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>America is not an industrial economy anymore, but an
>information economy. That is why I am not being stupid and
>going into manufacturing. Times change. That isn't bad
>(unless our military production goes elsewhere....) America
>will adapt and survive as it always does.

Ok...it's time to call some of you free-traders out on this. You are very good at speaking in hopeful generalities trying to get your guy re-elected in November. Get rid of the generalities. Lets get specific.

Say you are advising a very intelligent, reasonably personable high school student on what to do with his life. He has been admitted to a well known, highly respected university. His goal? Go to college, get a degree, and find a reasonably stable career that will compensate him well - say in the $150k-$250k range.

What are you going to suggest he go do? Be specific.

Say you are advising a very intelligent, reasonably personable high school student on what to do with his life. He has been admitted to a well known, highly respected university. His goal? Go to college, get a degree, and find a reasonably stable career that will compensate him well - say in the $150k-$250k range.

First thing I'd tell the kid is to get his head out of his butt. You think $150k-$250k is "compensated well"? That's probably a dozen standard deviations from the mean for recent graduates, for crying out loud.

I'd also tell him "stability" and "excessive wealth" are rarely compatible. It's the risk takers who make the big bucks.

In the end, I suppose my advice would center around setting aside the compensation expectations. I could have easily pursued a career path that would ultimately pay more, but I wouldn't be as happy. There are several industries that one can earn a fortune in, though, if you have something special. As much as many here hate to acknowledge, IT still holds tremendous opportunities. A smart person could make a fortune in healthcare management. Financial services in the world's wealthiest nation is a good bet.

But if he really wants to be a success, all he needs to do is provide a product or service that one person or millions of people will want to pay him for.