USA to Pass Science Crown to China

instantgames writes "According to a working paper of the National Bureau of Economic Research, rapid development of a science and technology base by populous Asian countries soon may threaten the economic position of the United States. Not only is the U.S. losing ground in high technology exports, but its very capacity to develop new technologies is declining rapidly with respect to the rest of the world. According to Richard Freeman, the paper's author, the sheer population of Asian countries may allow them to train more scientists and engineers than the U.S. while devoting a smaller share of their economy to science and technology." From the article: "The phenomenal growth of China's industrial base has been widely publicized, but Freeman focuses on what is perhaps the more important long-term indicator of a nation's prosperity - its re-investment in science and technology education. "

Comments

Of course. China has a growing middle class.

[bADlOGIN]

The US middle class is shrinking. Thanks Bush. By the way, the next time you nominate a Supreme Court justice and praise his character for putting himself through college by working summers in a steel mill, don't forget to mention that:
a.)today most of those steel mill jobs are gone

and

b.)today, those jobs that still exist aren't paying enough to cover the rising cost of education.

Extra points to you

[sczimme]

What we lose in scientific-ness, we more than make up for with our awesome Jesus-osity!

Well done, NineNine! We also would have accepted "scientificality". :-)

I imagined your post read in the manner of a 1950s announcer: "Yes, that's one hundred percent US of A, now with added Jesus-osity!".

China and the rebirth of National Socialism

[blackhedd]

It's incredible how much ignorance has been spewed on this thread.
What makes the American system different from all others is our emphasis on freedom. Economic systems derive power directly from the vitality and social cohesion of the societies which generate them. Free societies with high social cohesion generate the most economic value and power because all the incentives align.
American society is losing its social cohesion, mostly because so many people believe all the idiocy being spewed on this thread and everywhere else.
China's government is very successfully motivating huge sectors of its subject population with nationalism and the dream of recovering past greatness. This strategy is profoundly dehumanizing, but it generates tremendous national purpose and cohesion. The last government that tried it was Nazi Germany, and it worked so well there that the rest of the world had to stop them by force.

Re:Bill Gates on US Education

[miskatonic alumnus]

Secondly, parents on the most part do not think that it is their responsibility to teach their kids.

Maybe. Or maybe parents don't have enough TIME to teach their kids since they are working at two or more jobs just to pay the bills (and the salaries of incapable teachers who expect the parents to do their job for them.)

Re:What do you expect?

[backdoorstudent]

2. Education has a second-rate image as a profession. Americans think that teachers should work "for the love of it". These same people think that a tepid middle relief pitcher should get 3 megabux a year 'cause its important for the home team. There is no star system for teachers. All are yoked in syzygy into rigid pay scales that do not reward performance. Well, Americans are getting what they pay for.

Well, it's a helluva lot easier to become a teacher than it is to become a tepid middle relief pitcher or any other professional athlete because a pro athlete cannot bullshit his way through a career. Their talent is obvious which is why they make so much money. Now if Nobel laureates started teaching grade school..

The reason why stupid Americans don't value education as much as they should is because people don't like being told they're stupid and condescended to by others who are arrogant, too proud of themselves and whining that their country doesn't worship them.

Nobody likes a smartass.

Re:That should go along nicely...

[DarkOx]

Hmm... Well

National Security: The only objective measure is have we been attacked or compromised successfully since 911? .... NO

Sounds like his national security policy has been working pretty well. Oh but wait look look they were still able to blow up the London subway. Any fool and build a bomb and blow up mass transit, You could probably blow up the nearest city buss with things from the hardware store down the street and only a few hours planing. The fact the terrorists could do no better then the recent atacks speaks volumes about how effective the Bush Doctrine has been.

Lets wait till the administration does not make people around the world hate us: These people hate us anyway. They would kill us anyway. All Bush has done is stopped apologising for it. He has managed to make them so feverently mad in many cases they can't contain themselves and we are at least able to find them, rather then just wait till something awful happens. WE DO HAVE THEM ON THE ROPES they are starting to play on our terms. I want my enemies as angry as possible it makes them do stupid things.

Social Security is to prop it up with a loan: Well given the fatbastard Ted Kenedy and the lunatic Dean and the other cry babies in your party won't allow his other ideas to even be debated in a useful way...you ought to just be happy he is doing anything at all.

Your kind likes to whine alot about how bad other peoples ideas are yet you NEVER and I really mean that NEVER articulate any ideas of your own. I kept hearing that no good turncoat Kerry talk about his grand plans for lots of things. Never heared any details, never found any on his website when I went looking.

So grow UP!

Re:Zero Sum Game and Education

[dedazo]

Let me write a really short answer to your misguided hippy "let's stick it to the man" stream of bullshit - if the United States Of America was actually so fucking evil as to fit your diarrheic POV, we would have "ruled" the world a long time ago, and you'd be singing God Bless America every morning in school in whatever country you happen to be at.

The United States of America is a great power not because of what it has done, but because of what it has not done. No power in history has had so much power and abused it so little.

Yes, you should say "thank you" and be on your way. The world could be a much fucking worse place than it is, if it wasn't for this country. Right now however you'll have to excuse us - we're kind of busy trying to kill a bunch of people that, like yourself, would like to see us humiliated and destroyed. Sorry for all the dust, mmmkay? It will be over in a couple of years. In the meantime, I recommend you educate yourself a bit and research just who is advocating all these stands on religion, pornography, abortion and homosexuality you find so offensive among all 300 million of us. You'll be surprised.

Hope that helps.

Re:Bill Gates on US Education

[miskatonic alumnus]

So teacher's, in my opinion don't go into the proffession for the money ...so many of them may actually do it because they love the proffession(I have a wavering opinion on this point mind you).

In my experience at college the education majors were among the poorest students. Regardless of their motives, people who don't have a command of their discipline should not to be allowed to "teach" it. That is, of course, assuming that the intended purpose of our school system is to EDUCATE the children, rather than brainwash and babysit them. Look at the bulk of high school graduates and draw your own conclusions as to the true mission of public education.

Re:Bill Gates on US Education

[miskatonic alumnus]

So what you are saying is that public education is a waste of time (other than babysitting the kids so Mummy and Daddy can go to work) since the smart kids don't need the teachers guidance, and the dullards aren't paying attention anyway?