Comments (13)

• Bill Drissel

  Mihai,
  I won't let others use the phrase "brain drain" around me. People do not gravitate away from the lands of their birth. They have to be driven away. I insist that people say "brain pump." If a country doesn't like the effects of the brain pump, all they need to do is turn it off.

  Regards,
  Bill Drissel,
  Grand Prairie, TX
  

  Published: November 27, 2006 9:22 AM

• livingplanet

  mihai, hi. you start out well, but muddle through from the middle towards the end. you should've added something new and a little data so that it doesn't sound like a rant. concrete examples such as how indian IT specialists help india or how filipino expatriates help the philippines would have been enlightening. nice effort though.

  best,

  hecky
  tucson,az.

  Published: November 27, 2006 9:47 AM

• Mike Linksvayer

  Additionally, "brain drain" mongering is just an example of not thinking about longer term effects.

  Over the long term my guess is that brains are not zero sum — a brain drain really just means increased returns to education. Mobility means more people in the developing world will pursue higher education.

  Published: November 27, 2006 11:09 AM

• Ken Mathews

  "Brain Drain" = Talent and Virtue fleeing socialism whether it be the "soft" euro-type welfare state or the "hard" oppressive and violent dictatorships or semi-choas type of socialism, ex. communism, and various forms of "cleptocracy," etc.

  Published: November 27, 2006 12:18 PM

• Cosmin

  I feel that brain drain is a real problem. I agree however that it isn't really a question of outsiders stealing qualified talent.
  However, don't pretend that free-market rules apply. The origin of the problem usually is weak-currency policies enacted by local governments. This is supposed to create employment, but that's laughable. One doesn't create employment, and I wish governments (and central banks) would get out of that business.
  Movement of skilled professionals isn't a bad thing, but the current situation is an artificial one that skews this migration towards one side compared to what would happen in a free market. Furthermore, this artificially sustained brain drain further impedes the ability of the developing country to catch up.
  Also, brain drain isn't necessarily skilled professionals finding better paying jobs in their field elsewhere. When architects and doctors and computer engineers make more money picking strawberries in another country, that's just proof of how far we are from a free-market situation.

  As a general comment, I read many articles on this site that wrongly pre-suppose we are somewhere close to being free and such pre-suppositions lead them to come in favor of situations that wouldn't exist in a free market.

  Published: November 27, 2006 10:03 PM

• Francisco Torres

  concrete examples such as how [I]ndian IT specialists help [I]ndia or how [F]ilipino expatriates help the [P]hilippines would have been enlightening.

  You missed the point - the author clearly states the futility of this "beehive" mentality, seeking the benefit that I-N-D-I-V-I-D-U-A-L decisions mean for a whole population. If you do not go on living your life thinking about what each of the MILLIONS of decisions you personally take will affect your countrymen (surely making it impossible for you to take a single action), then you cannot ask the same from people who simply decide to move to other countries.

  Published: November 27, 2006 10:40 PM

• banker

  This is a great gem of a story that has some relation to this post.

  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/26/education/26unschool.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

  I have a feeling that this is the reason people leave certain countries:

  “As school choice expands and home-schooling in general grows, this is one of those models that I think the larger public sphere needs to be aware of because the folks who are engaging in these radical forms of school are doing so legally,” said Professor Huerta of Columbia. “If the public and policy makers don’t feel that this is a form of schooling that is producing productive citizens, then people should vote to make changes accordingly.”

  Published: November 28, 2006 4:51 AM

• Yancey Ward

  The very first comment nails in on the head- it is not a drain but a pump. And, of course, countries with regimented socialist structures will pump out their talent if that talent can earn a difference in income that compensates for the costs associated with migration.

  At it's base, the drain argument is an argument for more coercion applied to the productive. One can't let the slaves leave the plantation.

  Published: November 28, 2006 9:55 AM

• Mamur

  Let's not beat around the bush...
  Simply put, in case of the USA, America is simply printing out paper and buying people's lives.

  Because of constant stream of ILLEGAL money printing, there is a false sense of financial and economic well-being in this country. Therefore, people are literally "dying" to come to this country.

  You have to tie this brain drain to a larger picture of monetary crimes on behalf of various countries in order to see the real problem.

  There is enormous level of distortion in capital (including human and intellectual capital)due to economic, particularly monetary policies exercised by "super" liar countries...

  mr

  Published: November 28, 2006 12:57 PM

• Aditya Dash

  The current president of India, Abdul Kalam has a very good quote on this topic, "brain drain is better than brain going to drains".

  Published: November 29, 2006 1:07 AM

• John Powers

  Aside from collecting money, are the grandly degreed immigrants really all that smart? What evidence do we have? If property values were allowed to drop as people willing to spend left, wouldn't it all balance out? Wouldn't you think that at some point, it would be economically advantageous move on, regardless of your "educational" certificates?

  JBP

  Published: November 29, 2006 10:15 PM

• John Powers

  I am specifying that in 1830's Ireland, a ditchdigger could make 18x his Irish wages, and be allowed to own property, and practice his religion freely and run for office and get married to the woman of his choice if he moved to Chicago, or lurk in the lurch in Eire.

  Was this a brain drain? The "brain drain" seems to be the common sense for an emigre to get his head out of his ass when he has the chance, rather than showing your grand set of parchments to the nitwits willing to hire you based on your parchment.

  JBP

  Published: November 29, 2006 10:20 PM

• hecky

  If you do not go on living your life thinking about what each of the MILLIONS of decisions you personally take will affect your countrymen (surely making it impossible for you to take a single action), then you cannot ask the same from people who simply decide to move to other countries- Francisco Torres

  Ridiculous comment. Who made that assertion? I was looking at real examples/phenomena and I don't believe in brain drain. Start with reality and work backward my friend. Don't start with your essentialist thoughts.

  Published: December 5, 2006 10:38 AM