Universities Say New Rules Could Hurt U.S. Research (NYT)

[Up2Late]

(More evidence that our government is now being run by paranoid, narrow-minded people.)

Universities Say New Rules Could Hurt U.S. Research

By SCOTT SHANE
Published: November 26, 2005

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 - American universities are warning that rules proposed by the Defense Department and expected soon from the Commerce Department could hurt research by limiting the ability of foreign-born students and technicians to work with sensitive technology in laboratories. One target of the proposed rules is believed to be China because more than 60,000 Chinese citizens are studying in the United States and Chinese intelligence officials are strongly seeking American technology for military use, experts in the field said.

Universities have submitted hundreds of comments criticizing the proposed rules, and they argue that tight restrictions on research by foreigners could backfire and actually hurt national security by hindering scientific progress. "The impact on research could be very serious," Barry Toiv, a spokesman for the Association of American Universities, said Friday. "The bottom line is that research that benefits both our economy and our national security just won't happen."

The rules govern the use of software, equipment or technical data that has military applications and therefore cannot be exported to certain countries without a license. A similar license, called a deemed export license, is required when the same sensitive technology is used by a foreign citizen in an American laboratory, on the ground that such a foreigner might return home and reproduce the technology there....

(clip)

...In a report last year, the Commerce Department's inspector general, Johnnie E. Frazier, warned that existing regulations were not protecting secrets from potential spies in American laboratories. The report proposed tightening the rules, including using the country of birth of a foreign laboratory worker, not his current citizenship, to determine whether a license is needed....

<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/26/education/26research.html?ei=5088&en=f14df246d2cc6b4a&ex=1290661200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1132977002-ua4/Br/FcGDO8/YKVqCytA>
(more at link above)

[DBoon]

1. So only ethnically pure Americans can work in labs?

See how much new science we manage to create

[rayofreason]

3. What, pray tell...

...is an "ethnically pure" American?

[DBoon]

7. Citizens by birth, not naturalization

and of those citzens by birth, exclude those with close relatives born in other countries.

[rayofreason]

8. That's not very ethnic...

...it is more like multiethnic.

Now if we could only get more of our "multiethnic" Americans into science, we wouldn't need foreign students at places like University of China at Los Angeles (UCLA).

[DBoon]

9. An ethnically pure American

is someone with absolutely no discerable ethnic background.

See Martin Mull, "A History of White People in America"

You never know when someone will spy for Northen Elbonia because their sister-in-law was born there.

[Canuckistanian]

2. It's a delicate balance

Choosing between getting competent researchers and maintaining national security, especially where weapons research is concerned.

But this goes way over the line into xenophobia and it certainly won't help get the work done.

Reason #2526 to get rid of these idiots.

[prescole]

4. Research? Who needs effin research?

It inevitably leads to science. Yuck.

We do need to be careful, however; better to lose out on some science than to let terrorists in, or secrets out.

[TaleWgnDg]

5. As U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy once said . . .

.
As U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy once said . . .

"There's Commies in every branch of our military. Commies, I say! Commies are hiding everywhere in our government! Everywhere! Have you taken our American loyalty oath? Have you ever been a Communist, or have ever associated with a member of the Communist Party? Name these people!" - said while pounding fist on Senate Cmte table in front of television cameras and press to an unfortunate subpoenaed "witness" during the mid-1950s.

[lovuian]

6. You can't have Chineese citizen students working on Defense

say Software... that would make us too vulnerable...The Universities should have been preparing for this cause we are in a Regime which is at war...

[DBoon]

10. Doesn't that sort of work require a security clearance anyway?

Which by definition a foreign national can't get?

[Up2Late]

11. kick n/t

:kick: