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We're Number One! China Can't Compete!

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Despite the overwhelming dominance of Americans in math, pessimists point with alarm at developments which they believe show that the United States is losing its edge. Not so. Appearances can be deceptive. Let us examine some of these (unnecessarily) gloomy tales:

"China Exceeds US in Number of Companies in Fortune 500"

This may seem ominous. In fact it is no cause for worry. The New York Stock Exchange is at an alltime high. Wall Street prospers. The growing rate of suicide in Middle America, much bemoaned by conservatives, should actually be applauded for its eugenic effects: It will raise American intelligence. In the long run, this will benefit America.

Forbes : --The World Economic Forum calculates that China had at least 4.7 million recent STEM grads as of 2016; India had 2.6 million as of 2017; the U.S. pulls in at third at 568,000."

Again, there is no reason for concern It is actually a sign of China's weakness: If its students knew stuff, they wouldn't have to go to school, would they?

Yes, Forbes says that in many American universities, departments of math, engineering, and the hard sciences would close if it weren't for foreign students, largely Chinese. Why is this thought bad? Obviously the more money MIT and CalTech drain from the Chinese economy in tuition, the less money Beijing will have to spend on research and development. Slowly but surely, this impoverishment will bring China down.

To be sure, the Chinese can do a few things well, such as making pencils and little paper umbrellas for expensive drinks. By contrast, American universities excel in inclusiveness, the care and feeding of barely sentient diversity-admits, and courses such as Batman and the Struggle for Gender Equity. China cannot compete at this level.

"Democrats unanimous as House passes bill forcing schools to let male athletes compete in girls' sports"

The Chinese regard this as insanity, as they do most of American behavior. Here we see their lack of originality as they are just following the rest of the world.

Overestimation of the Chinese runs rampant among American intellectuals. Here we have:

"As 5G networks begin rolling out and commercializing around the world, telecoms vendors are rushing to get a headstart. Huawei equipment is now behind two-thirds of the commercially launched 5G networks outside China"."

This is easily misinterpreted. Talking heads, unencumbered by knowledge of either technology or economics, espy doom. They say that China's lead in 5G represents the beginning of a global shift in technological leadership. They further say that Trump, by banning Huawei in America while the rest of the world adopts it, is putting the US two years behind the rest of the world.

This is nonsense. Well, it is at least misunderstood. The very savvy Trump is letting the Chinese spend to develop 5G. When they have done the heavy lifting, Washington will buy it from them for a song and perhaps some soybeans. The resources thus saved by America will be spent on more pressing needs, such as nuclear bombers. It's like, you know, economic jiu jitsu.

"A study " describes the domination of scientists and engineers in the Chinese political elite at all levels. Worth reading. A sentence extracted: "This means that 8 out of 10 among them have four-year degrees or more in science or engineering."

By contrast, I find (can I possibly be right?) in the 535 members of Congress one PhD in math, and one in physics. This is actually a good thing as it shows that our government is truly democratic and Of The People, which is to say technically illiterate, not very bright and and undistracted by, you know, like equations and atoms and all that stuff. Remember the prescient warning of George Wallace against have pointy-headed intellectuals.

Xi JinPing holds a doctorate in chemistry. Trump holds a faint lead over pursuing law enforcement.

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Fred, a keyboard mercenary with a disorganized past, has worked on staff for Army Times, The Washingtonian, Soldier of Fortune, Federal Computer Week, and The Washington Times.

He has been published in Playboy, Soldier of Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Harper's, National Review, Signal, Air&Space, and suchlike. He has worked as a police writer, technology editor, military specialist, and authority on mercenary soldiers. He is by all accounts as looney as a tune. Fred Reed is author of Nekkid in Austin: Drop Your Inner Child Down a WellA Brass Pole in Bangkok: A Thing I Aspire to BeCurmudgeing Through Paradise: Reports from a Fractal Dung Beetle (more...)
 
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