“This, Cook explained, is due to China putting an enormous focus on manufacturing, while the U.S. moved away from a focus on vocational skills ...”
The US has added a new category to the list of possible skills groups can possess, like vocational skills, manufacturing skills, etc. Now, thanks to a near totally failed educational system and the requisite and accompanying failure of political will, we have, here in the US, the category so many citizens excel at - consumer skill.
There are many Chinese citizens, who otherwise would have to still live in the impoverished countryside, that now have what passes for a good paying job in China. They heartily endorse and applaud the Americans who have done so much to improve their lives.
The near perfection of this new skill has led to spending on an epic scale - for individuals, states and particularly the federal government, which, having the privilege of printing money, has nearly managed to spend more than can be printed, an act most individuals practicing this new skill would die for ...
“The US has added a new category to the list of possible skills groups can possess, like vocational skills, manufacturing skills, etc.”
I thought you would add self-esteem. Students today think they should be rewarded for being, not for excelling.