Submitted by lin qiao on Sat, 12/16/2006 - 11:33am.
While in NE China two years ago as a scientific consultant, I saw boatloads of road building. Not exactly the US way of doing things: for example, construction materials were just dumped on the roadway, impeding traffic, with no warning signs or flaggers whatsoever. Gangs of men were building culverts and embankments by hand, using hammers and chisels to shape hunks of rock. Safety glasses? Give me a break.
Anyway, the new, paved roads were nice if one doesn't mind the occasional oxcart and the maniac drivers, who make NY cabbies look like rank amateurs. Every other "road" was an absolute nightmare.
But back to Friedman's blurb. I take a dim view of this guy, because what he does is hang out with the privileged classes of developing countries and them generalizes from their experiences in a totally anecdotal way.
Nonetheless, it is abundantly clear, and has been for at least 20+ years, that whatever success the US still enjoys in high-tech and other scientific/engineering endeavors depends upon a constant importation of trained people, commonly Chinese, Indians, Iranians, Arabs, and other Asians. Few of the US' best and brightest go on to science and engineering careers, but instead opt for day trading, biz school, and the like. I do not attribute this to our educational system as much as to our culture's values. Science- and engineering education is a long, hard slog. I did it myself. There's no instant gratification and riches.
China, roads, etc.
While in NE China two years ago as a scientific consultant, I saw boatloads of road building. Not exactly the US way of doing things: for example, construction materials were just dumped on the roadway, impeding traffic, with no warning signs or flaggers whatsoever. Gangs of men were building culverts and embankments by hand, using hammers and chisels to shape hunks of rock. Safety glasses? Give me a break.
Anyway, the new, paved roads were nice if one doesn't mind the occasional oxcart and the maniac drivers, who make NY cabbies look like rank amateurs. Every other "road" was an absolute nightmare.
But back to Friedman's blurb. I take a dim view of this guy, because what he does is hang out with the privileged classes of developing countries and them generalizes from their experiences in a totally anecdotal way.
Nonetheless, it is abundantly clear, and has been for at least 20+ years, that whatever success the US still enjoys in high-tech and other scientific/engineering endeavors depends upon a constant importation of trained people, commonly Chinese, Indians, Iranians, Arabs, and other Asians. Few of the US' best and brightest go on to science and engineering careers, but instead opt for day trading, biz school, and the like. I do not attribute this to our educational system as much as to our culture's values. Science- and engineering education is a long, hard slog. I did it myself. There's no instant gratification and riches.