1B visas, and the Thermidorian reaction by the nationalist right, who seem to remember voting for less immigration.

The argument centers on H-1B visas, an instrument of modern policy meant to lure the intellectual crème de la crème from foreign lands. Originally conceived as a method for bolstering America’s supply of first-rate minds, it has become, like most government contrivances, a bloated and mismanaged morass, bringing in hordes of what bureaucrats call "highly sought-after professionals."

The annual cap is set at 85,000, ostensibly to select only the brightest stars of the global brains. Yet through the well-worn bureaucratic alchemy of extensions and green card applications, many who arrive on these "temporary" visas remain for decades. Their ranks, swollen with promises of tech-world glory, now fill offices from Palo Alto to Plano.

A country worth fighting for is one built on the spirit of its people, not on the profit margins of its corporations.

At first glance, the H-1B visa program seems noble. America, the world’s great innovation engine, welcomes the best and brightest from abroad, offering them the chance to contribute to its scientific and technological ascendancy. At the same time, they pursue their slice of the American dream. The appeal is obvious: the immigrant who becomes a citizen, the genius who transforms society. And yes, figures like Nikola Tesla and Elon Musk provide undeniable examples.

But this idealized narrative is a facade. In practice, H-1B visas are not a gateway for exceptional talent but a mechanism for corporate exploitation. Far from filling genuine gaps in the American workforce, these visas often replace domestic workers with cheaper, more docile labor. Worse, they shackle foreign workers to their employers, creating a dependent underclass that can be abused with impunity. This is not the free market but indentured servitude with a tech-friendly smile.

Advocates of the program love to trumpet its success stories, but the reality is that these are the exceptions, not the rule. Corporate interests have hijacked the system and weaponized it against both the domestic workforce and the very immigrants it purports to uplift.

The controversy began the day after Christmas when Sriram Krishnan was appointed to join David Sacks on President Trump’s AI advisory board. Krishnan, a highly accomplished general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and a former key player at Facebook and Twitter, faced immediate backlash over his past calls to significantly expand the number of H-1B visas, particularly for workers from India. This sparked a broader debate about these visa programs' long-standing issues and abuses.

Elon Musk waded into the fray, forcefully defending the need for more H-1B visas to address the critical shortage of engineers, igniting fury within the MAGA movement. Musk’s perspective is understandable — he’s laser-focused on accelerating ambitious projects and prioritizes talent over borders. However, his stance reveals a potential blind spot. Having benefited personally from this program to immigrate to the U.S., Musk may be unaware of just how profoundly corrupt and exploitative the H-1B system has become.

This all would have been a fruitful and necessary debate if Vivek Ramaswamy hadn’t inserted himself in one of the nastiest and hateful bits of America-bashing I’ve seen from any party.

Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer). That doesn’t start in college, it starts YOUNG.

A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.

...

More movies like Whiplash, fewer reruns of “Friends.” More math tutoring, fewer sleepovers. More weekend science competitions, fewer Saturday morning cartoons. More books, less TV. More creating, less “chillin.” More extracurriculars, less “hanging out at the mall.”

This argument is not merely wrong but contemptuous, revealing a disdain for the culture that has shaped modern civilization. Implicit in this drivel is the suggestion that Americans are slothful simpletons, incapable of innovation, awaiting rescue from our Brahmin "betters" in Mumbai. Let Ramaswamy and his vision of a human ant farm ruled by relentless rote memorization go to hell — and not quietly.

America, the nation that put men on the moon and placed the vastness of human knowledge in your pocket, does not need lecturing from a Wall Street hired gun whose claim to fame is peddling a failed Alzheimer's drug. He advocates a sterile dystopia of corporate automatons, void of the creativity, beauty, and daring that define Western culture.

Americans celebrate ingenuity and intelligence, yes, but also value teamwork, excellence, and character — the jock and the cheerleader as much as the nerd and the scientist. This balance has given rise to the West's unmatched contributions to art, science, and human progress. Perhaps Mr. Ramaswamy should remember that such virtues built the world he seeks to lecture — and spare us his condescension.

Americans have been facing a reality that is striving in every way to make them poorer, sicker, and less free. Excuse them if they’re disgusted that you’re blaming 50 years of globalism and a war on the middle class on their children attending sleepovers.

President Trump’s unique genius — and, by extension, the essence of his movement — is his instinctive radar for elite cons and bureaucratic deceit, even if he can't wrap it all in a 50-page policy brief. This knack has resonated with millions who rightly question why some in his administration seem fixated on ramping up immigration, even as the movement itself rails against its corrosive effects.

The labyrinthine web of visa programs is deliberately opaque, but their impact is clear: The same economic pressures that suppress blue-collar wages through illegal immigration are now undermining white-collar professions, importing foreign workers willing to work 80-hour weeks for less pay. These H-1B visa recipients arrive shackled to their sponsoring employers, effectively creating a new class of indentured labor. When your boss has the power to deport you, the leverage to demand a raise evaporates.

It is no wonder that many in Trump’s orbit smell a rat. The question is why some in his administration do not.

When examined with even a modicum of honesty — and in consultation with those actually within the industry — it becomes glaringly obvious that the H-1B visa program is nothing more than a grand con perpetrated on the American worker. Far from attracting the vaunted "best and brightest," a staggering 95% of these visa holders occupy low-level positions, accepting meager wages and grueling 80-hour weeks, all in the desperate hope of winning a green card lottery that allows them to bring an entire extended family to American shores through chain migration.

For those still inclined to believe the program's lofty rhetoric, I strongly urge you to consult Eric Weinstein's meticulously researched account of the H-1B scheme, published in 2017. His analysis explains that this program has never been about innovation or excellence. It has always been a blunt instrument wielded to suppress the wages of scientists and engineers, undermining the very talent pool it purports to support. If this is the pinnacle of enlightened labor policy, then its advocates should at least have the decency to dispense with their sanctimony.

If you’re in the mood for a righteous fit of anger, I invite you to peruse the grotesque spectacle that is casewise.ai — a digital shrine to the exploitation of American workers. Here, you can sift through over 145,000 U.S.-based companies that gleefully contort the visa system to bring in foreign labor and undercut domestic jobs. A random exploration of the "restaurants" category unearthed the gem Muy Pizza Houston LLC — a three-star spot on Google Reviews — which has applied for over 500 foreign visas in the past decade under the EB-2 program.

Now, for those unfamiliar, the EB-2 visa is ostensibly reserved for individuals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability in the arts, sciences, or business. But in the enchanted world of visa alchemy, these so-called "exceptional" candidates are delivering pizzas for the princely sum of $16,000 a year. Forgive my skepticism, Vivek, but your vision of the American worker competing with billions of global applicants to serve up slices is not exactly the golden age we were promised. Call it what it is: a cynical racket designed to devalue labor and erode dignity, all while cloaking itself in the false nobility of "global competitiveness."

No one opposes welcoming genuine geniuses — those whose brilliance could advance our shared prosperity. But what is indefensible is the flooding of our labor market with hundreds of thousands of low-level workers, crushing the career prospects of an entire generation of young Americans.

Our nation is not a mere economic zone, some sprawling spreadsheet optimized for efficiency and exploitation. It is a nation — a tapestry woven from shared history, culture, and values for which brave men and women have laid down their lives. It cannot be reduced to an assembly line of interchangeable parts, valued only for their ability to grind out the longest hours at the lowest wages.

What is needed now is not the revenge of the nerds, but the revival of a generation raised on the robust joys of Saturday morning cartoons, football games, and camping trips — on the free, unencumbered spirit of hiking, hunting, and late-night conversations at sleepovers. If that means fewer dog food delivery apps or the loss of yet another soul-sapping tech startup, so be it. Let us reclaim the essence of what it means to live, not merely to work. Let us remember that a country worth fighting for is one built on the spirit of its people, not on the profit margins of its corporations.