Why Technology Companies Protest The Travel Ban

It isn’t strange, if you do the research.   Many Americans did not go into technology in the 80s/90s because it just was seen as geeky, nerdy, uncool.   This meant that American companies had to go head hunting.

A friend of mine who had started out in the late 80s working for little local companies was shortly ‘captured’ by a larger company, one of those foreign ones which open offices in 3rd and 4th World countries, and go after the best.

He was shortly seduced by another company, a major one here, and was in a substantial position when an American company came here to ‘abduct’ him.

The amount of money offered, the perqs, was contained in an offer he couldn’t refuse, so he left Jamaica and went to America, where he got a big post because he was that good.

Sure, Americans could do his job, if there were Americans with his ability and experience.  But there aren’t.  This is why he is there.

This is a personal story, yes, but one which is repeated all over the world, because in many countries, technology isn’t seen as geeky or nerdy but viewed with the respect given a lawyer or a doctor.   Kids grow up wanting to be an Engineer, a Programmer, a Developer, and so, go into local businesses, and get in depth experience, so that they become expert.

Many tech companies have people from all over the globe working there.   To ban those from specific countries just because they were born in those countries would deplete many companies of their best and brightest.

The travel ban, based on country of origin was simply stupid, or Trumpist.   For Donald Trump is one of those stupid people who doesn’t think before he acts.

There are many people who were born in one of those ‘banned’ countries who left as a child and have been living elsewhere; such as Mo Farah; the 5k and 10k Olympic Gold Medalist, who has been in Great Britain since he was a boy.

There are others who worked with the American government, such as the translator who risked his life helping America, but was hit by the ban.

To block the entry of persons considered threats is not unexpected, to increase the vetting of persons from countries which have known terrorist links, is basic.  But one has to find out who they are first, where they went and what they did.

If a person has citizenship, a Green Card, a Work VISA, a basic VISa, or has been in the United States for years, whether coming and going on business, then they should have been considered differently.

But that is not how Trumpists think.

Which has led to the protests by major American Companies against the Ban, because it is their work force, their pocket which is under attack.