If you want the US to compete in a global economy, this must happen:

[Deja Q]

1. Reduce the cost of education. This means don't increase it. It is not just silly to spend $20,000 on education for a field that pays $5.15/hr. It's asinine.

2. Encourage study in highly regarded, much vaunted fields by showing us the jobs will be there. In other words, show us the opportunity. It's not just silly to spend $20,000 on education for a field that hasn't any availability at all, it's asinine. Indeed. We're ultimately a team. And the coach is part of the team too.

3. (not as important, but not a bad thing to do either.) Reduce the cost of health care. Other countries pay chickenfeed compared to what US citizens have to pay. Why the huge difference? Especially in a global economy where you want to demand the same price for everything?

[Inland]

1. Auto manufacturers move to Canada

because the government universal health care saves them a bundle.

[Deja Q]

3. And the Canadian citizens pay for health care via taxes.

In America, corporations and workers pay the brunt of medical costs.

Then add in that the cost of medical drugs and supplies seems to be disparately lower in any non-America country for some reason... it's like America is out to crucify small businesses, who can't even begin to pay the "premiums".

Pity nobody wants to work out a compromise, but oh well. We're running out of oil anyway. Or so we're told...

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. Also, everyone who WORKS for a living must understand that they

cannot be Republicans and they have to hold Democrats accountable for things like living wages, universal health, affordable housing, etc. The American Century was the result of the rise of the American Middle Class. The Fall of the American Empire will be the fall of the American Middle Class. It is not mysterious.

You are also so right about education. The another reason for American dominence in the twentieth century was the access to quality education for all Americans. We are going backwards when college tuitions are rising to astronomical levels and education is once again the turf of only the very wealthy or the very gifted.

[Deja Q]

4. Bingo. 100% spot-on. And,

Our dominance is clearly ending in just about every field.

And we're not merely going 'backwards'. It's a state of decay, the likes I've never seen before.

One based as much on attrition as it is on short-term greed.

The Bible is not very keen on greed either... but you won't hear any of those passages being said in the sermons of pastors in churches in the neighborhoods where the executives live...

And how American arrogance will expect China and India to bow down to our very whims without question without thinking on all the ideas and concepts we were giving them dirt cheap. It was this which allowed trhe US to remain wealthy during the 1980s while our textile and manufacturing industries went over there en masse. (and these days engineering and information technology jobs, which you'd think would be rather more crucial...) Which is sad when you consider how much US debt they expect us to pay back some day. When the US economy shatters (I predict within 2 years), China will not be very happy that they won't get their money back.

Not that I'm against China... which is a lie; they're a fascist communist country. They've been quite the enemy for decades now and yet our corporate folks are allowed to treat and trade with them and not be locked up in jail for treason as they ought to be. And, yes, it is treason. Trading with the enemy is the worst thing you can do. You're helping an enemy defeat you while at the same time tearing your home country down. So, yeah, they are traitors. Pure and simple. Nixon did not go over there to help the Chinese people (who I genuinely feel for under the oppressive and vile conditions they have to live under!), he went over there to help the US's corporate interests and nothing more.

Not that I'd blame the Chinese. It's no different than chess. If your opponent makes a mistake, you don't console him. You use the mistake against him. China has done that and they're going to smirk and shout "Checkmate!" fairly soon. And it's not going to be pretty.

Still, we have fascists running the United States these days and fascists in general have no concept of honor or ethics. All they care about is increasing the amount of power they have, even if it means breaking the rules they themselves make. But the American fascists never bothered to think that as we're all human, we all have capacity to learn. Again, you don't give your secrets to your mortal enemies without good reason. Short term profiteering is hardly a good reason. Or did the US fascists want to learn from the Chinese as to how to keep the populace at bay? Oppression. Never leave home without it.

And will it bother the American corporate executives? Nope. It's all just business to them. And they will become Chinese corporate executives. Again, it's just business. The hand that feeds them gets bitten at any opportunity. Hopefully * will realize that too. His oil buds will ditch him as soon as he stops being profitable, I'd bet real money on that.