> America could catch up within a few years if our politicians got serious about developing engineers. <
Absolutely correct. Unfortunately, they are more concerned about making sure we all use the proper pronouns.
Side story: I once visited the Engineering Department of a university near me. It was a nostalgia thing. Because as a chemistry major, I had taken some classes there. On one wall was a picture of the 40 Mining Engineering students.
One student had an English last name. One was Polish. All the rest were orientals. No way can that be good.
There have been paints that radiate back more than they receive for decades. I remember my tech mentor describing one to me, and that would have been circa 1968.
Those of European descent are generalists. We can do everything and we are at the near top of every human category. It’s a trade-off we have made to be at the near top of everything.
But we need to be unshackled from our masters to optimize what we are capable of.