Trump Is Killing One of Our Strongest Exports

[applegrove]

Trump Is Killing One of Our Strongest Exports

April 15, 2025 at 5:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 117 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2025/04/15/trump-is-killing-one-of-our-strongest-exports/

Catherine Rampell: “President Donald Trump says he wants to reduce our trade deficit. Yet he’s destroying one of our winningest exports: higher education.”

“Colleges and universities are among America’s most competitive international exporters. In dollar terms, last year, the United States sold more educational services to the rest of the world than it sold in natural gas and coal combined.”

........

Our K-12 schooling outcomes are mediocre when compared with peer countries, but our postsecondary institutions are the envy of the world. That’s particularly true for larger U.S. research institutions, which excel not only at passing on existing knowledge but also enlisting students in the production of new knowledge — such as the cutting-edge scientific research that powers careers, businesses and entire economies.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Krasnov U.

by design.

[RandomNumbers]

2. It was never about ostensibly good* policy goals like "reduce the trade deficit"

( * good, meaning that some reasonable people might consider certain policies "good", while some other reasonable people might disagree with those policies. )

Trump has been in Putin's pocket all along.

All the destruction makes sense when you realize that the goal was NEVER to actually HELP the US, in any possible political permutation of the concept.

[c-rational]

6. Bingo.

[Irish_Dem]

3. It was never about money. It is about destroying the US.

All the things that make the US the envy of the world.
All gone.

[Hornedfrog2000]

9. Trump has to make the USA weak

So that way he can rein over it. It has nothing to do with making us, as a nation, stronger.

[Irish_Dem]

12. Also makes Putin quite happy.

Putin vowed to destroy the US.
And he is making good on his promise.

[erronis]

11. Cui bono? Who benefits?

Last edited Thu Apr 17, 2025, 09:10 AM - Edit history (1)

Almost all of this regimes actions have been to harm the US economy and social fabric.

Is this solely to benefit the trump family/friends? If so, why would they want to live in a country with a falling standard of living?

Or is it to benefit non-democratic people like the US oligarchs (Thiel, Murdoch, Koch, etc..)?

Or is because someone in the Kremlin has his virtual balls in a vise (tiny) that controls the pea-sized brain of the retartdo?

[Irish_Dem]

13. Benefits a number of people:

Putin vowed to destroy the US.
His puppet Trump is helping him keep that promise.

The billionaires helped install a known criminal who would help them commit crimes too.
No taxes, no regulations, scam the consumer as much as possible.
Of course Trump crashing the economy was not part of their plan.

The GOP is done with democracy, it no longer serves their purpose:
They want total and permanent power and access to all US assets.

The corruption is widespread across Congress and the Judiciary.
They welcome the fascist regime.

[Hornedfrog2000]

15. Trump bennefits

He has more power than ever even if our nation has half the power. If he remains in power for life he doesnt care. It is still way more than he came in with.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

20. Come to Canada. It's a nice place. . . . . nt

[erronis]

23. Its a nice country you have there.... as long as you can keep it.

Good friend leaves in two weeks to live with her daughter in Ottawa. I'm jealous!

[NJCher]

4. at the colleges and universities

I taught at in NJ, foreign students were a sizable component of the student body. It was amazing to me how many families abroad could/would send their students here for an American education. It is a mark of status to hold a degree from an American institution.

I know, go figure. I was surprised to find this.

One campus of a state university in NJ has a partner campus in China where students can go to work on a degree in a completely English speaking environment:

snip

The China Ministry of Education officially approved the establishment of WKU 10 years ago. Kean remains the only public university in the United States to have a campus in China. It has grown to serve 4,500 students from across China, the United States and beyond. Eight hundred students graduated from WKU on Friday, June 7, 2024.
source NJ Business

snip

A friend of mine went there to teach for 2 years. I told her not to go; the idea of teaching in a repressive regime like China's made me very uncomfortable for her safety. Nevertheless, she went, was paid well as I understand, and returned unscathed.

Now it is the U.S. who is the repressive regime and in which foreign students need to be wary.

[Orrex]

5. It's almost as if he's doing everything he can to weaken, diminish, and isolate the US

on behalf of the hostile foreign power that owns him.

[JoseBalow]

14. It's really hard to look at it any other way

[mjvpi]

7. And many of the best and brightest want to stay.

Personally, I thought democracy was one of our best exports. He’s definitely killing that one as well.

[swong19104]

8. When one only thinks transactionally

then hoarding knowledge like rare earth metal resources might be apt. But knowledge is an infinite resource. My teaching others and passing knowledge does not diminish the amount of knowledge I have. Indeed, the act of teaching actually enhances my knowledge of the subject I’m teaching.

And if we use basic economics, supply vs demand, the amount of knowledge is infinite; whereas the demand is finite (= number of learners), hence the price per unit of knowledge should be zero. That is, education should be free, as it is for all animals that teach their young.

[Iggo]

10. Exactly as if he were a Russian agent.

Hmm…

[dchill]

16. As ever.

[Cha]

17. When it's seen through the Dictator Putin's eyes

it's easy to see why Mump is doing this.

[Aussie105]

18. Ask not how we got here.

Ask not who is to blame.

We know the answer to those questions.
False promises, deluded voters, malicious mischief across the whole current administration.

Ask instead . . . where to from here?
Is there a clear path to normality?
If not, can one be created?

The rest of the world want to know.

In my opinion, reactive responses won't work, pro active responses are needed.
Time for Good Trouble for people to engage in?

[PJMcK]

19. Wait... Trump doesn't understand international economics?!

Who knew?

Education is the bedrock of Democracy. An educated public bears the responsibility of the government they elect.

Stupid people do stupid things.

Recent studies have shown that nearly one third of Americans cannot read at a 12-year old level which means that they cannot follow the narrative of a simple story. They cannot read and fill out forms accurately. Yet they can vote, raise children and drive.

Republicans have systemically demolished our once great nation all in the pursuit of profits.

Some patriots.

[FailureToCommunicate]

21. The much heralded "Soft Power" coined by Joseph Nye

All that being thrown in the dumpster of history by Krasnov 47.

[NoMoreRepugs]

22. Yet another example of the SlobFather being a Russian asset.