China-US contest will come down to education

[Klaralven]

...

In a recent article, “Why the US-China contest will be fought in the heartlands of America,” Singaporean scholar and diplomat Kishore Mahbubani wrote:

In contrast to the bottom 50% of the Chinese people, who have just experienced the best 40 years of human development in 4,000 years of Chinese history, the bottom 50% of the US population has experienced three decades of economic stagnation.

This is, probably, the most important point that American strategic planners should reflect on: At the end of the day, the outcome of the geopolitical contest between the US and China will not be determined by the number of aircraft carriers or nuclear weapons. Instead, it will be determined by which society is doing a better job at taking care of its bottom 50%.

And by which society’s kids can read, write and count.

...

When today’s American kids grow up, they may well find it very difficult to compete with a highly educated Chinese workforce that outnumbers them four-to-one.

The United States has a quality of education problem. If that problem is not solved, all the democracy in the world won’t save it from falling behind.

https://asiatimes.com/2021/07/china-us-contest-will-come-down-to-education/

[bottomofthehill]

1. Well then we are fucked.

We have morons going to Ark world and learning that Noah had dinosaurs on his Ark. We have school Systems using the Bible for both science and history. We are fucked. Time to learn Mandarin

[jimfields33]

3. I think going to reading writing and arithmetic might be a good idea

Instead of 40 minutes a day, have 2-40 minute sessions morning and afternoon in the first 8-years. It’s crazy that kids can’t do simple math, read or write a sentence after 8 years in school. Then high school just continue the problem. Colleges try with remedial classes. All of it could be prevented if the first 8 grade focused on those 3 subjects.

[lagomorph777]

5. There is a lot more to producing a good and productive person.

Civics (or whatever it would be called today)
Science
Arts

Without those things, we get drones, susceptible to brainwashing, and incapable of creativity or critical thinking.

[jimfields33]

7. Which seems to be what China is mostly producing.

But we’re talking about being able to keep up with the global world. Those subjects you mention can be taught as well. But the foundation of math, reading and writing is crucial.

[lagomorph777]

4. My thought exactly.

We have been defunding education for decades. We don't have enough smart people left to rebuild.

[Klaralven]

9. Funding appears to be flat in inflation adjusted dollars

https://educationdata.org/public-education-spending-statistics

We are towards the top in spending per pupil for OECD countries. Of course, our spending includes big sums for varsity sports and for busing, which theirs typically do not.

[Oneironaut]

2. +2 - We are fucked

At some point, we stopped giving a crap about education, and started feeling like we can bomb all our troubles away. I feel like we’re the French right before WWII, building a massive defensive line, only to have someone plow through us because we’re too dumb to see how wars of the future are going to be fought.

Russia is already fighting us, but we have our heads in the sand.

A dumb population is a national security risk. An aircraft carrier isn’t going to keep our country strong.

[lagomorph777]

6. It's hard to win a war when you don't even understand there is a war!

That's our situation with Russia and China today.

[WA-03 Democrat]

8. I am sorry

But the Chinese education system is not comparable to ours.

I have lived in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China. My daughter (now 17) went to schools in each.

Singapore and Hong Kong have excellent education systems. Malaysia and China you have 2 education systems, for the rich, which is great, and for the poor which is terrible. The big bottom 50%, I will take the USA any day and every day. The article is written with that Singaporean second class Chinese status and the concrete believer that their is only one right way to learn and educate.

I know, I now qualify now for the bottom of the 50% in the US. BS out-of-state federal civil suit for 6 years-a legal team is not cheap. $1,000,000.00 in cash to lawyers during the last 12 months. As Joni says “I’ve looked at life from both sides now.” Chris Rock was not joking when he said poor people would be really pissed off I’d they knew how nice rich people have it. The other side of that joke is rich people can not it let go of wanting and are generally poor in the happiness department.