"They can't surpass us if we don't record the numbers!"
That's like the time they fired the Labor statistician for reporting bad jobs numbers...
this post was submitted on 30 Apr 2026
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The future belongs to China. And our government really doesn't want us to know that.
Really doesn’t want us to know they’re the reason the future belongs to China
Or the corporations running the government are intentionally hoping to cause the collapse of the United States and completely privatize every aspect of whatever they replace it with.
Since the NIH funding freeze in Jan 2025 that was so devastating to academic research labs in the US, we have lost 10,000 PhD candidates. That's 10,000 of the brightest and smartest young researchers in the world just gone. That single move destroyed STEM research in the US that we will never recover from.
For those that think, no we'll easily recover as we just won't freeze funding in the future: no young scientist will come to the US now or in the future to enter a PhD program because of the always present threat that we will elect another troglodyte. These research labs have grant money that cannot be paused even for a day as they can't pay for their research assistants and students without it. It's their only source of funds.
Edit: based upon the ignorant responses most don’t appear to know how PhD programs work and are funded which contributes to the lack of outrage over these destructive policies. US is rapidly going down the tubes.
I would love to have a PhD or even a masters degree but I cannot afford it.
One thing that I feel like needs to be pointed out when it’s mentioned is it’s not just 10,000 PhD’s. It’s 10,000 people who could afford a PhD. 10,000 families that could afford for one of their kids or spouses to spend that much time in college with that much expense or to take on that much in student loans. It’s not just PhD’s it’s wiping out what’s left in the upper middle class.
Most PHDs of the type referenced, and most STEM PhDs in general, are fully funded. In other words, tuition and generally some degree of living expenses are covered in exchange for work performed for teaching and research assistantships, fellowships, and grants. This is also true for many STEM masters degrees, though with fewer funding opportunities.
If you're going post-graduate in a STEM field with a thesis requirement AND are paying tuition, you're getting fucked.
I don’t know where you live, but that’s not the norm in the United States. Everybody I know with a PhD has six figures in student loans or is rich enough to have their parents pay for it.
Edit: It’s also occurring to me that what you’re talking about is somebody who either does not already have a full-time job or is going directly from their masters to their PhD in order to have work at the college. Nobody who’s keeping their full-time job is also being a graduate assistant.
This is not true. In STEM in the US nearly all PhD candidates are paid a stipend and tuition.
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(6 replies)
In the US and that's absolutely the norm here. I'd know - I went through it.
Your edit expands the context outside of what we're discussing - losing 10,000 STEM PhD candidates. People don't often do part-time PhDs in STEM as they're not frequently offered. People aren't keeping their full-time jobs when getting a STEM PhD because that becomes their full-time job.
Looking at it from a super high level, universities apply for funding to complete research, which is completed b graduate students with assistance from faculty. Their tuition is covered to give the graduate student the necessary skills to complete the research while also furthering their other educational goals as time and funds allow.There are often constraints on how and when this research is performed which can make it incompatible with a part-time schedule. The time requirements can also be massive - between classes, teaching, lab research, field research, and being the de-facto lab manager, I easily put in 70-80 hours a week. I even had to sign an agreement that I wouldn't seek outside work or I'd lose my funding, which ultimately was comical given I wouldn't have the time
My edit didn’t expand anything. I was already talking about how this affected people’s families and going far beyond simple tuition affording. Even if your tuition is covered you still have to be able to afford to not have a full-time job that pays anything for that amount of time. I feel like you’re being intentionally obtuse.
I don't know how to put this more gently. You're speaking about a subject that, for anyone familiar with it, it's pretty clear you don't know much about, and are getting defensive and doubling down when anyone contradicts you.
It seems like you're more interested in feeling right than actually being right, and I'm just not interested in wasting my time with someone who would rather write paragraph after paragraph about how other people are wrong than spend 60 seconds first looking online to check if they're actually right themselves.
My original comment was about what was being lost in addition to those who have a PhD. About their families and what it took from them for that person to get a PhD.
At this point I don’t even think you read my comment. You are being an ass about having tuition covered like that’s all that it takes to get a PhD. You didn’t contradict me you moved the goalpost and won’t accept it when I try to move them back. I literally have family with a PhD in higher education administration who I find far more trustworthy on this subject than a random internet asshole who has offered nothing but “trust me bro”.
The bottom line is that graduate degrees are expensive and tuition is only part of what it takes. If you personally are too blind to see what was sacrificed by others for you to go through this then I feel sorry for those people.
Fucking hell mate. Not a single shred of self awareness on you, is there?
At least I actually read your comments. Even though they didn’t have anything to do with the class war I was talking about and you come off like an uppity douche.
Go to Europe. My MSc cost me €1500.
I’ve spent more than 15 years trying to get out of the US. It’s pretty much only possible if you can trace your lineage back to Europe which as a Native American who has maybe a tiny bit of Scottish I can’t. Or if you get a job in Europe. I can’t even afford a European vacation.
It's absolutely possible but it's not easy if you don't have a in demand profession.
One of my closest friends left the US for Germany with about $5000, a suitcase of clothes, and absolutely no specialized work skills. He worked in hostels for room and board, and did part time work for spending money. He had to skirt immigration laws while working to get permanent residency, but got his education in IT for only minor fees each semester and became a citizen after ten years.
It can be done, but it's much more difficult without lots of money, family, or similar advantages.
European universities have a special rate that they charge non-EU residents. It's closer to US tuition rates (but still way cheaper than US tuition).
What do you mean? Masters are extremely pricey, but in general a PhD candidate will pay nothing out of pocket, and likely will get a stipend.
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I really don't think most Americans are ready to accept that we're a declining nation and will be for the remainder of our lives. Things will just keep getting shittier and shittier bit by bit. Death by a thousand little cuts.
If only tuition and course fees didn't go directly into the pockets of the administrators...
And Chinese universities were already quickly catching up, and in some cases leading. That will accelerate now. All those best-and-brightest Chinese researchers have less and less motivation to come study in the US each passing day.
Are we cooked, fam?
Cuz, been slow cooked in the sous-vide, and will be flash fried to finish off.
Yes
Broligarchs determining U.S. domestic policy: There's no question China has an advantage in AI development. That's why we had to cut funding to every other area (including science), strip away privacy laws, destroy civil liberties, gut regulations for corporations, and put all of our eggs into one AI basket.
Trump: Done.
NSB: China has a growing advantage over the U.S. in science. Perhaps we should rethink dumping money into the AI hole in the ground you have been banking on turning into the next .com boom? Maybe we could consider moving it back into science.
Trump: Yuh fiyad...
Well, he is the guy who wanted to stop covid testing so the US wouldn't report bad numbers.
That's exactly what I thought of. These people think hiding their heads in the sand is good enough, as long as they can pretend they aren't getting fucked in the ass at the same time.
Trump: if I don't acknowledge facts them they aren't real.
Is this winning? Also its weird how much tech bros hate science
Tech bros are about hype, money, and eventually control.
Science is (ostensibly and ideally) about facts, education, and improving the world for its inhabitants when applied properly.
Those two paradigms don’t mix so well anymore.
This is like Mao but firing instead of the wall
Ah, yes, because disproving data is as easy as firing the team gathering and analyzing the data 🤡
"Oh yeah? Show me the evidence, bro!"
"I can't, because the researchers all got fired."
"See, bro, I knew you were full of shit!"
Sounds like trump stopped them just in time! Now china can't grow their edge anymore! 
But that laughing brown lady was just so ARROGANT.
LALALALALA!!!
the internet is a thing. Write up the report anyway and post it.
Slay the messenger.
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