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What is 'America First': People or profits?
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Editor’s note: This op-ed is partially adapted from Rachel Campos-Duffy’s monologue on “Jesse Watters Primetime” on December 30, 2024.
In the wake of President-elect Trump’s victory, the MAGA movement has been struggling with this question: What is ‘America First’? Is it people or profits? Many insist America is defined by its economic and military might. However, America is more than GDP growth, the stock market or even the “idea” of self-government. It’s a physical place, with people who share common history, traditions, and culture.
Central to the “America First” question is the online debate raging over the expansion of the H–1B visa program, which allows American employers to hire foreign workers, and is vehemently defended by tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy and Musk are competitive men, and their desire for America to win in the global game against our adversaries appears sincere. But the question is, what is your definition of winning? And at whose expense should the game be played?
MUSK AND RAMASWAMY IGNITE MAGA WAR OVER SKILLED IMMIGRATION AND AMERICAN ‘MEDIOCRITY’
The H-1B policy was created to bring the “best and brightest” to America and address labor shortages in specialized fields. On paper, it sounds noble. In practice, however, it has been wildly abused and undercuts American workers in tech jobs no one can credibly argue Americans don’t want to do.
A 2021 U.S. Census Bureau study found that as many as 72% of STEM graduates in America aren’t even working in STEM-related fields. So, is this really about labor shortages or is it about corporate profits at the expense of citizens who can’t compete with cheap foreign labor?
Who can forget what happened at Disney in 2014 when IT workers were laid off and forced to retrain their foreign-born replacements if they wanted to receive their severance check? Americans aren’t opposed to bringing in more geniuses like Musk. But let’s not pretend Disney’s foreign replacements were all budding Einsteins. These workers come on restrictive terms, are paid less, work longer hours, and are unable to leave their jobs without risking deportation. They also come with the hope of becoming citizens and bringing their families over through chain migration. It’s a rigged game, designed to create cheap labor and make it impossible for American citizens to compete.
DAVID MARCUS: MAGA’S H-1B ‘CIVIL WAR’ IS EXACTLY HOW POLITICS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK
Ramaswamy argues that the problem isn’t mass immigration, but American culture itself. We need these foreign workers, he says, because our culture has “venerated mediocrity” for decades. We celebrate the prom queen over the math champ. The jock over the valedictorian.
It’s a convenient theory, but one that misses the mark entirely.
American culture isn’t the issue; it’s the destruction of it that’s at the core of the problem. American culture gave the world electricity, airplanes, cars, Elvis, the internet, Rocky Balboa, and “Star Wars.” What we’re witnessing now isn’t the failure of American culture but the deliberate erosion of it — a demoralization campaign fueled by decades of mass immigration and an education system poisoned by cultural Marxism — a foreign and utterly un-American ideology.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are competitive men, and their desire for America to win in the global game against our adversaries appears sincere. But the question is, what is your definition of winning? And at whose expense should the game be played? (Getty Images)
Dissing prom queens and promoting “America Last” visa policies won’t restore our greatness. It’s a distraction from the real issue: the dismantling of our national identity, the takeover of our schools by communist activists, and the devaluation of American labor.
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The Constitution tells us that the paramount duty of our government is to “promote the general welfare” and “secure the blessings of liberty” for the American people. There was a time when America lived up to that promise. During his travels through America in the early 19th century, French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville observed that America is great because America is good.
Sadly, we’re replacing goodness with Godlessness. Some of MAGA’s newest members are Silicon Valley atheists who envision a cold tech and corporate future for us—one that fails to appreciate the humanity and vulnerability of our own citizens.
Secularism, transhumanism, and AI will never satisfy the soul. America needs God, family, love and a return to real, not virtual, relationships. And that includes the relationship between citizens and their government — a government that genuinely cares and prioritizes them.
The answer to our woes isn’t importing millions of people from around the world. The answer is rediscovering who we are. Ben Franklin, the Wright brothers, Sunday church, family dinners, rodeos, skyscrapers, rock and roll, Friday night lights, and homecoming queens. The answer is fixing what’s been deliberately broken in our culture and institutions.
America is not a sports team and winning in the stock market is not the definition of success for America. “America First” is not a slogan; it is a guiding principle.
MAGA is about honoring our history and Christian values. It’s about prioritizing our people, our families, and our American way of life.
Evita Duffy-Alfonso is host of “Bongino Report Early Edition with Evita.”
RACHEL CAMPOS-DUFFY
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- Who: New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez brought a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc.
- Why: The state claims Meta misrepresented harms to minors and created a public nuisance through its social media platforms.
- Where: The lawsuit is pending in New Mexico state court.
- How to get help: Has social media impacted the mental health of you or your child? You may qualify to join a social media lawsuit against the platform.
New Mexico’s attorney general is asking a state court to order Meta to pay approximately $3.7 billion to address what the state describes as a “public nuisance” caused by the company’s social media platforms.
The request comes after a jury previously found Meta misrepresented the risks its platforms — including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — pose to underage users. The jury also imposed a $375 million penalty in the first phase of the trial.
The case has now moved into a second phase, where the court will determine what additional remedies, if any, Meta must provide.
According to the state, the proposed $3.712 billion abatement plan would fund a 15-year effort to address the alleged harms caused by Meta’s platforms. The plan includes funding for public education, school resources, law enforcement support and mental health services for children affected by issues, such as online bullying and sexual exploitation.
“This request recognizes the scope of the public nuisance that Meta has caused,” counsel for the state argued in court.
The lawsuit alleges Meta concealed or downplayed the extent of harmful activity on its platforms while publicly portraying them as safe for younger users.
Meta disputes liability, challenges proposed abatement plan
Meta denies the allegations and argues there is no legal basis for the sweeping relief requested by the state.
Attorneys for the company contend the proposed abatement plan does not directly address or stop the alleged harmful conduct and instead seeks compensation for downstream effects.
“What no court has ever allowed … is payment for the downstream effects,” Meta’s counsel argued, describing the request as “damages masquerading as something else.”
The court is expected to hear additional testimony during the second phase of the trial before determining whether to approve any form of injunctive relief or financial remedies.
In March, a California jury found Meta and Google liable for mental health harms suffered by plaintiff Kaley G.M., who became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child, awarding $6 million in damages, including $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages.
What do you think about the claims against Meta in this case? Let us know in the comments.
The state is represented by Raul Torrez of the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General and Donald Migliori, Linda Singer, Michael Pendell and David Ackerman of Motley Rice LLC.
The Meta lawsuit is New Mexico v. Meta Platforms Inc., et al., Case No. D-101-CV-2023-02838, in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico.
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MEDFORD, Ore. — Fire crews quickly knocked down a trailer fire Monday night that threatened a nearby home in the 3000 block of Table Rock Road, displacing one resident.
Firefighters responded around 9:20 p.m. Monday, May 4. Engine 14 arrived to find a trailer on fire and the flames threatening a nearby residence. Crews knocked the fire down within eight minutes of arrival.
No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported. One resident was displaced as a result of the fire.
The cause is believed to be related to the use of an outdoor fire pit, where embers likely ignited nearby combustible materials. Officials said the fire spread from pallets and other items to the RV, causing extensive damage to the RV and minor damage to the exterior of the home.
With warmer, drier weather approaching, officials warned fire risk increases and urged people to follow outdoor fire safety tips. They recommend using a screen on outdoor fires when burning wood, choosing approved propane free-standing fire pits rather than wood-fueled options, keeping combustible materials at least 15 feet away, and discarding cigarettes, ash, embers and other smoldering materials in a non-combustible container filled with water.
Medford Police, Mercy Flights Inc. and Jackson County Fire District 3 assisted on the incident.
Many Americans don’t like the AI data centers popping up in their communities, though Kevin O’Leary thinks that’s because they don’t fully understand them.
O’Leary, the venture capitalist and “Shark Tank” investor who recently starred as a villainous businessman in “Marty Supreme,” said Americans have misconceptions about data centers and their environmental impact.
“It’s understanding the concerns of people, but at the same time, think about the number of jobs,” O’Leary said in a post on X on Friday.
Addressing environmental worries, O’Leary noted that he graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in environmental studies.
“When a group comes to me and says, ‘Look, I have concerns about water, I have concerns about air, I have concerns about wildlife,’ I totally get it,” O’Leary said.
O’Leary has clashed with residents in Box Elder County, Utah, over a new AI data center he’s backing on a 40,000-acre campus.
County commissioners approved the project, which is also backed by Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority, on Monday despite the community opposition. O’Leary said, without providing evidence, that the criticism mainly came from “professional protesters” who were “paid by somebody.”
One major concern for residents about the data center — dubbed the Stratos Project — is that it could strain the water supply. Data centers can use millions of gallons of water each day. Increased utility bills, noise, and a drop in quality of life are also points of contention.
O’Leary said the public misunderstands the impact of data centers because they were “poorly represented” in the past, and that the technology powering them has “advanced dramatically.” He said data centers don’t use as much water as they once did and can use a closed-loop system to avoid evaporation. Data centers can also rely on air-cooled turbines as an alternative to managing the temperature of the computer arrays, he said.
A fact sheet published by Box Elder County said the project won’t divert water from the nearby Great Salt Lake, agriculture, or homes. It also says that Stratos won’t increase electricity prices or taxes.
Many residents, however, are not so sure. The Salt Lake Tribune reported on Thursday that an application to divert water from the Salt Wells Spring stream, near the Great Salt Lake and long used by a local ranch for irrigation, was rescinded after nearly thousands of Utah residents lodged complaints.
“At some point, understanding the value of sustainability, water and air rights, indigenous rights, and making sure the constituencies understand what you’re doing is going to be more valuable than the equity you raise,” O’Leary said on X.
Anjney Midha, a Stanford University adjunct lecturer who appeared on the “Access” podcast this week, would agree with that sentiment. He said that listening to local communities and being transparent about the intentions and impacts of data centers are essential to making them work.
“My view is that if it’s not legible to the public that these data centers and the infrastructure required to unblock this kind of frontier technology progress are serving their benefit, then it’s not going to work out,” Midha said.
In a subsequent post on X on Friday, O’Leary said his project would be “totally transparent.”
“We want it to be the shining example of how you do this,” he said.
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