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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 15, 2025

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H1Bs now require a $100k payment per year (I believe, seeing some remarks saying it might be per visa) to the government due to Donald Trump executive order, plus if you are currently overseas and hold a H1B you need to pay $100k effective immediately on your next entry into the USA if you are not within the country by the 20th of September.

As a foreign non-Lawyer I don't know how effective this is going to be/liable to be immediately derailed in the courts, but I do think it's a positive step towards ensuring skilled immigration is used for the genuinely effective instead of ye olde 'I can import a foreigner who I have more power over at a 10% discount rate to domestic workers'. I'm also deeply skeptical of the 'productivity' of the vast majority of tech H1B hires and wish them the best of luck in attempting to offshore the competencies required to make AI-powered Grindr for Daily Fantasy Sports

This is an annual $100k fee, it's basically telling H-1B applicants they aren't welcome in the US as nobody is going to pay that much extra. Plus it's going to destroy the US international student college market as outside the very top schools a big part of the draw is a chance to work and stay in the US after graduation and nobody outside of Citadel etc. will pay $100k per year in fees for a new grad.

Good boon for the UK/Canada though as it means that instead of American companies hiring in the US they'll instead offshore the jobs and hire here instead. The country can generally do with some of the over inflated US salaries coming over here too.

I feel the US will regret this 10 years down the line, much like how they are now regretting limiting Nvidia sales to China forcing them to build their own homegrown system.

  • -12

much like how they are now regretting limiting Nvidia sales to China forcing them to build their own homegrown system.

What? This is not happening unless there is very new news. China's home grown system is still much worse.

FT article this week: https://www.ft.com/content/8fd79522-e34f-4633-bc87-ef0aae2d9159

Archive link: https://archive.is/UKulo

China trials its first advanced tools for AI chipmaking

Good on them for building it, but if you read the article you would see that the DUV tech they are testing is years behind the latest EUV stuff, and it will still be years before it is up and running.

EUV is a whole different beast from DUV and who knows when China will have one ready.

Well this article just also came out: https://www.ft.com/content/db286a0a-ca2d-4791-809e-c9a1ac73b8ad

Archive link: https://archive.is/jSRNH

Chinese tech stocks surge past Nasdaq on the back of AI advance
Beijing’s push for chip self-sufficiency accelerates triumphant comeback for sector

The whole feeling that China has come out on top here isn't on the basis of a single article or anything but rather a more latent sentiment shared by many that the US through their actions delved too greedily and too deep and now have awoken something best left sleeping.

Hello derail. You specifically posted the previous article arguing about the effects of chip sanctions. And I said that your argument was bs.

The chinese tech sector is doing fine but that's pretty much irrelevant. If you read the exact article you just linked:

Analysts still caution that the rally is being driven as much by speculation as any real progress in areas such as chip self-sufficiency. “We don’t really know what is happening,” said BofA’s Wu, noting the lack of disclosure details from chipmakers claiming substantial advances. The market was interpreting China’s ban on buying foreign chips as evidence of progress, she added.