In the context of explaining the importance of actually staffing, and performing some sort of industry in, offshore offices in order to avoid the less forgiving parts of the tax code, my ever-so-beloved pontificating adjunct professor cried out in exasperation:

"Why would anyone want to limit H1-B visas??? Why would we ever want to tell the smartest people in the world they're not welcome??? would you *rather* companies offshore their R&D operations???" 

Okay, I was good, and sat on my hands and managed to roll my eyes without making eye contact. 

But if I was stupid brave, I would have said this:

First: as if any US multinational would establish an overseas office to avoid dealing with the visa issue.  Um, it's about tax...and the fact they may actually be doing business overseas.  This vivacious 2-years-from-centennial old tart of an adjunct night school law professor and bill gates are the only people I've ever heard of complaining about not being able to hire enough smart people because of our immigration laws.  Needless to say, valid arguments exist justifying the assertion that both sources are slightly out of touch with reality.

Second.  Obviously this guy's never heard of, for example, Ed Rendell hiring deloitte and touche who of course never donated to any of his campaigns to contract out at $400 an hour indians from India (who get paid $20 an hour) to write software program manuals (when they don't speak english) for various state agencies when, of course, there aren't any really smart kids graduating from Penn State with degrees in computer science who DO speak english and can't find a job  willing, smart Americans to do the work. You know, because no one can read those manuals anyway, even if there were written in legible english.  

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, and I'm sorry to be another verbal vitriol playback artist, but I can't help but wonder: if even the smartest, most educated of the opposition is so...off track...how can we possibly hope for better in the future?