Earlier this year, as President Donald Trump was beginning to reshape the American government, Michael, an emergency room doctor who was born, raised, and trained in the United States, packed up his family and got out.
Michael now works in a small-town hospital in Canada. KFF Health News and NPR granted him anonymity because of fears he might face reprisal from the Trump administration if he returns to the U.S. He said he feels some guilt that he did not stay to resist the Trump agenda but is assured in his decision to leave. Too much of America has simply grown too comfortable with violence and cruelty, he said.
How long do we think it’ll take for the brain drain to kick into its full economic consequences? 5, 10 years?
Based on how much the institutions of the US will continue to uphold, I think we’ll see the impact in 10 years or more. Hopefully, though – granted, hope isn’t an operational term, just an ideal – there will be some measure of course correction within that decade.
Just long enough for them to blame the Democrats and then get elected again.
Not a problem. The US can just black bag the brains back. Easy.
What was the term back during Bush’s war on peace?
“Extraordinary Rendition”
No. That was shipping “criminals” to torture camps and prisons in a third country so the US wouldn’t be blamed for all the torture and illegal imprisonment.
That sounds familiar. Like recently familiar.
Still. Wonder if there’s a name for kidnapping escaped scientists who fled the country and bringing them back. I bet there’s a German word. There’s always a German word. Might be 47 letters and entirely unpronounceable. But it probably exists.
Extraordinary Repatriation, maybe? I’m going with that for now, anyway.
Extraordinary Reverse Uno Rendition coming up
I believe the proper HR term for the proposed course of action is “requisition of resources”.
The irony is when we get over this we’ll likely end up replacing our American-born doctors with immigrants to replace all the people lost.
That was true pre-Trump. Now? All bets are off. And frankly, I will look down on a new foreign medical doctor now, not because I think the quality of care sucks. But because in my mind I would be thinking “what kind of dumb fuck wants to move here right now?”
We will take all the doctors (and nurses) that want to leave that third world shithole. I’ll meet you at the border and give you a lift to wherever you want to go.
Hope rural hospitals close so we have less fascists moving forward.
