Every tyranny is exercised by the few over the many. Your numbers don't mean much.

Like I said, dating would be a lot easier if it was me. Unfortunately, I am straight.

Interesting; I wonder if that includes Psy.D. and Ed.D. students of whom there are a large number and who frequently pay their own way I believe. I did almost went to a program where I wouldn't get funding though I could teach a few courses a semester to pay my way, but it was a relatively inexpensive program anyway (like 5k a semester full-time, and I would be coming in with enough credits that I wouldn't have to pay more after that) and I was under the impression it was incredibly rare.

Nope. Why?

Do you know how easy it is to find sex if you're gay? A gay friend has remarked on several occasions how bad he feels for straight men having trouble getting sex.

I need another hint.

Do that many people pay for their PhDs? I'm not paying for mine; I wouldn't do it if I had to (racked up enough debt from law school). I look at it as a low-pay but enjoyable job that I can live on for a few years before trying the tenure-track-job lotto.

I won't buy a Wii U because I don't really find Nintendo games appealing. Nintendo is now selling the console at a loss; you really don't think it's a flop? NINTENDO thinks it's a flop. Why don't you?

I occasionally hit up Best Buy, and honestly their prices are frequently on par with Amazon and even sometimes Newegg.

I stopped in a Blockbusters the other day to see if their "going out of business" sale was any good and was severely disappointed. Like, 10% off retail for new DVDs.

Now, Borders, THAT was a going-out-of-business sale. Like 70%-90% off new books and ridiculously priced blu-rays (I was getting titles I actually wanted for like a few bucks each).

"funtioning democracy, multiple political parties"

If only America could be more like Italy!

"longer lifespans"

When I look at life expectancy tables I see plenty of European countries below the US.

"lower death at birth rates"

Ditto.

"happier people"

According to the World Happiness Report (http://unsdsn.org/files/2013/09/WorldHappinessReport2013_online.pdf) the U.S. beats out most European countries.

"decent mass public transportation"

A function of population density. Plenty of cities do mass transportation right in the US. I'd take the NYC subway system over any that I rode in Europe.

"none of them have started two wars in the last 20 years"

Weird, arbitrary date.

Nope. Engineers are notorious for tunnel vision particularly in regards to environmental issues.

I think we should definitely allow and encourage the best and brightest to come here; the problem is not that we're doing that, but that we're not supporting the best and brightest HERE. In addition to all the sleazy financial reasons companies prefer foreign tech workers, there's a weird (and wrong) cultural perception in business that they're "better," but that's not really based on experience but rather just kind of fad-seeking echo chamber that is modern corporate America.

Right, that was my point. The idea that there is some different, superior philosophy underlying "European" science is silly. It's the same methodology, same philosophy, same people collaborating, etc.

Sokal's a physicist, maybe his view of the math CS majors have to learn is basic enough that it doesn't rise to the level of "particular training."