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From 1900 until the latter part of the last century the US experienced a tremendous period of growth and prosperity due in large part to advances in industry and technology.
What is the best opportunity for growth in America today?
I personally do not believe that a continuation of the current strategy of largely reshuffling what has already been created is sustianable for the level of growth required to support our current standard of living. Can alternative energy be the driver for our future? If not, what will this century be known for in American history?
Some estimates of GDP growth over the next year have risen substantially, there were 2.5% estimates from late last year but now one sees 3.5% to 3.9% thrown about.
From 1900 until the latter part of the last century the US experienced a tremendous period of growth and prosperity due in large part to advances in industry and technology.
What is the best opportunity for growth in America today?
I personally do not believe that a continuation of the current strategy of largely reshuffling what has already been created is sustianable for the level of growth required to support our current standard of living. Can alternative energy be the driver for our future? If not, what will this century be known for in American history?
This century will mark the end of American global dominance. Too much debt, too poor a K-12 educational system, not enough investment in infrastructure, a dwindling middle class, and lack of strong political and business leadership.
Simply put we have profitted tremendously by being the only industrial power in the world not seriously damaged by World War II. That advantage no longer exists. The United States is no longer wage competitive with other manufacturing countries and we don't make enough high quality manufacturing good to signficantly expand our economy. If America doesn't grow its ecnomy through technology and innovation then we will just bounce along in a slow growth mode of 1% to 3% for an extended period of time.
This century will mark the end of American global dominance. Too much debt, too poor a K-12 educational system, not enough investment in infrastructure, a dwindling middle class, and lack of strong political and business leadership.
Simply put we have profitted tremendously by being the only industrial power in the world not seriously damaged by World War II. That advantage no longer exists. The United States is no longer wage competitive with other manufacturing countries and we don't make enough high quality manufacturing good to signficantly expand our economy. If America doesn't grow its ecnomy through technology and innovation then we will just bounce along in a slow growth mode of 1% to 3% for an extended period of time.
America should be able to continue to be the most technologically advanced country since the college/university system is the best in the world. That said, the pace of innovation is slowing rapidly due to diminishing returns and increasing technical complexity so much of the world will catch up although not surpass America since America still has a rather deep STEM labor force.
That said, the country is veering towards becoming top heavy as the middle class is being hollowed out. A lot of people mention cleantech/alternative energy as being the new driver of growth for the American economy but the thing is that field only employs a very very small minority of people with a very specific skill set. Cleantech is also manufactured mostly in China so few Americans actually benefit from cleantech as most of the manufacturing is done elsewhere.
Overall, Americans will continue to produce cutting edge technology but the big problem is only a few Americans will benefit from it while the rest will just chug along fighting for scraps from the few dollars that are thrown their way.
America should be able to continue to be the most technologically advanced country since the college/university system is the best in the world. That said, the pace of innovation is slowing rapidly due to diminishing returns and increasing technical complexity so much of the world will catch up although not surpass America since America still has a rather deep STEM labor force.
That said, the country is veering towards becoming top heavy as the middle class is being hollowed out. A lot of people mention cleantech/alternative energy as being the new driver of growth for the American economy but the thing is that field only employs a very very small minority of people with a very specific skill set. Cleantech is also manufactured mostly in China so few Americans actually benefit from cleantech as most of the manufacturing is done elsewhere.
Overall, Americans will continue to produce cutting edge technology but the big problem is only a few Americans will benefit from it while the rest will just chug along fighting for scraps from the few dollars that are thrown their way.
Producing cutting edge technology? Like? Let's hear it! All this talk but no walk. What is so cutting edge about American technology? Besides our warmongering military industrial complex? Oh I know Apple Ipods? Cellphones? Are those cutting edge? Or maybe it's the wonderfully efficient and amazing Microsoft operating system? Or is it that amazing machine that grows new skin on burn patients? Oops that wasn't invented by an American. Just was does America produce anymore that is so cutting edge that doesn't involve blowing people up? That brand new Cadillac Escalade? Wow real cutting edge there!
And you're wrong America will not dominate the next 100 years like they have the last century. The American education system is a joke. Who do you think is behind the reputation of America universities and colleges if our K-12 education system is so horrible? FOREIGN STUDENTS! American college kids are a dime a dozen. American higher education is a racket.......spitting out kids who both have no business having ever gone to college and who will never ever be able to find a job. The US economy can't support the millions of kids graduating college nowadays + competition from foreign kids competing for the same number of jobs globally. When you have a country like America that is the wealthiest country in the world yet has no public healthcare system, terrible public education system, a higher educational system that requires you to go into debt to better yourself what the hell do you expect? Are these the fruits of capitalism? Atleast in Europe you have other options than college, but if you do go to college and qualify you don't have to go into debt and the government pays for most of it. America is reaping what it sows...........the most innovative, most propserous country in the world destroyed in a few decades by greed, wallstreet and government corruption and an entitlement mentality...........oh and those spoiled baby boomers! LMAO!
Producing cutting edge technology? Like? Let's hear it! All this talk but no walk. What is so cutting edge about American technology? Besides our warmongering military industrial complex? Oh I know Apple Ipods? Cellphones? Are those cutting edge? Or maybe it's the wonderfully efficient and amazing Microsoft operating system? Or is it that amazing machine that grows new skin on burn patients? Oops that wasn't invented by an American. Just was does America produce anymore that is so cutting edge that doesn't involve blowing people up? That brand new Cadillac Escalade? Wow real cutting edge there!
And you're wrong America will not dominate the next 100 years like they have the last century. The American education system is a joke. Who do you think is behind the reputation of America universities and colleges if our K-12 education system is so horrible? FOREIGN STUDENTS! American college kids are a dime a dozen. American higher education is a racket.......spitting out kids who both have no business having ever gone to college and who will never ever be able to find a job. The US economy can't support the millions of kids graduating college nowadays + competition from foreign kids competing for the same number of jobs globally. When you have a country like America that is the wealthiest country in the world yet has no public healthcare system, terrible public education system, a higher educational system that requires you to go into debt to better yourself what the hell do you expect? Are these the fruits of capitalism? Atleast in Europe you have other options than college, but if you do go to college and qualify you don't have to go into debt and the government pays for most of it. America is reaping what it sows...........the most innovative, most propserous country in the world destroyed in a few decades by greed, wallstreet and government corruption and an entitlement mentality...........oh and those spoiled baby boomers! LMAO!
Well, I did mention that innovation is slowing down so we are essentially on the same page. America still leads in basic research (things that aren't publicized) at least from the RAND report that I read. Of course, other countries are catching up rapidly. The latest cutting edge technology that has been produced in the USA is the memristor.
I also agree with you that America will not dominate in the next 100 years so we are also on the same page as well. The US has too much competition and the developing world is beginning to industrialize and that is beginning to rip America apart by the seams due to outsourcing. Unfortunately, the post WWII prosperity was an aberration and will never ever be replicated. That was exposed back in the 70s and 80s when Germany and Japan began to pose as serious manufacturing competitors.
From 1900 until the latter part of the last century the US experienced a tremendous period of growth and prosperity due in large part to advances in industry and technology.
What is the best opportunity for growth in America today?
I personally do not believe that a continuation of the current strategy of largely reshuffling what has already been created is sustianable for the level of growth required to support our current standard of living. Can alternative energy be the driver for our future? If not, what will this century be known for in American history?
Growth cannot continue exponentially on the same 200 year old game plan (the Industrial Revolution). Eventually it's gonna come down and the process has to start over again.
The only thing I could imagine that would continue to grow and perpetuate the twisted monster economy as it has grown in the past would be a true "miracle" energy technology that is just as revolutionary to us as steam engines were to the people of 19th century. It would have to allow us to spread beyond the planet itself and make settlement/resource extraction in space economically viable. Otherwise, we're screwed.
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