…America’s dominance of innovation and technology is being challenged by other countries.
Figures from Battelle show that China’s spending on research and development is second only to the US because its unprecedented investment in education has created a highly skilled workforce.
The company warns that America’s under-investment in Stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) will spark an innovation crisis for the nation in the years to come.
It’s not fair because other governments spend on innovation and technology. In our country, the government, because its the government, can’t do anything innovative. We elect people who hate government, and thus, they manage it badly to show how bad government is. Their mantra, “Government can’t create jobs.”
Most of US history had infrastructure projects that combined private and public money. They spent money on the military, through the GI Bill and lots of investment in colleges. In this environment, such spending is deemed for the private sector.
What will happen? Their governments will send people to American universities who have endowments the size of small countries; or top public universities who are subsidized by the tax payer. Spending a little extra for us to ensure our kids know math, however, is deemed socialism.
Corporations are highly efficient – but they are not always innovative, because innovation often takes years and years to develop. It doesn’t fit the quarterly profit model of people motivated mainly by making money quickly.
I think we have spent on innovatin and technology, only in the wrong areas. We spent $ 800 billion on a “stimulus ” program with 10% going to “green ” technology. We have subsidized ethanol production and hows that going? We are pouring money into education and (I still can’t spell) what are the results, Atlanta’s cheating scandal. I thught the stimulus program was suposed to help improve America’s infra structure with shovel ready jobs? Instead we paid to have wind mills built in China and Spain and event spent money to teach African men to wash their genitals. And you are lauding the efforts of government? NASA is now supposed to help muslims feel better about their contributions to science..LOL
I am going to go on a rant. American technology and innovation dies in the House and Senate. I could not get my leaf blower started. I checked the gas, checked the spark plug, changed the gas etc no luck. I hjave had it about two years. I bought a battery powered replacement. It would run llong enough to complete about 1/8th of my drive way ( and I don’t have that big of a drive way). I went and about a new gas powered leaf blower. As I was checking out a clerk told me I could not use ethanol “enhanced” gas with the blower. I now know why my other blower died. Look at the ethanol program and you will find governmental foolishness in action. Now al Gore cast the tie breaking vote to subsidize ethanol production. He now says he was wrong. Oh joy!!! Do I send him my leaf blower to fix? I have now found out that ethanol is hard on all carberated engines. That means my lawn mowers life is shortened, my power washer etc and I have to run around town to find a source of ethanol free gasoline. Thank you American government. Can we also take a moment to look a the compact floresent light bulbes that don’t last as long, contain mercury and are produced in China?