Incredibly incisive New York Times article on how America is losing to foreign nations because of our lack of focus on innovation.

We're doomed, folks. Enjoy it while it lasts: While America is the elephant, a million gnats in the form of India, China, and East Asia are nipping away at our effectiveness. Sure, our vast natural resources and productive economy have enabled us to be the big dogs for comming-up on a century, but times change. While we might churn-out 100k top-level engineers in this country per year, China can output a million.

Sorry, not everyone can be a football, basketball, or movie star. Some people have to work for a living, and America's getting bad at that. The children of 3 generations' worth of wealth are indolent, and why shouldn't they be? As Dr. Wirzba once said, we have an OBSCENE standard of living in this country. We have to scratch and claw for nothing, so why should we individuals acquire the tools to do so?

So long as we can go home, watch our 65" plasma screen with our Tivo, sponge off 2 generations of built-up wealth, be the only passenger in a Ford Excursion getting 6 mpg, we don't care enough to be literate, political, or intellectual in this country.

>>sigh<<

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