Decline of American Technology

The leaders of a number of high tech U.S. companies held a press conference to announce what they said is a decline in the competitive advantage the U.S. has had for so many years. Rick White, the spokesperson for the high tech lobby group TechNet said, "The world is changing a little bit, and frankly there is a significant amount of concern that if we (the U.S.) don't make some adjustments, follow the right public policies, and do some things that are important, we could find ourselves very quickly losing the advantage we've had for so long."
In other words, the U.S. may be falling behind many other countries in technology. High Tech represents about 200 high tech companies (including Microsoft, Intel, Cisco and Hewlett Packard). It says the U.S is investing too little in the "new world" enterprises of math and science education, research and development and broad band technology here.
Examples of the decline include: the fact that only 7% of U.S. homes have broad band access, compared with 30% in Korea, and 20% in Japan; U.S. investment in research and development has remained the same the past three decades while growing significantly in China, Brazil, India and Israel; and students in the U.S. are behind many other nations in average science and math achievement test scores.
High Tech says the government here should do what other governments do, and shift emphasis from old world ideas to investment in high tech programs. But the problem here is as much the disinterest by many Americans (me included) in technological innovations and gadgets. Many of the better students here tend to gravitate into the arts and other creative program courses of study.
High tech still does not have the prestige here that it does in other countries. Hmmmmm You think this explains why I am so inept using this computer??