US science chief warns:but this time the adversary is China 'China will eat our lunch economically

China is in pole position to overtake the United States as the premier nation for scientific and technological innovation, and will do so if Americans fail to raise their game, President Barrack Obama's own science adviser has told The Independent on Sunday.
John Holdren, the director of the White House office of science and technology policy, explained that the US faces a similar technological challenge to the one it faced half a century ago when the USSR launched the world's first satellite – to the surprise of the Americans.
He warned that the United States faces another "Sputnik moment", but this time the adversary is China, which is investing heavily in scientific research and development. Chinese schoolchildren are now consistently outperforming US pupils in science and mathematics. "Everybody is looking at China and saying, if we don't lift our game, China is going to eat our lunch economically because the amount they are investing in science, technology and innovation, while it has not yet reached anything like our level, is rising very quickly," Dr Holdren said.
President Obama said in his State of the Union address last month that Americans today face their own "Sputnik moment" and that the US needs to reach a level of research and development that the country has not seen since the height of the space race five decades ago. Dr Holdren, who trained in aeronautics and plasma physics and is a professor of environmental policy, explained what President Obama meant by his reference to the Sputnik satellite: "When the Russians put the first artificial satellite into orbit [in 1957], and we were able to look out at the night sky and see that glimmer of light as it passed overhead, it really had a profound effect on the people of this country and its policymakers," he said. "We always thought of the United States as being the first in science and technology, and suddenly we were beaten into space by the Russians, who at that time were our adversaries. What it led to was an enormous effort to catch up, and it led to the space programme as we know it, including the moon mission and the moon landings." "It led to enormous numbers of young people interested in and inspired about science, maths, and engineering. I'm in that cohort, somebody who was a kid at that time and who became even more excited about science and technology than I'd been before – by this event and by the challenge of catching up and doing exciting things.
So when the President talks about the 'Sputnik moment', what he's saying is that we are at some kind of turning point. He's saying essentially it's a wake-up moment. It's time to realise we have to get going. "Part of that Sputnik moment is the test scores of our kids on the international science and maths tests where the US typically ranks between 17 and 25. Part of our Sputnik moment is realising how hard we need to work to lift our game in science, technology, engineering and maths education." Dr Holdren, who was a guest speaker at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington this week, said that China is doing "extraordinary things" in terms of science and innovation.
The Chinese are investing in major university research facilities, such as huge experimental wind tunnels to test advanced passenger trains. "So people are looking in there and saying 'you know, it's not automatic that the US will be number one in science, technology and innovation'. This is something that has to be cultivated, it has to be invested in, and the President has been very clear that he wants to see us having innovation, education and out-build the competition," Dr Holdren said. "He does not want to preside over the US sliding into an inferior position. It ends up compromising our economy, compromising our balance of payments and ultimately compromising our security."

source

Can the US afford to keep up?
Perhaps the most worrying part of this report is the last sentence by Dr Holden, "He does not want to preside over the US sliding into an inferior position. It ends up compromising our economy, compromising our balance of payments and ultimately compromising our security.

thye security line is just a scare tactic and this is ultimately good news as new technologies do not stay solely in the hands of those who produce them for long and if the chinese can keep at it then things may come to fruition a lot quicker than first thought.

lets hope they start trying to cut the pollution that they produce with some new greener technologies.

As long as we all collectively benefit from the new sciences and technologies developed then it doesn't really matter imo, America will simply need to adapt as China takes the reins, no use in making a fuss over it...the world isn't stagnant and shifts of power, wealth, technological expertise etc happen all the time and will continue to do so.

Originally posted by Solomons
As long as we all collectively benefit from the new sciences and technologies developed then it doesn't really matter imo, America will simply need to adapt as China takes the reins, no use in making a fuss over it...the world isn't stagnant and shifts of power, wealth, technological expertise etc happen all the time and will continue to do so.

edit on 20-2-2011 by Solomons because: (no reason given)

Agreed as I see far too many people making a massive fuss over China's gains in power and wealth, as if there is nothing that can be done to stop them but why would we want to stop them?
Is it because we feel that empowering another nation would lead to global 'slavery' or the threat of 'annihilation' through war by a new superpower?

In terms of economy is this not called competition and that competition is good in both world and home markets, as competition leads to increased efficiency and production.
The Chinese have been visiting many countries for decades observing processes, advancements and business as a whole. Digesting what they see, removing the bad and keeping the good, then refining observations before putting into practice a more efficient process from manufacturing to technology. In doing so they are able to beat thier global competitors.

Is it not time that the US and other nations adopt this same method? Not to stifle or to stop China dead but to remain in the game of global competition.

reply to post by studio500


sad but true:
american economy has been f... up for decades!
it was only a matter of time until everything collapsed...

don't forget John Fitzgerald Kennedy and the ORDER 11110 :

www.john-f-kennedy.net...

" With the stroke of a pen, Mr. Kennedy was on his way to putting the Federal Reserve Bank of New York out of business. If enough of these silver certificats were to come into circulation they would have eliminated the demand for Federal Reserve notes. This is because the silver certificates are backed by silver and the Federal Reserve notes are not backed by anything. Executive Order 11110 could have prevented the national debt from reaching its current level, because it would have given the gevernment the ability to repay its debt without going to the Federal Reserve and being charged interest in order to create the new money. Executive Order 11110 gave the U.S. the ability to create its own money backed by silver. "

YEESSS!
We should see another boom in technology.

Race to colonize other worlds!

The question should be will our American leaders allow the U.S to keep up. First off we need to do away with Nafta, and Gafta, and trickle down economics.

Until then, yes China will eat our lunch, put as many of its own communities in through out the United States, and own us lock, stock and barrel

It is a pretty easy scheme really, shut down ones industrial abilities, force the people to buy from an international community, then subsidize foreign corporations, it is a endall scenario, if i have ever seen one.

Last thing to look for is having the IMF, and World bank change the worlds money from dollars to whatever, and wallllaaa, the United States is now Brazil

The scenario that has been played out in the United states since about 1918 and the indoctrination of the IRS- Fed Reserve, was so easy to crumble a nation that a Cave Man Could Have Done It!!

When it is almost ten years with a mountain of paperwork, but no real answers for why the once biggest buildings in the world fell it is probably a good thing you are out of this race. When important scientific debate is silenced with money, policy and character attacks it is a dangerous job looking for the truth. When money is valued more than the facts and unresolved corruption has introduced a might is right way of life, the nerds just walk away from the game and your intellectual strength is lost. China has a strong stance against corruption and is why it is so strong. When America starts to value honesty and integrity, then they may be in a position to rise to the challenge once more.

reply to post by studio500

Holdren is a liar. Just like Obama, his lackeys will say whatever they want their target audience to believe, while doing the exact opposite.

John Holdren, Presidential Science Advisor, advocates America’s “de-industrialization.”

He says: ”[L]aws requiring compulsory abortion, could be sustained under the existing Constitution if the population crisis became sufficiently severe to endanger the society.”
“The need for DE-development presents our economists with a major challenge. They must design a stable, low-consumption economy in which there is a much more equitable distribution of wealth than in the present one. Redistribution of wealth both within and among nations is absolutely essential, if a decent life is to be provided for every human being.”

“A transnational ‘Planetary Regime’ should assume control of the global economy and also dictate the most intimate details of Americans’ lives — using an armed international police force.”

“Ecoscience,” Holdren, John P., W H Freeman & Co; 3rd edition (July 1978)

See for additional references:
Why Cap and Trade Is Important
Holdren’s Plan to De-Industrialize the U.S.

Just as Hillary Clinton tells foreign leaders that they should tolerate peaceful protests and dissent while her goons isolate, detain, handcuff, arrest and beat a silent protester during the same speech.

Just as Obama projects a "new" pro-business attitude with a promise of cost-benefit analysis of regulations, AFTER his task force (which included Holdren) has already secretly adopted a "Social Cost of Carbon" tax that adds $.20/gal for fuel and between $21 and $43/ton of CO2 to every other product or activity, using "Feasiblity Analysis."
Obama's Secret Carbon Tax

deny ignorance
jw