patrick.net

drBu says

I am wondering however how much you and your son have traveled in Russia - have you visited student dorms in Russian schools or Russian schools themselves?

That's why he is spending next summer in a language course in St Petersburg and I'm going to check it out also. If it really is intolerable or disillusioning then he has 2 years to check out other choices.

drBu says

Also, I disagree with business connection issue. As I said, many (most) Russians who study abroad (and not necessarily have Russian citizenship - many have obtained US or W European papers) are children of well-connected individuals in Russia, which makes doing business in/with Russia much easier. It is not necessarily business experience, but connections and knowledge of local culture that will benefit them.

Sorry but I refuse to believe there are enough native Russians who have studied abroad to fill all the business positions around the world for companies doing business with Russia. So tell me, how many children of well-connected individuals actually go to study in the west every year? Around 5000 a year get visa's to study in the US. How many in Europe? What schools do they go to?

How can children of well-connected individuals in Russia not be Russian citizens, that makes zero sense. What papers? Green cards? They still need a Russian citizenship, they can't go stateless. Western citizenship takes 6-8 years on average. Are you saying children of well-connected individuals in Russia have been overseas 6-8 years getting citizenship to go to college? That makes even less sense.

thunderlips11 is deplorable says

If the entire field of Astronomy failed to detect a kilometer long asteroid that swung right across LEO

So true.

thunderlips11 is deplorable says

In Economics, we have the failure to detect an unbelievably vast global financial disaster - complete and utter surprise - and suggestions that the fundamental underpinnings of econometrics are flaws are met with scoffing and eye rolling.

Yep, most of what academia teaches as economics is bullshit religious dogma that is not subject to the scientific method. That's the first problem.

The second problem is that lazy people are willing to say, well that's what they teach so who are you to question it.

Real science stands up to questioning regardless of the source. You don't have to have an accredited degree to point out a flaw in a theory, especially a flaw in which the theory makes a prediction that is directly contradicted by observation.

If observation contradicts your theory, then your theory is wrong. The universe isn't.

Ultimately reality is the real test of all ideas.

Dan8267 says

Here are some of the empirical failures of capitalism for infrastructure and necessities.

Forgot to mention the two big ones: education and health care.

I was reminded when reading How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat which shows yet another failure in capitalism that has caused tens of millions of American deaths.

bob2356 says

I checked harvard, there are 6 russian students there.

Check again. This number is not correct. It should be obvious to anybody who has been anywhere near an Ivy League university.

Another great "success" of capitalism, the airline industry.

Airlines charge fees to sit with your family

So it is the airline industry has concocted a relatively new fee: Charging you extra to sit with your loved ones.

You think it's common courtesy for an airline to let you sit next to those with whom you're actually flying?

Don't be silly.

Once airlines realized you like sitting next to the people who are named on your reservation, guess what they thought?

Yes, additional revenue opportunities.

So, as the Wall Street Journal reports, some airlines are now charging a so-called "family fee."

Want to sit next to, oh, your children? But of course. We'd love to help. Give us more money.

Joke's on them. I'd pay extra to not sit near my kids.

It would be worth paying extra to make sure your kids aren't seated next to CIC. The man has a history.

thunderlips11 is deplorable says

GI Bill should not be allowed to be used to access loans only for schools that have been operating for at least 30 years.

why are you now suddenly 'deplorable'?

FP says

bob2356 says

I checked harvard, there are 6 russian students there.

Check again. This number is not correct. It should be obvious to anybody who has been anywhere near an Ivy League university.

The HIO office page does say it doesn't represent "official Harvard enrolment". But luckily we do have the official Harvard page from the prevost office. http://worldwide.harvard.edu/international-students-country-and-school-2013-14-0 That number is 34 for 2013/14. Not so luckily the number includes all 15 of schools at Harvard including all the the graduate schools (like medical, dentist business, law, etc.). It also says it double counts anyone enrolled in more than one school. So it's true we don't know the exact number of Russian students actually in Harvard college undergrad itself. But it probably very safe to say it is less than 34. That would be out of 21,000.

Where would you suggest I check since you feel that Harvard doesn't have the correct information about their own enrolments? I would think Harvard would actually know how many Russian students they have enrolled, but somehow you disagree. What exactly do you think would be a more accurate source than Harvard's HIO statistics web page or the Harvard prevost office? Where did you check that represents a more reliable source of information on Harvard enrolments than Harvard itself and why didn't you post the link to it?

I am all a quiver eagerly awaiting your information enlightening us how many there really are.

MMR says

hunderlips11 is deplorable says

GI Bill should not be allowed to be used to access loans only for schools that have been operating for at least 30 years.

why are you now suddenly 'deplorable'?

Because he's voting for trump. Hillary says so

drBu says

Many people in West have a romantic view of Russia that they get from Soviet times

What Soviet times? I read Russia times occasionally. Is that what you are talking about? It's not at all romanticizing, it's pretty gritty actually.

bob2356 says

I am all a quiver eagerly awaiting your information enlightening us how many there really are.

I pointed out that the number that you stated - 6, is incorrect. The additional info that you came up with only corroborates my claim. Discussion over.

P.S. In my class in grad school, physics dept. ivy league university, there were 3 russian students. One became a prof at a top US university, two went to work for McKinsey - one in NYC, one in Moscow.