In this chapter Friedman gets naughty and throws out six dirty little secrets of why Americans are not taking advantage of their resources and forecasting the future. Friedman is throwing America under the bus here and saying were not even getting out of the way. He takes about how we are losing our innovators such as engineers, people in science and technology. That all the jobs are going East, and it's America's fault for being complacent. He is basically saying we need to do an all out, no-holds-barred, throw money in your face program for science and engineering right away. He is a hypocrite I would like to also point out, because in the last chapter he talks about needing to use the right brain while here he says you need areas using the left brain. Our quiet crisis is that we are not doing it. The six dirty secrets he talks about are:
DLS 1 - The Numbers Gap - Declining number of American students completing degrees in science and math fields. He is saying people around the world are receiving these degrees and taking a comparative advantage in the new jobs that are being created
DLS 2 - The Education Gap at the Top - It's the numbers gap to the education gap, basically a decline in Americans skein advanced degree's. Also that our entire education is declines due to the web and TV.
DLS 3 - The Ambition Gap - Low-prestige, low-paying jobs get sent abroad and become high-paying and high-prestige jobs. Although still cheaper then the U.S. Companies pay less and receive more.
DLS 4 - The Education Gap at the Bottom - Refers to the inequality of American public schools. The wealthy districts attract the best teachers and staff, while the poor districts must settle for whats left.
DLS 5 - The Funding Gap - Decreasing amount of funding Congress provides for research in the physical and mathematical sciences as well as engineering.
DLS 6 - The Infrastructure Gap - How America has fallen behind the rest of the industrialized world with broadband connection. We need good connection b/c its important to innovation and productivity.
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Reading about all of these gaps was a little scary! This book had me wondering what is going to happen in the future when all of the "bottom" Americans are unable to find jobs because all of the jobs they used to be able to get are either outsourced or are replaced by technology. The unemployment rate is going to be sky high! It also frustrates me how the public education system sets students up for this level of jobs. You have to decide back in middle school whether you are going to go to a four-year institution or begin working after graduation. Although you can switch tracks, it makes it hard if not impossible because you would've missed out on some of the necessary courses. The title fits because this is a "quiet crisis".
The ambition gap is what gets me the most. People need to get off their lazy buts and motivate themselves to do more than just sitting around watching soap operas and eatting on the couch. People need to think in the long-term, not just immediate gratification. That is why this country is so in debt.
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