Recent narratives have shown the very real differences between former Bush administration members like Rice, Bolton and Rumsfeld. But one thing they all had in common was a firm belief in American exceptionalism. We had to lead because we could and because we should. (In Fundy terms, because God wanted us to do so.)
That viral mental illness still infects today's Teaparty folks. They cannot imagine a world in which Americans are not the best simply because they are. But they are maintaining this delusion despite evidence (not the only denial of reality in that group.) Jump the squiggle to see the clearest evidence that the world is changing and these folks better jump on the arc or go extinct.
Start with a graph of the changes predicted in population of 5 continents. (Source: SCIENCE 29 July 2011.)
And by the year 2050, the majority of Americans won't be of European ancestry.
On the basis of sheer numbers we are losing our influence in the world. But it isn't just numbers alone. Population growth means consumption, and to a great extent it's an impetus to innovation.
Another key difference: The demographic balance among the young and the old is vastly different than it is in the United States.
America's balance will soon tend to a pattern more similar to Europe's. This skew has serious consequences for our economy and for our society.
First, despite our current jobs crisis (a function of the international economy, not demographics) we will soon be in desperate need of young workers--not only for labor but to support our seniors. Younger workers are innovators. They are agitators. That makes it crucial that we pass legislation that would incorporate undocumented workers into the social security system and keep them here.
And secondly, these young people are consumers. While their grandparents are holding garage sales to get rid of their lifetimes of accumulated junk, they are buying. Even undocumented workers are paying tons of sales tax, fees, road taxes and in a lot of cases, FICA and SS that they will never collect because they are using assumed numbers.
You have to wonder why the GOP is so intent on getting rid of undocumented workers...and I think the answer is, they aren't. They are trying to walk a fine line between creating xenophobia to motivate voters to the polls, yet maintain that workforce in indentured servitude. Like the way they talk "job creation" but block any attempt to eliminate tax breaks for off-shoring, they talk one way and act/vote another.
The world is changing. America must earn its exceptionalism. Part of this will be done through education. Fareed Zakaria said today that American students are ranked 19th in science and 24th in mathematics. This gap is clearly related to our future educational progress.
“The mediocre performance of America’s students is a problem we cannot afford to accept and yet cannot afford to ignore,” Arne said in Washington alongside officials from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. OECD presented the latest results from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which measures how well students from more than 70 economies are prepared to meet the challenges they may encounter in the future.
The Tea Baggers aren't able to see that or accept it. Can we wait until they go extinct?