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Saving U.S. Science

beebo famulus writes "Twenty years from now, experts doubt that America will remain a dominant force in science as it was during the last century. The hand wringing has generated a couple of new ideas to deal with the dilemma. Specifically, one expert says that the federal government should create contests and prize awards for successful science ideas, while another advises that the National Science Foundation fund more graduate students and increase the amount of the fellowships."

4 of 667 comments (clear)

  1. lol grammer by Legion303 · · Score: 0, Troll

    "Twenty years from now, experts doubt that America will remain a dominant force in science as it was during the last century."

    We're already behind if this "beebo" person (presumably not American) can see twenty years into the future to know what experts will be saying. That's just fucking amazing.

  2. Re:We have a bigger problem... by cluckshot · · Score: 0, Troll

    Serious saving of the USA is not in R&D or in the University that is at issue. The USA has been graduating more graduates in the fields than were needed for the jobs that were present. The problem is best seen in the Computer Science area. The USA has been generating about 50,000 CS and similar Degree type jobs a year now for the past 5 years. That looks very good. It stinks! The reason is that the USA has been importing about 60,000 similar persons a year to fill them. This means that the domestic workers are being displaced. Why?

    This is quite simple. If you grow up in the USA and get a CS type degree whether you use debt or income you have to pay for your degree by using DOMESTICALLY TAXED income that equals about $250,000 of taxes by the time you graduate from time of birth. A foreign born person from many countries will see their tax burden in the same period be on a meager $5000 or so dollars. You have to pay this back by higher wages. You also graduate averaging debt of about $40,000. You have to pay this back too. A simple bankers rule of thumb will come into play here. You have to earn 2x your debt in order to live on it. That means a US Graduate needs a starting salary for a BS Degree of about $80,000 to live. Only an idiot couldn't see the impossibility here.

    What is going on is a pure and simple trade war by the US Government against its own citizens. The result is that US Based persons have to pay massive taxes to pay for many US Government operations while their foreign competition arises without this load. The result is that the US Government is degrading the US Citizens functionality and it it working. Solutions: "The Fair Tax" it makes those who play here pay here. Even that will not fix the tremendous load and discrimination by taxes that is coming as the "Baby Boom" retires. We have to protect the US Market with trade limitations that compensate for this or the USA is toast. Its that simple people.

    If you push the classic educate etc and R&D solution you only accelerate the decline of the USA as all new products displace the old the trade goes to the location over seas displacing the domestic work. It is a suicide pill. Drink the cool aid folks if you doubt this one!

    --
    Never Politically Correct ~ I prefer the facts If you don't like what I say, get a life, or comment yourself.
  3. Re:We have a bigger problem... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Why not look at the white papers that were written. Many have Asian last names...

    Then shouldn't they be called yellow papers?

  4. Re:It's NOT the money by kabocox · · Score: 0, Troll

    My younger brother was in a "gifted and talented" class for all of 6 months (the entire length of the program) before somebody decided that he should be hobbled by other people's stupidity as well.

    Are you kidding? I viewed G&T as the place the school district puts those disruptive kids with annoying parents. I got out of GT ASAP after just looking at the students that were there. I had lots of friends that where there that would wonder why I didn't want to be in GT and get out of class with them. I just didn't want to let them know that all the most annoying kids where in GT and real learning took place on those GT days. The secret of school is to shut up and listen to the teacher and not to ask questions until the Q&A time. You'd be amazed at how much that you can get out of "normal" education by removing those annoying students in a manner that their parents would think of as a reward.