Brain Drain in Russia and America

Different countries have different problems, and the solutions for these problems are vastly different. Both America and Russia destroy many of their best minds, but in very different ways. America destroys its best minds through a culture of aggressive resistance to learning that attacks America's brightest minds in educational settings. And Russia destroys its best minds through brutal military hazing practice, known as dedovchina, that leads to death of 5,000 of Russia's best minds a year and thousands of others fleeing abroad.

The two problems are therefore vastly different, but the result of both practices is brain drain. This has disastrous effects for both nations. Both America and Russia suffer vast loss in progress and competitiveness.

The justifications for each of these practices are, as predictable, a load of rubbish. There is for example a claim that dedovschina makes people stronger. Meanwhile Israel, America and a number of other countries have vastly effective militaries that do not practice dedovschina, and their soldiers become effective warriors without having to go through the same. There is a claim in America that the ugly, abusive, learning-resistant high school culture helps in socializing people. What it does instead is teach ugliness, abusiveness and deception as basic habits of thought and of conduct in people and makes these habits the basis of the resulting society.

In both cases we see something pernicious, destructive and totally without merit, being used to destroy the best minds in the country and to teach ugliness to everyone else. And in both cases there is absolutely no need for the same. People can become effective soldiers without having to go through dedovschina. And people can learn how to interact with each other without having to spend their vulnerable years in a setting that stigmatizes intelligence, creativity and sincerity and teaches abuse, nastiness and deception as basis of interaction among one another. 

There is therefore no legitimate use either for dedovschina in Russia or for the learning-resistant high school cultures in America. Both are completely parasitical and destructive, and both must be tackled head-on. In Russia, dedovschina should be outlawed and vigorously prosecuted, with those who take part in it put away for long enough time in harsh enough conditions to scare everyone else straight. And in America, students who take part in bullying of serious students should be disciplined, with disciplining directed both at single perpetrators and at cliques that take part in the abuse.

Both practices cause brain drain and loss of competitiveness; and it is for the benefit of both countries to put an end to both wrongs.