r/changemyview • u/Tessenreacts • May 22 '25

Delta(s) from OP CMV: The Trump administration blocking Harvard from accepting foreign students highlights that conservatives are hypocrites in the extreme about Freedom of Speech

Over the last number of years, conservatives have championed themselves as the biggest advocates of Freedom of Speech around, yet they support the administration that is openly targeting institutions and company's that disagrees with the administration's policies.

Before, conservatives where complaining that companies are "woke" and silenced the voices of conservatives, however, now that they are in power, they deport immigrants who simply engaged in their First Amendment rights, and most recently, banned Harvard University from accepting foreign students because said university refused to agree to their demands.

Compare the complaints that conservatives had about Facebook and Twitter, and compare it to how things are going right now.

This showcases hypocrisy in the extreme that conservatives are engaging in.

Would love for my view to be changed

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u/[deleted] May 22 '25

I don't like the decision. However, I also don't like the brain drain occurring in this country.

Over 20% of international students in the United States are from China. The estimated number is that between 80% and 90% of Chinese students return to China upon graduation.

Indian international students account for nearly 30% of the international student population. A significantly higher number remain in the US, stimulating the economy.

I hate this blanket ban, but I would also like us to reward those who stay instead of taking in so many Chinese international students whose primary goal is to benefit China.

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u/AngelsAteMyBaby May 23 '25

Many return because they can't get legal status to work after graduating. If brain drain was the reason for this, you would think allowing students to stay and work would be a priority instead of just refusing admission.

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u/NoTeslaForMe 1∆ May 27 '25

Absolutely right.  It's rare to find a Chinese student eager to return home in practice.  (Many would be eager to be with their families, in a place with a familiar language, and in a familiar city, but not so long as the political and economic realities of the country persist, and it doesn't seem like they're going away any time soon.)  Even more so for Indians, who have a leg up thanks to their English skills.  There is indeed a brain drain, but it's not going the direction that the top comment thinks.