[Denny]

Just saw this report from World Economic Forum.

Highlights:

Switzerland, Finland and Sweden are the world’s most competitive economies according to the Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007 . The US saw the most pronounced drop in the top 10 rankings, falling from 1st to 6th. “The top rankings of Switzerland and the Nordic countries show that good institutions and competent macroeconomic management, coupled with world-class educational attainment and a focus on technology and innovation, are a successful strategy for boosting competitiveness in an increasingly complex global economy," said Augusto Lopez-Claros, Chief Economist and Director of the Global Competitiveness Network.

Aren't these the same places that actually are accomplishing a shift to renewable energy too?

And, somehow, they found a way to accomplish this, even in the absence of creationism, militarism or Republicanism.

I remember the days when America was the hotseat of innovation. Those were the days my friend.

Can we bring them back?

[rwwff]

Ask yourself, which is more popular...

African American/Women's/Minority-of-the-Decade Studies
Electrical/Chemical/Mechanical Engineering

Thats all you need to know.

We're just running out the clock on previously existing and developed talent.

In case you didn't know, they let kids into college these days who can't even manage to solve a basic x[sup]2[/sup] + bx + c = 0.

[ThunderSnow]

Still in the top 10? I'm surprised, perhaps we grasped the handrail for a brief second on our tumble down the stairs.
From the executive "no child left behind" which pales in comparison to our individual sabotage such as the counter logical stay out of school to work at your job to keep up with the joneses or be like paris hilton, a gangsta, rocker you name it, education falls way below our collective priorities.
Which is why China, Scandanavian countries and the like are eating us alive... again. Eventually we will be so poor and stupid such countries can drop on in and drain the Great Lakes buy up large sections of land. We will be at Wal Mart, wiping the drool gaurds on the register and discussing the latest reality tv episode or how lame Bill O'Really or Michale Moore food are.

[EnergyHog]

Just wanted to join in the bashing...

People in the US are so stupid:

that they would rather have a 6000sq. ft. house than 1 acre of arable land.

that they would rather have a piece of paper called a stock certificate than an ounce of gold.

that they think god wants Americans to be rich, why would anyone need an education?

that you can get a high paying job if you have zero talent, intelligence, or motivation BUT have a piece of paper stating you attended college.

that they don't even know what a reserve currency is or that the US is the world's reserve currency or that you can only buy oil in USD.

Alright, I feel better now.

[Denny]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyHog', 'J')ust wanted to join in the bashing...

People in the US are so stupid:

that they would rather have a 6000sq. ft. house than 1 acre of arable land.

that they would rather have a piece of paper called a stock certificate than an ounce of gold.

that they think god wants Americans to be rich, why would anyone need an education?

that you can get a high paying job if you have zero talent, intelligence, or motivation BUT have a piece of paper stating you attended college.

that they don't even know what a reserve currency is or that the US is the world's reserve currency or that you can only buy oil in USD.

Alright, I feel better now.

[alecifel]

There is no doubt that American currency is dropping like a rock. What is good for us, is that the world will prop up the USD to its own ruin, because the U.S. is the world's bank. If the USD crashes the whole world crashes.

The downside to that is that the other countries can't prop up the dollar forever. So when it does go, the whole world will know what it is like to be Zimbabwe.

Stephen Roach got my attention when he pointed out that we are having to import $1.6 BILLION a day in foreign currency just to make interest payments on our foreign debt.

Sadly every currency in the world is now either a "float" or it is pegged to another "float", or it's floated by a basket of other floats. There is no good metals-backed currency to have faith in.

The age of Fiat money is about to come crashing down, maybe in a decade or so. My advice, accumulate wealth. Wealth is not money. Wealth is property that you own, an asset, that can produce a value. Land is wealth. Tools are wealth. Cooking equipment is wealth.

Don't overlook silver and gold either. The less of the cash, mind you, that's only a medium of exchange and NOT an asset in and of itself -- you can be stuck with, the better. All of my earnings go into buying land, buying equipment, building structures, and little silver bars. I keep a minimum of cash on hand -- just enough to cover a few unexpected exchanges.

US is going down fast, because as the previous poster so aptly noted -- American people are after the Party, the Glamour, the Big Castle and the Flashy Car and know nothing, ZERO, about economics.

My place may be a little run down, but it is capable of providing me with sustenanace and a little bit of fun on top. Which is more than the holder of a 30-year mortgage on a brick cave with mowed turf can say.

[venky]

Still in the top 10!, a lot of folks would aspire to that.

[Last_Laff]

I have a question. What does it take for US to go down on its knees? What are the factors?

[Zardoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Last_Laff', 'I') have a question. What does it take for US to go down on its knees? What are the factors?

[rwwff]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Last_Laff', 'I') have a question. What does it take for US to go down on its knees? What are the factors?

[Keith_McClary]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rwwff', 'A')sk yourself, which is more popular...

African American/Women's/Minority-of-the-Decade Studies
Electrical/Chemical/Mechanical Engineering

Thats all you need to know.

We're just running out the clock on previously existing and developed talent.

In case you didn't know, they let kids into college these days who can't even manage to solve a basic x[sup]2[/sup] + bx + c = 0.