U.S. empire going way of the Romans?
In response to an article in the Daily Trojan, U.S. empire going way of the Romans.
What made the USA into the superpower that it is? Military spending. Where did most of the nation’s major technological advances in the past 100 years come from? Military spending.
The atomic bomb, nuclear energy, the Internet, and so on… all from military research.
Obviously, there is a way in which it can be taken to excess. But you should also recognize its merits.
I instead ask you to consider the real reason behind the U.S. decline: lack of technological innovation. Computer science is not as widely taught as it should be. (Modern technology is also the reason why history will not repeat itself, and the Roman Empire is a bad analogy.)
The classes should be better. The students should be learning more CS. I would argue that *every* student needs at least some technical background, and understanding of computer science is today a crucial foundation for this.
Other countries are catching up because of their realization that technology is how the U.S. got to where it is. And now that we’ve forgotten it, instead focusing on silly matters like politics and government spending (which affect things, but not nearly as much as many Americans think), these nations are going to catch up to us.
So go and get your technical training. It’s good for the U.S. as well as for you.
I agree. In all of the schools I’ve been to, there was a major lack of CS.
Sad thing is, teachers still try to teach typing.
It’s true that Military spending is not the real/primary reason for US being a superpower. Rather the underlying core reason is innovation, and today it’s technological and cs innovation.
It started with innovation required for rapid expansion to explore and develop America…from the original colonies to the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory and eventually the West Coast. A land rich in resources, providing a foundation for the growth of a new nation.
Greatest comes not out of strength in war. It was the values of a truly democratic society that attracted the masses of diverse people seeking the freedom and independence. Values that we so easily take for granted today. Those “free” people, able to strive for improvement in their own lives are the source of innovation and creativity.
One major catalyst to technological innovation came from the space exploration. JF Kennedy spurred the nation and set the US on a race to the moon, resulting in major advances in materials science, engineering and computer science.
Today, as manufacturing and labor-intensive industries move to former 3rd world countries, the US maintains its economic and superpower status from the innovation of high-tech industries. Those at the forefront of technology are the future of our society in the US.
Those are true: The United States gained its power and its superiority through innovation, especially through technology. Very much like Europe itself was so far advanced beyond the rest of the world through innovation and technology and discovery. However, just learning CS will not help. What needs to happen is there needs to be a change at the core of America. Americans now are slightly slothful because we enjoy a very high standard of living. We don’t realize that this is a result of very hard work. The ones who often provide the hard work with the drive to succeed are the immigrants. This nation was founded by immigrants, and is fueled by immigrants. We need to make immigration easier, faster, and better, allowing more motivated people to come in and help out.