"When asked in spring 2005 what is the most attractive
place in the world in which to ‘lead a good life,' respondents
in only one of the 16 countries polled (India) indicated the United
States."
"For the cost of one chemist or one engineer in the
United States, a company can hire about five chemists in China or
11 engineers in India."
"For the first time, the most capable high-energy
particle physics accelerator on Earth will, beginning in 2007, reside
outside the United States."
"The United States is today a net importer of high-technology
products. Its share of global high-technology exports has fallen in
the last 2 decades from 30% to 17%, and its trade balance in high-technology
manufactured goods shifted from plus $33 billion in 1990 to a negative
$24 billion in 2004."
"Chemical companies closed 70 facilities in the United
States in 2004 and have tagged 40 more for shutdown. Of 120 chemical
plants being build around the world with price tags of $1 billion
or more, one is in the United States and 50 in China."
"Fewer than one-third of US 4th grade and 8th grade
students performed at or above a level called ‘proficient' in
mathematics; ‘proficiency' was considered the ability to exhibit
competence with challenging subject matter. Alarmingly, about one-third
of the 4th graders and one-fifth of the 8th graders lacked the competence
to perform basic mathematical computations."
"US 12th graders recently performed below the international
average for 21 countries on a test of general knowledge in mathematics
and science. In addition, an advanced mathematics assessment was administered
to US students who were taking or had taken precalculus, calculus,
or Advanced Placement calculus and to students in 15 other countries
who were taking or had taken advanced mathematics courses. Eleven
nations outperformed the United States, and four countries had scores
similar to the US scores. No nation scored significantly below the
United States."
"In 1999, only 41% of US 8th grade students received
instruction from a mathematics teacher who specialized in mathematics,
considerably lower than the international average of 71%."
"In one recent period, low-wage employers, such as
Wal-Mart (now the nation's largest employer) and McDonald's, created
44% of the new jobs, while high-wage employers created only 29% of
the new jobs."
"In 2003, only three American companies ranked among
the top 10 recipients of patents granted by the United States Patent
and Trademark Office."
"In Germany, 36% of undergraduates receive their
degrees in science and engineering. In China, the figure is 59%, and
in Japan 66%. In the United States, the corresponding figure is 32%."
"The United States is said to have 10.5 million illegal
immigrants, but under the law the number of visas set aside for ‘highly
qualified foreign workers' dropped to 65,000 a year from its 195,000
peak."
"In 2004, China graduated over 600,000 engineers,
India 350,000, and America about 70,000."
"In 2001 (the most recent year for which data are
available), US industry spent more on tort litigation than on R&D."
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