I wanted to knock out a bunch of recent letters to the Rude mailbag so that I can catch up a bit.

This mailbag is centered on my open letter to the President and China’s plan to unhorse America. Thank you all for writing in. It’s a treat to read what you write.

Also, at the bottom of every Rude is a pair of buttons: like and dislike. While there are tens of thousands of daily readers, only about 200 or so hit one of those buttons consistently. If there’s one way to signal to me what you’d like me to write about, or to voice your opinion quickly about something I’ve written, that’s the way.

Please hit one of those two buttons when you’ve read a Rude article, so I get a better idea which direction to go.

That said, my open letter to President Trump was one of my most liked pieces ever. It was also easily the most disliked piece ever. (The likes outnumbered the dislikes by three digits, but still.)

Here’s what you wrote about it.

An Open Letter to President Trump

Bro’ Sean,

Re, your Open Letter. The awful and unvarnished truth. Something one would only take their precious time to pen to someone they liked who was just plain FUBAR’ing. Donald J. Trump, apparently, is channeling John McCain via his medium, Lindsay Graham. It can’t be a good thing for him or our Country. 50-Year Mortgages, Tariff Rebates. Please don’t do us any favors. Policy failures dressed up as help. Indeed, leave VZ alone. Maduro is the one he should be inviting to the WH, vs that Syrian hood. What an affront! Sean, thanks.

Basil O. 

Sean,

I tell Conservative friends some of these things. Many get mad; others yell at me. In Trump's first term I felt he was acting on bad advice. I had hopes that he had learned his lesson. People like you may help him see the problems he continues to create. I agree with your Open Letter and admire your using your Italian rooftop to shout about it. Well done!

Gary H. 

What percentage of H-1B visas go to STEM degree holders? What is the unemployment rate for young Americans with STEM degrees?

John D. 

Basil, Gary, and John, thanks for writing in! To answer your questions, John:

About 70% of all new H-1B visas go to foreign temporary workers in STEM occupations, with computer-related fields being the most dominant among these categories. In recent years, between 65% and 85% of H-1B visas have consistently gone to those in computer science, engineering, mathematics, and related technical fields.

The unemployment rate for young Americans (ages 22–27) with STEM degrees has recently risen, with rates reported at 7.8% for physics majors and 7.5% for computer engineering majors. This is higher than the average unemployment rate across all recent graduates, which ranges from 3.9% to 4.8%, and above the overall youth unemployment rate (6.9% as of March 2025).

So, yes, the H1-B rules absolutely have to change!

The Trap China Set For America

Seanie,

Your points are valid. I believe the timing is necessary to ensure a victory. Misinformation and misdirection are part of the strategy. It will all come together quickly when it happens. For a deep analysis, see Promethean Action. These women have it correct.

Carl H.

For what it's worth, this write-up needs to go mainstream to every household in the USA! Not only was this information an AH-HA moment for me, but I also understand the complications of what we did over the past 40 years. I've lived this, as I remember when I was in my early 30s, hearing at the GM Automotive plant I worked at, at that time, from our plant leaders, that we needed to become a service economy.

Reasons: 1) The Auto Industry is too Cyclical, and you never know if/when you are going to get laid off. Do I risk buying a house or car? 2) There are too many regulations, and we can't keep up. 3) Need to move away from vertical integration. 4) Too high labor cost. 5) Not agile enough for quick engineering changes. Please get this article out mainstream somehow.

Dave S. 

Sean,

I rate today's Rude as the most consequential that you’ve ever put out (thanks to Dan, too) since you took over the reins. The conclusions reached in today's email are irrefutable, and your presentation pulls no punches. If China is able to stay the course despite its own existential problems, it's game over for our side. We’ve painted ourselves into a corner, and there’s no political appetite available to look at ourselves in the eye so that we may change, though I’d love to be wrong. Thanks for laying the scene out so clearly! As I learned in the Boy Scouts, “Be Prepared.” Keep up your great work- I read each issue and always benefit in some way.

Dave L. 

Thanks very much for the most concise and, I think, accurate assessment of where we are. My remaining question, though, is what happens when no other nation’s paper money is good enough to use to buy China’s surplus output? When they have no customers left to buy their stuff?

Terry L.

Dan and I thank you all for writing in. Terry, to answer your question: if the world stops accepting each other's paper money and import demand collapses, both China and the rest of us face deep recession, deflation, mass bankruptcies, unemployment, and financial instability. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I would like to say regarding your statement, “Gold and Silver represent financial truth in a world of political fiction.” Should be “pulp fiction “ as in fiat currency or paper money 💴. Thanks for your insights, and keep on stacking!

Stephen R.

Thank you, Stephen. Let’s get this rally back on track…

Wrap Up

Thank you once again for writing in. Have a great day ahead!