Foreign Entanglements Are Risky Business

"Linda Sun is under federal indictment for, among other things, allegedly acting as an unregistered Chinese agent. This is more than a personal tragedy for Ms. Sun and an embarrassment for Gov. Kathy Hochul, for whom Ms. Sun served as deputy chief of staff. It is a sign of a changing climate around Americans' engagement with foreign governments. As challenges to the Pax Americana mount, close ties with America's rivals carry reputational and legal risks for individuals and firms.

In the 1930s, Ford Motor Co. struggled to keep its German business viable after Hitler came to power. To curry favor in Berlin, Ford's German subsidiary fired Jewish employees and had to accept Nazi influence in hiring managers and setting policies. In the end, Ford lost control of the subsidiary and its assets. The company suffered lasting reputational damage for its connection to heinous acts (including wartime use of slave labor) that its American-based directors were powerless to prevent.

Today, American companies with significant footprints in countries like Russia and China face pressures similar to those Ford did in the 1930s. Then as now, what looks like the cheapest course -- accommodating foreign government pressure to protect in-country assets and market access -- carries large but hidden and unpredictable costs.

The rules can change fast. During World War II, the Soviet Union was America's most important military ally, and many liberals and Democrats agreed with Franklin D. Roosevelt that postwar cooperation with Moscow was the road to lasting peace. The battle over whether America should align with Britain (still an imperial power struggling to hold onto as many of its colonies as possible) or "progressive" powers like Stalin's Soviet Union tore Democrats apart in the early years of Harry Truman's presidency.

During the period of friendly relations, many influential U.S. officials tried to tilt America's postwar policy in a direction favorable to, or at least compatible with, Stalin's interests. Some of these people were conscious agents of the Soviet Union. Others acted out of a mistaken belief in a community of interests between Stalin's Soviet Union and the U.S.

But the rules changed as Stalin's true purposes became harder for all but the fuzziest-minded to ignore. Those who had favored U.S.-Soviet accommodation were seen to have been wrong. Those who gave information or assistance to the Soviets were seen as dupes at best, traitors and spies at worst.

Some found themselves in a terrible trap. The Soviets weren't above using blackmail to keep their old friends in line. Those who as hotheaded young people fell for the allure of communism in the 1930s and enjoyed chatty relationships with Soviet officials in wartime could be blackmailed into further cooperation by threats to reveal embarrassing or incriminating details about their past activities.

As the public woke up to the degree of Soviet penetration of key American institutions ranging from Hollywood to the Manhattan Project, the determination to identify and punish pro-Soviet traitors became a driving force in American politics.

 Like so many waves of passion in mass democracies, this went too far at times, triggering McCarthyite excesses as well as healthy reforms that enhanced national security.

There are some differences. In the old days Red and Pink Hollywood screenwriters and directors made pro-communist movies out of conviction; today Hollywood executives kowtow to Beijing to make money. Nevertheless, amid today's populist skepticism about Wall Street and big business on the left and the right, companies that have deep links with China will, like Ford in the 1930s, come under increasing pressure from both sides.

If U.S.-China relations continue to deteriorate, actions, advocacy and relationships that looked normal and benign in the warmer climate of the past will begin to appear sinister. And public opinion is likely to turn with a vengeance on those who crossed or are believed to have crossed the line into becoming assets of a hostile autocratic regime. It won't be only about China. As American society adjusts to a more threatening international climate, all relations with foreign governments and entities will come under closer and less sympathetic scrutiny.

If 30 years ago the key to business success was embracing the opportunities of a rising China, today the key to avoiding catastrophe is navigating the dangers of decoupling. Prudence as well as patriotism should lead companies and individuals to stick closer to the flag as the global scene darkens. Those who fail to move with the times could face serious consequences in the new environment that is, unfortunately, taking shape." [1]

 McCarthyite excesses were results of a fight for primacy. Is the post industrial West in a position to fight anyone for primacy? No? So what are we here talking about...

1. Foreign Entanglements Are Risky Business. Walter Russell Mead.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 10 Sep 2024: A.13.

 

Šie universitetai daro naujus absolventus turtingais

 

 „Pagal 2025 m. „Wall Street Journal“ / „College Pulse“ reitingą joks JAV koledžas geriau nepagerina jo absolventų finansinės ateities, nei Masačusetso technologijos institutas (MIT).

 

 Nors bendrame universitetų reitinge atsižvelgiama į tokius veiksnius, kaip studentų patirtis ir baigimo rodikliai, geriausių atlyginimų sąraše atsižvelgiama tik į metriką, susijusią su absolventų pajamomis ir investicijų grąža.

 

 Prestižinės privačios kolegijos ir universitetai užima aukščiausią sąrašo pakopą, Stanfordo universitetas užima 2 vietą, o Prinstono universitetas – 3. Iš viso privatūs universitetai užėmė 36 vietas iš 50 geriausių atlyginimų sąrašo.

 

 Be MIT, kitos kolegijos, kuriose vykdomos tvirtos STEM programos, taip pat sėkmingai baigė: Georgia Tech nusileido ketvirtoje vietoje, Kalifornijos technologijos institutas – šeštoje vietoje, o Harvey Mudd koledžas – septintas. Misūrio mokslo ir technologijų universitetas, Milvokio inžinerijos mokykla ir Mičigano technologijos universitetas taip pat pateko į 15 geriausių.

 

 Geriausių atlyginimų sąrašo kriterijai yra dvejopi. Kad užsitikrintų aukščiausią poziciją, kolegijos turi nukreipti absolventus į pelningą kelią karjeros pradžioje ir kontroliuoti lankymo kainą.

 

 Vertindami finansinę sėkmę, žurnalas ir tyrimų partneris Statista nagrinėjo pajamų duomenis praėjus 10 ar 11 metų po studentų įstojimo į koledžą, sujungdami šiuos neapdorotus uždarbio duomenis su tuo, kokiu mastu šis uždarbis viršijo numatomus atlyginimus, kurie buvo pagrįsti Brookings instituto atliktais tyrimais. Siekdamas įvertinti įperkamumą ir investicijų grąžą, žurnalas rėmėsi viešosios politikos ekspertų grupės „Trečiasis kelias“ tyrimais, išanalizavo, kiek laiko prireiks, kad atlyginimų priemokos, kurias absolventai uždirbtų virš panašių aukštųjų mokyklų absolventų atlyginimų, padengtų numatomas bendras išlaidas, turinčiam ketverių metų laipsnį.

 

 Aukščiausio lygio MIT išsiskiria kiekvienu reitingo aspektu. Du trečdaliai mokyklos balų atlyginimų sąraše gaunami iš absolventų vidutinio darbo užmokesčio, o MIT absolventai turi aukščiausią medianą, 133 793 dolerių, iš visų reitinguotų mokyklų. Mokykla taip pat patenka į 3 % geriausių mokyklų verčių sąraše, pagal kaštų ir naudos analizę, kuri sudaro likusį trečdalį balo.

 

 Elektros inžineriją ir informatikos mokslą studijuojančio antro kurso studento Chriso Martinezo patirtis MIT išskiria iš kitų mokyklų – absolventų sėkmės istorijos, kurias, jo teigimu, buvo stebėtinai lengva pasiekti. Martinezo pokalbiuose su jais jie visi buvo linkę prisiminti universitete praleistą laiką ir ten vykstančias pamokas kaip katalizatorių tam, kas padėjo jiems pasiekti daug.

 

 MIT kelias į sėkmingą karjerą dažnai kyla iš patirties klasėje. Buvę MIT studentai, su kuriais susisiekė dėl šios istorijos, paprastai greitai įvertino įtakingus profesorius ir jų klasės metodus, tokius, kaip kritinio mąstymo mokymas.

 

 Stenfordo studentai nurodo jos verslumo kultūrą ir technologijų įmones, kaip vieną iš priežasčių, kodėl absolventai mato sėkmę jų karjeros pradžioje.

 

 „Neretai atvejai, kai Stanfordo vaikas baigia mokslus ir akimirksniu gauna 200 000 dolerių vertės darbą kokioje nors technologijų įmonėje rajone“, – sako Danielis Sunas-vyresnysis, studijuojantis fiziką, matematiką ir muziką, taip pat dirbantis taikomosios srities magistro laipsnį - inžinerinė fizika.

 

 Emily Suh, kylančiai jaunesniajai, studijuojančiai viešąją politiką, verslumo dvasia miestelyje ir studentų bendradarbiavimo mastas buvo Stanfordo išskirtinumas, ypač susijęs su karjeros sėkme.

 

 „Visada yra žmonių, kurie reklamuoja savo startuolius ir siūlo spurgas, jei prisiregistruojate prie jų programos“, – sako Suhas. „Žmonės visada ieško žmonių, su kuriais galėtų pradėti projektus."

 

 Nors daugelis sąrašo viršuje esančių kolegijų yra įprasti vardai, žvelgiant vien į absolventų atlyginimų rezultatus, atsiranda ir mažiau žinomų kolegijų, kurios labai padidina studentų finansines perspektyvas.

 

 Cylanui Burnsui, kuris gruodį ketina baigti 9-ąjį Misūrio mokslo ir technologijų universitetą ir įgyti inžinerijos vadybos laipsnį, įstoti į koledžą buvo lengvas pasirinkimas, iš dalies dėl to, kad jis matė teigiamus absolventų rezultatus.

 

 Burnsas atliko tris stažuotes ir du kartus keliavo į Pietų Ameriką, kad baigtų lietaus vandens ir vamzdynų sistemų vertinimus universiteto skyriuje „Inžinieriai be sienų“.

 

 „Aš tikrai nesijaudinu dėl darbo gavimo vien todėl, kad turiu tokią patirtį“, - sako Burnsas. „Jaučiu, kad jie mane labai gerai paruošė sėkmei“.

 

 GERIAUSIŲ KOLEGIJŲ DEŠIMT GERIAUSIŲ ATLYGINIŲ

 

 ATLYGINIMAS

 

 BALAI

 

 1. Masačusetso technologijos institutas 99,3 2. Stanfordo universitetas 98,4 3. Prinstono universitetas 97,9 4. Džordžijos technologijos institutas, pagrindinis miestelis 97,6 5. Pensilvanijos universitetas 97,4 6. Kalifornijos technologijos institutas 96,6 7. Harvey Mudd koledžas 96 Babson 6 koledžas 96,2 9. Misūrio  Mokslo ir technologijos universitetas 96 10. Carnegie Mellon universitetas 95.1

 

 Šaltinis: WSJ/College Pulse 2025 geriausi JAV koledžai.“ [1]

 

1. These Colleges Make New Graduates Rich. McAllister, Kevin.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 10 Sep 2024: A.9.

These Colleges Make New Graduates Rich

"No U.S. college is better at improving the financial futures of its graduates than the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to the 2025 Wall Street Journal/College Pulse rankings.

While the overall college rankings consider factors like student experiences and graduation rates, the best-salaries list looks only at metrics related to graduate earnings and return on investment.

Prestigious private colleges and universities occupy the upper tier of the list, with Stanford University placing No. 2 and Princeton University coming in at No. 3. In total, private universities claimed 36 of the top 50 spots on the salary list.

Beyond MIT, other colleges with robust STEM programs also finished strong: Georgia Tech landed fourth, the California Institute of Technology sixth and Harvey Mudd College seventh. The Missouri University of Science and Technology, the Milwaukee School of Engineering and Michigan Technological University also landed in the top 15.

The criteria for the best-salaries list are twofold. To secure a top position, colleges need to put graduates on lucrative pathways at the beginning of their careers and keep the price of attendance in check.

When measuring financial success, the Journal and research partner Statista looked at income data 10 or 11 years after students entered college, combining that raw earnings data with the extent to which those earnings outpaced expected salaries, which were modeled on research done by the Brookings Institution. To gauge affordability and return on investment, the Journal drew on research from public-policy think tank Third Way, analyzing how long it would take for the salary premiums that graduates earn over the salaries of comparable high-school graduates to cover the estimated total cost of a four-year degree.

Top-ranked MIT excels in each facet of the ranking. Two-thirds of a school's score on the salary list comes from graduates' median early-career earnings, and MIT graduates have the highest median, $133,793, of any ranked school. The school is also in the top 3% of ranked schools on the value list, the cost/benefit analysis that makes up the remaining third of the score.

Part of what sets MIT apart from other schools for Chris Martinez, a sophomore studying electrical engineering and computer science, is the success stories from alumni, who he says have been surprisingly easy to get hold of when he makes networking calls. In Martinez's conversations with them, they all tended to hark back to their time at the university and their classes there as a catalyst for what helped them get ahead.

At MIT, paths to successful careers often stem from in-class experiences. Former MIT students contacted for this story were generally quick to credit influential professors and their classroom methods, such as teaching critical thinking.

At Stanford, students point to its culture of entrepreneurship and the pipeline into tech companies as one reason why its graduates see success early in their careers.

"It's not uncommon for a Stanford kid to graduate and instantly land a $200,000-plus job at some tech company in the area," says Daniel Sun, a rising senior studying physics, math and music while also working on a coterminal master's degree in applied and engineering physics.

For Emily Suh, a rising junior studying public policy, the entrepreneurial spirit on campus and the extent to which students collaborate were a differentiation point for Stanford, especially as they relate to career success.

"There are always people advertising their startups and offering doughnuts if you sign up for their app," says Suh. "People are always looking for people to start projects with."

While many of the colleges at the top of the list are household names, looking just at salary outcomes for graduates surfaces lesser-known colleges, too, that are greatly increasing the financial prospects of students.

For Cylan Burns, who's on track to graduate from No. 9 Missouri University of Science and Technology in December with a degree in engineering management, enrolling in the college was an easy choice, in part because he could see the positive outcomes of graduates.

Burns has held three internships and traveled to South America twice to complete rainwater and pipeline systems evaluations with the university's Engineers Without Borders chapter.

"I'm not really worried about getting a job just because I have that experience," says Burns. "I feel like they've set me up really well for success."

TOP TEN COLLEGES FOR BEST SALARIES BEST

SALARIES

SCORE

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 99.3 2. Stanford University 98.4 3. Princeton University 97.9 4. Georgia Institute of Technology, Main Campus 97.6 5. University of Pennsylvania 97.4 6. California Institute of Technology 96.6 7. Harvey Mudd College 96.6 8. Babson College 96.2 9. Missouri University of Science and Technology 96 10. Carnegie Mellon University 95.1

Source: WSJ/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. ranking." [1]

1. These Colleges Make New Graduates Rich. McAllister, Kevin.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 10 Sep 2024: A.9.