Outsourcing Resilience

How the H1-B Addiction Undermines Americas Security

A spirit of innovation is generally the result of a selfish temper, and confined views. People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors. -Edmund Burke

We’re typically a nation that prides ourself on self-reliance—for me even as a long time card-carrying member of a party that has long championed the virtues of hard work and individual initiative—it’s a bit perplexing that the United States, along with the modern Republican Party (or more aptly, its political and corporate elites), seems so enamored with outsourcing our intellectual capital. The H1-B program, once hailed as a bridge to global innovation, has morphed into a corporate crutch—a convenient and legally sanctioned means to suppress wages while cloaking itself in the rhetoric of a "talent shortage." I’ve previously explored the economic ramifications and touched on the broader national security concerns in my earlier article [link here]. But there’s an even deeper, more unsettling national security issue that demands our attention—and our action.

The Inhouse-Outsourcing of critical AI and tech infrastructure during what’s being called an "AI arms race" doesn’t just raise national security concerns—like the stated risks of sabotage or infiltration by bad actors covered in my previous article—it undermines the future of our domestic workforce. By relying so heavily on foreign talent, we deny Americans the chance to gain the experience they’ll need to build and sustain these networks. It’s a modern parallel to Rome’s reliance on mercenaries: while the Visigoths honed their skills, the Romans grew complacent, fat and unprepared for future warfare.

This isn’t just about loyalty or wages; it’s about ensuring that we remain equipped to lead and defend the industries that will shape the 21st century. If we continue down this path, we risk becoming spectators in fields we once dominated, watching as others master what we failed to invest in, or worse benefiting from our investment in outside help that will now work for them. This is a systemic gamble with America’s sovereignty, one that risks outsourcing not just jobs but the very survival of the nation itself.

The Trojan Horse of Critical Industries

America's most vital sectors—defense, healthcare, and cybersecurity—have become enthralled by this enchanted pipeline of imported labor. It’s cheap, compliant, and conveniently bound to employers through visa stipulations. A shareholder's dream no doubt, but when you think about it long enough: a citizen’s nightmare, and if they thought about it long enough a shareholders nightmare as well.

Defense: When Loyalty Becomes a Luxury

What do I mean by this? Imagine a defense contractor tasked with developing AI for missile guidance systems casually relying on workers tethered to their employment by the fragile thread of a visa. These aren’t backyard BBQ logistics; these are weapons that ensure the survival of the republic and the safety of Americans.

We’re told that these roles go unfilled because of a supposed dearth of qualified Americans. Really? The nation that landed men on the moon, split the atom, and invented the internet suddenly can't muster the talent to code algorithms? This excuse smells less of logic and more like corporate expedience. After all, why train and invest in a local workforce with the freedom to seek greener pastures when you can rent talent at half the price, and thanks to how the visas pigeonhole them to a company, with twice the docility? This tradeoff though results in not only suppressed wages, but also a lower pool of trained and experienced Americans in these fields should that pipeline be interrupted. Think it’s impossible? Did you memory-COVID?

Healthcare: The Next Pandemic’s Achilles’ Heel

Speaking of which let me start with healthcare, a domain where lives hang in the balance, the reliance on foreign medical professionals is touted as a necessity for underserved areas. It seems laudable, until you realize this is not a long-term strategy but a patchwork solution destined to unravel. The next COVID style geopolitical crisis that disrupts the flow of foreign talent could leave entire regions without sufficient medical care, or individuals experienced enough to handle the demand. We’re using crutches when our legs are fine to carry our bodyweight because we don’t want to put in the work on leg day, or at minimum go for regular walks.

The pandemic taught us many lessons, chief among them the importance of self-sufficiency and the damage a supply chain interruption can cause to our economy. Yet here we are, learning nothing, preparing for nothing, and outsourcing everything.

Cybersecurity: Outsourcing the Keys to the Kingdom

And then there’s the our glaring issue of cybersecurity, where the stakes go beyond just economics and verge on the existential. With every keystroke, the battle for control over data, networks, and critical infrastructure grows more fierce. The advocates of H1-B expansion like Musk or Ramaswamy seize on this reality, insisting that importing talent is essential to “maintain our lead” or, for the more hyperbolic, to remain “globally competitive”—as if our dominance were teetering on the edge of collapse, and the rest of the world were poised to surpass us tomorrow.

But what happens when this reliance on foreign labor, so heavily promoted as a necessity, collides with global disruptions—a pandemic, geopolitical unrest, or supply chain breakdowns? This talent pipeline, already precarious, could evaporate overnight, leaving these same essential critical systems vulnerable. Yet, our self-proclaimed guardians of the digital frontier—tech giants and defense contractors—continue to lean disproportionately on H1-B hires, betting the stability of our cybersecurity infrastructure on a strategy as fragile as it is short-sighted and intended chiefly for their quarterly earnings.

This reliance is like entrusting a rotating cast of random temporary guards with protecting Fort Knox. While many of these workers are undoubtedly skilled and conscientious, their precarious status inherently creates divided loyalties and risks, maybe even incentives to do bad things. What happens when vulnerabilities are unintentionally introduced or when proprietary information becomes collateral damage? In cybersecurity, breaches aren’t just disruptions; they are “fat tail” events—meaning low-probability but catastrophic incidents with far-reaching consequences. It’s not a game where you have people with very little personal investment involved.

Dependency Isn’t a Strategy

Advocates, tech bros and just good ol Elon fanboys often argue that importing talent strengthens America by attracting the world’s brightest minds. But let’s set aside the romanticism for a moment. Relying on foreign labor in critical sectors doesn’t signify strength—it exposes fragility. True resilience lies in cultivating homegrown talent, individuals with a vested interest in the nation’s long-term stability and success. These are people with real skin in the game, whose ties to the country ensure a deeper commitment.