Will America Compete?
A very long article containing
enough truth and food for thought -- to be scary. That is, if you care about
thinking.
"Can America compete ?” is the nations new No. 1 anxiety, the topic of emotional debate in bars and boardrooms, the title of seminars and speeches offered by the liberal Progressive Policy Institute, the conservative economist Todd Buchholz, and countless schools and Rotary Clubs. The question is almost right, but not quite. We’re wringing our hands over the wrong thing. The problem isn’t Chinese companies threatening U.S. firms. It’s U.S. workers unable to compete with those in China—or India, or South Korea. The real question is, “Can Americans compete?”
Geoffrey Colvin was on CNN, this weekend. It was Jack Cafferty’s show; but, don’t let that dissuade you from reading his article. “Can America Compete” is well written and documented. Give yourself some time. It ain’t an AP fluff piece. Maybe it should be “Will America compete?”
Its time for a massive, urgent American response to the global challenge. As Cisco chief John Chambers says flatly, "We are not competitive." Where to start? Venture capitalist John Doerr, one of Americas most passionate competitiveness campaigners, calls education "the largest and most screwed-up part of the American economy." He’d start there. GE chief Jeff Immelt has attacked Americas newly restrictive student visa rules. Others focus first on R&D spending or the broadband infrastructure. But the greatest challenge will be changing a culture that neither values education nor sacrifices the present for the future as much as it used to—or as much as our competitors do. And you’d better believe that American business has a role to play—after years of dot-com-bust- and scandal-driven reticence, more corporate leaders need to summon the courage to lead.
It’s been a century since the United States attempted a leading role in education. Right now, we’re not only incapable of leading the world -- we’re not even helping ourselves.
Posted: Mon - July 25, 2005 at 08:43 AM