Posted on 05/13/2005 7:28:40 PM PDT by neverdem
For so many years, America's economy was so dominant on the world stage, so out front in so many key areas, that we fell into the habit of thinking we were competing largely against ourselves. If we fell behind in one area or another - whether it was math and science skills, broadband capacity or wireless infrastructure - we took the view that: "Oh well, we'll fix that problem when we get to it. After all, we're just competing against ourselves."
In recent years, though, with the flattening of the global playing field, it should be apparent that we are not just competing against ourselves. The opening of China, India and Russia means that young people in these countries can increasingly plug and play - connect, collaborate and compete - more easily and cheaply than ever before. And they are. We, alas, are still coasting along as if we have all the time in the world.
I helped teach a course at Harvard last semester on globalization, and one day a student told me this story: He was part of a student-run collaboration between students in the U.S. and China. The American and Chinese students had recently started working together by using Skype, the popular, freely downloadable, software that enables you to make free phone calls over the Internet to other Skype users. But what was most interesting, the student told me, was that it was the Chinese students who introduced their U.S. counterparts to Skype. And, he noted, these Chinese students were not from major cities, like Beijing, but from smaller towns.
On April 7, CNET News.com reported the following: "The University of Illinois tied for 17th place in the world finals of the Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest. ...
"That's the lowest ranking for the top-performing U.S. school in the 29-year history of the competition. Shanghai Jiao Tong University of China took top honors this year, followed by Moscow State University and the St. Petersburg Institute of Fine Mechanics and Optics. Those results continued a gradual ascendance of Asian and East European schools during the past decade or so. A U.S. school hasn't won the world championship since 1997, when students at Harvey Mudd College achieved the honor. 'The U.S. used to dominate these kinds of programming Olympics,' said David Patterson, president of the Association for Computing Machinery and a computer science professor at the University of California at Berkeley. 'Now we're sort of falling behind.' "
Earlier this week, a special report on the Indiana University High School Survey of Student Engagement, which covered 90,000 high school students in 26 states, was published. The study noted that 18 percent of college-track seniors did not take a math course in their last year in high school - and that "more than a fifth (22 percent) of first-year college students require remediation in math." Just 56 percent of the students surveyed said they put a great deal of effort into schoolwork; only 43 percent said they worked harder than they had expected.
Even though 55 percent said they studied no more than three hours a week, 65 percent of those students reported getting mostly A's and B's.
"Students are getting A's and B's, but without studying much," Martha McCarthy, the Indiana University professor who headed the study, told me. "Our fear," she added, "is that when you talk to employers out there, they say they are not getting the skills they need," in part because "the colleges are not getting students with the skills they need." Ms. McCarthy said one of the main reasons Indiana did this study is to better inform high school educators about what is going on in their own schools so they can find remedies. All of these shortcomings developed over time, Ms. McCarthy said, but "we as a nation became complacent about them."
America today reminds me of our last Olympic basketball team - that lackadaisical group that brought home the bronze medal. We think that all we need to do is show up and everyone else will fold - because, after all, we're just competing with ourselves.
And we think we don't need to get focused and play together like a team, with Democrats and Republicans actually working together. Well, on the basketball court - and in a flat world, where everyone now has access to all the same coaching techniques, training methods and scouting reports - a more focused, motivated team always beats a collection of more talented but complacent individuals.
Even though 55 percent said they studied no more than three hours a week, 65 percent of those students reported getting mostly A's and B's.
"Students are getting A's and B's, but without studying much," Martha McCarthy, the Indiana University professor who headed the study, told me.
It appears we have a lot of lazy fatheads graduating high school after spending over $10,000 per student each year in many school districts. That figure came from a NY Times story, maybe five years ago. New York City was spending 11 billion dollars for 1.1 million K - 12 students per year. I remember because I called it in to Tony Snow one day when he was substituting for Rush.
Maybe so, but the whole 'flat world' jive is still irritating.
Some of those "lazy fatheads graduating from high school" are now wearing a uniform and are risking their lives for us. Do not pay any attention to Thomas Freidman, the only thing he's trying to do in America is promote liberal self-loathing. Wolf in sheep's clothing, he's a hate-America firster just like the rest of the left.
Note his reference to "Skype", which is a puny Vonage wanna-be founded by Europeans who made their mark by forming a Napster wanna-be that took off only when our courts shut Napster down in 2001-2002. Napster and Vonage are both American companies.
People who know anything about American kids (twenties means "kids" to me) can tell you they are the most technically estute youngsters in the world. I'll put 'em up against anybody from China or India. Never stop believing in America.
Friedman knows as much about economics as he does about the Middle East! He's a fatuous blowhard who thinks a couple of Pulitzers make him a genius.
LOL! Buck Nekkid?
Skype has 35 million registered users, 100 million downloads, and is free. It is an amazing application, and growing in importance. Vonage is a moneyt losing startup that replaces your telephone with a telephone.
Skype only exists because our courts went after Napster. And believe me, I know this better than anybody you've ever met, the phone companies are worried about Vonage "big time".
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
I don't think I pinged you to a Friedman OpEd before, IIRC, but a lousy math and science education after paying high taxes is a peeve of mine.
The telcos should worry about VOIP, but it is currently a pin prick compared to the sword to the neck that cell phones are to their residential landline business.
What is he talking about? It seems like all we heard in the 80's was how smart the Japanese were and how they were going to bury us economically. I agree that U.S. schools suck but it's not exactly breaking news.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, Game skills pay off in real life: Research find benefits of video games in unexpected areas. Even surgery is now best done at what amounts to a video game console. If I ever have to have my prostate removed, it's going to be with this method.
So what do you talk through Skype?
Your history of Skype is correct, except that it is not such a contorted link. Had Napster not gone down, there would be no Skype because Kazaa was its roots. My point is that the true innovation for Kazaa and Skype was Napster and Vonage, and they're American.
The telcos worry less about cell service because they've built their own, the largest of which is Verizon. But VoIP really bugs them because they still haven't got their hands around it yet and it's still going to take them a long time. I'll spare you the whole dissertation on why that's the case.
Well of course he's a genius! I mean that line! "Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio?" Freakin brilliant and original! I mean you could almost put it into a song. I'll talk to my friend, Mrs. Robinson about writing one!
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