Posted 3/19/2006 02:30:00 PM by Douglas

In case you haven't read enough articles about how Americans are fat, dumb, broke, and spiraling out of control towards becoming a third world nation, this should do the trick.

Over the past century, Americans have become accustomed to winning every global battle that mattered: two world wars, the space race, the Cold War, the Internet gold rush. Along the way, Americans have enjoyed unprecedented prosperity and lived lives that were the envy of the rest of the world.

It was nice while it lasted. Today, while unemployment remains low, home values continue to surge, and fearless American consumers keep spending beyond their means, the land of the free is slowly, but unmistakably, yielding advantages earned over decades to foreigners who work harder, expect less, and, often, are better educated. Taken piecemeal, these shifts are virtually imperceptible to most Americans. But business leaders, top academics, and other experts--especially those who travel abroad frequently--increasingly see America as a nation that has pulled into the slow lane, while upstarts in a hurry outhustle Americans in the race for technological, industrial, and entrepreneurial supremacy. "Every one of the early warning signals is trending downward," frets Intel Chairman Craig Barrett. "We're all fat, dumb, and happy, which is one reason why this is so insidious."

Bummer. I think I'll go buy a new DVD player, but only if it was made in China by slave labor.

And for years, U.S. students have been migrating away from hard sciences--which tend to be the source of cutting-edge new products and other innovations--toward business, law, and liberal arts degrees. "We had more sports-exercise majors graduate than electrical-engineering grads last year," lamented General Electric Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt in a January speech. "If you want to be the massage capital of the world, you're well on your way."

I'm going to have to think about that one. Who wants a burger?