H-1B AND THE DEATH OF THE AMERICAN DREAM
HOW AMERICA DECIDED IT'S CHEAPER TO RENT FOREIGN-EDUCATED WORKERS THAN TO EDUCATE ITS OWN CHILDREN
Let me tell you a story about the most ambitious heist in American history. It wasn't pulled off with guns or masks. There were no getaway cars, no dramatic police chases, no Hollywood endings. This heist was executed in boardrooms and legislative chambers, with PowerPoint presentations and campaign contributions, over the course of forty years. The target? The American Dream itself. The perpetrators? A bipartisan coalition of oligarchs who realized something revolutionary: It's cheaper to import educated workers than to educate Americans.
Let that marinate for a moment while we watch the MAGA movement—a populist uprising built entirely on rage against this very system—implode in real-time as its leader, Donald Trump, stands before cameras and tells unemployed Americans they're too stupid to build missiles.
Welcome to 2025, where the contradictions have become so blatant, the hypocrisy so naked, that the entire con is finally visible to anyone willing to look.
Part I: The Grand Strategy—How to Dismantle a Middle Class in Three Easy Steps
The oligarchy didn't stumble into this system. They engineered it with the precision of a Swiss watch and the morality of a loan shark. Here's the playbook:
Step 1: Defund Public Education (1980s–Present)
The first move in any good heist is to eliminate the competition. In this case, the competition was an educated American workforce that might demand things like "fair wages" and "decent working conditions."
The Execution:
State Disinvestment: Between 1990 and 2020, state funding for public universities dropped by an average of 37% per student (adjusted for inflation). Institutions that were once tuition-free or nearly free—the University of California system, CUNY, SUNY—became debt factories.
The Privatization Scam: Public schools were systematically starved while charter schools and private institutions were championed. The message was clear: education is a commodity, not a right. If you can't afford it, that's a you problem.
The Student Loan Trap: Federal student loan debt exploded from $200 billion in 2000 to over $1.7 trillion by 2025. An entire generation now graduates with the financial equivalent of a mortgage—except you can't foreclose on a degree, and bankruptcy won't save you.
The Result: American higher education became prohibitively expensive just as the economy began demanding advanced degrees for entry-level jobs. The cruel irony? Colleges now function as H-1B visa factories, educating foreign students (who pay full tuition) who then get hired by American companies via the very visa program that undercuts American graduates.
Step 2: Offshore the Jobs (1990s–2010s)
While education was being hollowed out, the oligarchy executed phase two: move the jobs overseas.
The Execution:
NAFTA (1994): Sold as a "rising tide lifts all boats" miracle, NAFTA was actually a permission slip for manufacturers to relocate to Mexico, where labor was cheap and environmental regulations were suggestions.
China Joins the WTO (2001): This was the big one. Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China opened the floodgates. Entire industries—textiles, electronics, steel—evaporated from American soil. Rust Belt cities became graveyards.
The "Service Economy" Lie: As factories closed, workers were told not to worry: America was transitioning to a "knowledge economy." Just retrain! Learn to code! (Spoiler: They'd eventually import coders too.)
The Result: Between 2000 and 2010, the U.S. lost approximately 5 million manufacturing jobs. Unions were decimated. Wages stagnated. The towns that voted for Trump in 2016 weren't irrational—they were the crime scenes.
Step 3: Import Cheaper Labor via H-1B (1990–Present)
Here's where it gets diabolical. Having offshored millions of jobs, the oligarchy realized they still needed some work done domestically—particularly in tech, engineering, and specialized manufacturing. But American workers, even the ones who'd managed to get educated despite the rigged system, had the audacity to expect competitive salaries and humane working conditions.
Solution? The H-1B visa program.
The Execution:
1990: The H-1B is born, capped at 65,000 visas annually. It's sold as a way to fill "talent gaps" in specialized fields.
1998–2000: During the Dot-com boom, Bill Clinton—champion of the working class, remember—raises the cap to 115,000, then 195,000. Tech companies claim they can't find enough American programmers. (Translation: They can't find enough Americans willing to work 80-hour weeks for $60k.)
2004–Present: The cap drops back to 85,000, but demand explodes. A lottery system is implemented. By 2025, over 70% of H-1B visas go to Indian nationals, many employed by outsourcing firms that explicitly exist to undercut American labor costs.
The Genius of H-1B:
Unlike offshoring, which created bad optics (empty factories, unemployed workers), the H-1B program imports workers into the U.S., maintaining the illusion of a thriving economy while systematically suppressing wages. These workers are tied to their employers—if they lose their job, they have 60 days to find a new sponsor or leave the country. It's indentured servitude with a tech bro aesthetic.
The Timeline Correlation:
Now here's where it gets really interesting. Map the expansion of the H-1B program against the defunding of American higher education:
See the pattern? As America stopped investing in its own people, it ramped up importation of foreign-educated workers. Why? Because other countries—particularly India and China—subsidize their elite technical education. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are government-funded. Students pay minimal tuition. The Indian government bears the cost of producing world-class engineers, and American companies reap the benefits.
It's cheaper to rent foreign-educated workers than to educate Americans.
Let me say that again, louder, for the people in the back:
IT IS CHEAPER TO RENT FOREIGN-EDUCATED WORKERS THAN TO EDUCATE AMERICANS.
This isn't a bug. It's the entire business model.
Part II: The $100,000 Fee—Oligarchy Consolidation Disguised as Populism
Now we arrive at Trump's 2025 masterstroke: the $100,000 H-1B visa fee.
On the surface, this looks like a restriction—proof that Trump is "tough" on immigration and protecting American workers. MAGA cheered initially. But look closer.
Who does a $100,000 fee hurt?
Small businesses and startups that might hire one or two specialized workers.
Mid-sized companies trying to compete with tech giants.
Universities and research institutions (though many are cap-exempt).
Who does it help?
Amazon, Google, Meta, Apple—companies that can absorb $100,000 per worker as a rounding error.
Massive outsourcing firms (TCS, Infosys) that operate at scale.
The oligarchy.
The $100,000 fee isn't a restriction—it's a moat. It ensures that only the wealthiest corporations can play the H-1B game, further consolidating power at the top. Small competitors are priced out. The oligarchy wins again.
And then, just to twist the knife, Trump stands at a Saudi investment forum—hosted by MBS, the guy who allegedly ordered a journalist dismembered—and tells the American people:
"You don't have certain talents, and people have to learn! You can't take people off an unemployment line and say I'm gonna put you into a factory where we're gonna make missiles."
Translation: "American workers are inadequate. We need to import talent."
This, from the man elected on the promise to bring jobs back to America.
The MAGA base, understandably, lost their minds. "Where is my president?" they cried into the void.
He's at dinner with the oligarchs, folks. He's always been at dinner with the oligarchs.
Part III: The Bipartisan Con—Both Parties Sold You Out
Let's be crystal clear: this isn't a partisan issue. Both parties have been complicit in this decades-long dismantling of the American middle class.
The Democrats:
Bill Clinton: Signed NAFTA, raised the H-1B cap to 195,000, championed "free trade" that devastated American manufacturing.
Barack Obama: Maintained the H-1B status quo, oversaw record deportations of undocumented workers while keeping the skilled visa pipeline wide open.
Joe Biden: Presided over the highest volume of H-1B approvals in history (442,000 in FY 2022, mostly renewals).
The Republicans:
George W. Bush: Let the 195,000 cap expire but did nothing to fundamentally reform the system.
Donald Trump (Term 1): Raised denial rates but kept the program intact, never pushed Congress for real reform.
Donald Trump (Term 2): Imposed the $100,000 fee (benefiting oligarchs) while publicly defending the need for foreign workers.
The Common Thread: Both parties are funded by the same oligarchs. Citizens United (2010) and subsequent Supreme Court rulings opened the floodgates for unlimited corporate money in politics. The oligarchy doesn't need to choose sides—they own both teams.
Part IV: The Media—Selling You the Oligarchy's Narrative
And who controls the narrative? The corporate media, which is—surprise—owned by the oligarchy.
Comcast owns NBC/MSNBC
AT&T (formerly) owned CNN; now it's Warner Bros. Discovery
Disney owns ABC
Rupert Murdoch owns Fox News
Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post
Billionaire investors control most major outlets
These outlets don't report the news—they curate it. They frame the H-1B debate as "immigration" (triggering culture war reflexes) rather than "labor economics" (which would require examining oligarch power). They platform tech CEOs who claim "talent shortages" without interrogating why American universities produce fewer STEM graduates (hint: because we defunded education).
The media sells you the oligarchy's schemes as inevitable, natural, even beneficial. It's 3-D chess, and they own the board.
Part V: Why Your Kid Lives in Your Basement (And Why That's the Plan)
Let's connect the dots to your daily life.
Your kid graduated college with $80,000 in debt. They studied engineering, did everything "right." But the entry-level job they finally landed pays $55,000 in a city where rent is $1,800/month. Their employer casually mentions they're "exploring H-1B options" for the next hiring cycle. Your kid can't afford an apartment, can't save for a house, can't start a family.
So they live in your basement.
This isn't an accident. This is the plan.
A broke, precarious workforce is a compliant workforce. People drowning in debt don't strike. They don't demand better conditions. They don't have the time or resources to organize politically. They're too busy surviving.
The oligarchy learned from the New Deal era: a strong middle class is dangerous. Middle-class people have leisure time to read, think, organize, and demand systemic change. They have savings to weather a strike. They have security to take risks.
So the oligarchy dismantled it. Systematically. Over forty years.
Defund education → Create debt slaves
Offshore jobs → Destroy unions
Import cheaper labor → Suppress wages
Consolidate media → Control the narrative
Flood politics with money → Capture government
Poor people are easier to manage.
Part VI: The Supreme Court—The Oligarchy's Legal Shield
Let's talk about the Supreme Court, because they're the ones who made all of this legally bulletproof.
Citizens United v. FEC (2010): Ruled that corporate spending on political campaigns is protected speech. Translation: Oligarchs can now buy elections openly.
Subsequent Rulings: Further dismantled campaign finance restrictions, gutted voting rights protections, and consistently ruled in favor of corporate power over worker rights.
The Court isn't neutral—it's been captured. Five of the current justices were appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote but won via the Electoral College (itself an oligarchy-friendly institution). The Federalist Society, funded by billionaire donors, has systematically shaped the judiciary for decades.
Result: The government is no longer "of the people, by the people, for the people." It's of the oligarchy, by the oligarchy, for the oligarchy.
Part VII: The H-1B Program as Microcosm—Follow the Timeline
Let's trace the H-1B program's expansion alongside other oligarchy moves:
The pattern is undeniable. Every move reinforces the others. It's a system, not a series of accidents.
Part VIII: What the Hell Happened to the American Dream?
The American Dream was this: Work hard, get educated, buy a house, raise a family, retire with dignity. It was predicated on a social contract: society invests in you (public education, infrastructure, opportunity), and you contribute back (taxes, civic participation, economic growth).
That contract has been shredded.
The oligarchy decided that investing in Americans was expensive and inconvenient. Educated workers demand too much. They unionize. They vote. They expect pensions and healthcare.
So the oligarchy built a new model:
Defund public goods (education, infrastructure)
Privatize everything (schools, prisons, healthcare)
Import labor when needed (H-1B, outsourcing)
Export jobs when convenient (offshoring)
Capture government (Citizens United, lobbying)
Control narrative (corporate media)
The American Dream didn't die—it was murdered. Deliberately. For profit.
Part IX: Trump, MAGA, and the Betrayal
Which brings us back to Trump and the current MAGA meltdown.
MAGA was supposed to be the rebellion against all of this. Trump ran in 2016 as the guy who would fight the oligarchy, bring back jobs, drain the swamp, and restore the American Dream.
And for a moment, it seemed possible. His voters weren't stupid—they correctly identified that the system was rigged against them. They just misidentified the solution.
Because Trump was never the solution. He was always part of the problem.
Trump is a billionaire. He made his fortune exploiting workers, using undocumented labor, manufacturing overseas, and gaming bankruptcy laws. He's not a populist—he just plays one on TV.
And now, in 2025, the mask has fully slipped. Trump is standing next to MBS, surrounded by oligarchs, telling American workers they're not talented enough, while simultaneously imposing a $100,000 H-1B fee that only benefits the wealthiest corporations.
The MAGA base is furious, and they should be. They've been conned. Again.
Part X: So What the Hell Do We Do About It?
Here's the good news: It's not too late.
The oligarchy is powerful, but they're not invincible. They rely on our compliance, our exhaustion, our division. The moment we stop playing their game, the whole thing falls apart.
Here's the action plan:
1. Vote Like Your Life Depends On It (Because It Does)
The 2026 midterms are critical. Primary every politician—Democrat or Republican—who takes corporate PAC money. Support candidates who pledge to:
Overturn Citizens United (constitutional amendment if necessary)
Fund public education (federal and state level)
Reform or abolish the H-1B program in favor of training Americans
Restore union rights
Tax the oligarchy (wealth tax, close loopholes)
2. Organize Locally
National politics is important, but local politics is where you have the most power:
School boards: Fight for public education funding
City councils: Demand living wages, affordable housing
State legislatures: Push for public university funding, worker protections
3. Support Independent Media
Stop giving clicks to corporate media. Support journalists and outlets that aren't owned by billionaires:
Substack writers
Independent podcasts
Nonprofit news organizations (ProPublica, The Intercept, etc.)
4. Make Noise
Write letters to the editor of your local paper
Call your representatives (yes, actually call)
Make memes (seriously—information warfare is real)
Protest (in the streets, online, everywhere)
5. Build Solidarity
The oligarchy wins when we're divided. They want us fighting over culture war bullshit while they rob us blind.
Workers of all backgrounds need to unite
MAGA voters and progressives have more in common than either wants to admit (both got screwed by the oligarchy)
Focus on class, not just identity
6. Educate Yourself and Others
Share this essay. Share the data. Connect the dots for people. The oligarchy's greatest weapon is complexity—they hide their schemes behind jargon, bureaucracy, and boring policy details.
Make it simple:
They defunded your schools
They shipped your jobs overseas
They imported cheaper workers
They bought your government
They stole your future
And they're hoping you won't notice.
Conclusion: The Choice
We're at a crossroads. The H-1B dustup is just one symptom of a much larger disease. The American Dream isn't dead yet, but it's on life support, and the oligarchy is reaching for the plug.
You can accept this. You can shrug and say "that's just how it is" and watch your kids live in your basement forever while billionaires play 3-D chess with your life.
Or you can fight back.
The oligarchy is counting on your exhaustion, your cynicism, your belief that nothing can change. Prove them wrong.
Protest. Organize. Vote. Make noise. Build solidarity. Educate. Resist.
Because the alternative is a future where the American Dream is a punchline, where your labor is a commodity to be arbitraged, where your government is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the oligarchy.
That future is not inevitable. But it will be your reality if you do nothing.
The choice is yours.
The oligarchy is playing 3-D chess.
It's time to flip the board.
"You can't take people off an unemployment line and say I'm gonna put you into a factory where we're gonna make missiles." —Donald Trump, November 2025
"Yes, we can. We just have to invest in them. But that would cut into your donors' profits, wouldn't it?" —Every American who's paying attention
Now go. Write that letter. Make that meme. Register to vote. Organize your workplace.
The American Dream is worth fighting for.
And the oligarchy? They're not as powerful as they want you to believe.
Checkmate.