Our ever globalizing world is, in fact, making it a flatter environment. We're going to have to compete a lot harder with other nations economically, and we're not ready for it. We're not unified enough to do it, we're not disciplined enough to do it, and most worrying of all, we're mostly not aware of this. Here is a list of propositions to prepare America for the inevitable. A world where we're going to have to work a lot harder and come together a lot more to make anything of ourselves as a nation.
1. Mandatory Military & Survivalist Training For High School Graduates
Though it sounds like a fascist throwback to mandatory conscription, it's really not. Many of our youth in America don't have the discipline to hold on to a simple job, stay out of legal trouble, or finish college. Those who do have the discipline to do those things wouldn't hurt to learn a little more by undergoing military and survivalist training during a summer holiday one year during or after high school.
Youth in America for generations have lived in an environment where alienation is acceptable, where self-reliance is unnecessary, and lack of discipline glorified. Not everyone is a casualty of this environment of course, but bringing our youth together for several weeks of basic training could do wonders for us as a people.
Our youth would feel like one unit during this training; that they are all in it together as equals. All the nonsense social hierarchy in high school will be thrown out the window for these several weeks. Our youth will be challenged in ways many of them though not possible. This would boost their confidence and self-esteem in a genuine way. It would make them look at each other in a different light, at least temporarily eliminating cliques and prejudicial assumptions.
Survivalist training would put our youth in touch with nature and how to use it to survive. Our youth would respect our natural environment after undergoing several weeks living in the wilderness almost self sufficiently. And if the shit ever does hit the fan one day, they would be better prepared to survive in a global catastrophe.
Another thing about this training is that it would force our youth to become fit and in shape. We're becoming fat and lethargic, and that needs to end. Many don't know how to get started when losing the weight, or think it's too late. This would give them no choice but to lose weight and start living a healthier lifestyle.
What we need to start:
We need strong confident leaders ready to whip our kids in to shape. Adults ready to teach self-reliance and discipline. Adults ready to solve problems and teach our youth to rely on themselves to solve problems.
2. Emphasis on Healthy Lifestyle by our Health Care Industry
A healthy populace doesn't sound profitable to our health care industry. This all needs to change. We need to stop relying on drugs to treat our every ailment or annoyance. We need to eat healthier so we have more energy, smaller waistlines, better skin, and cleaner digestive tracts. We need to exercise and get in shape so we're not so chunky, sluggish, and depressed.
I notice that when I see a doctor for being sick, the only dietary suggestion they make is "drink plenty of fluids." Plenty of fluids? Dr. Pepper okay? He's a doctor, right? Why aren't they giving dietary suggestions to make a quick recovery and to prevent the illness from returning? Why aren't they suggesting we avoid heavily processed foods? Why don't they recommend more fresh fruit and vegetables? This would vastly improve the health our nation, yet they don't do it.
Why are there so many drugs for every little thing? Depression is very treatable with exercise, good diet, and active changes in attitude. Erectile dysfunction is very treatable by the same thing. Same with sleeping disorders. Same with weight problems. Same with many skin conditions. Our doctors should be turning to these three solutions before drugs.
A healthy population could be disastrous for our private health care industry, but screw 'em. A unhealthy population is much worse in the long run for all of us as a country. We need our people to be mentally and physically capable to compete in the world, and good health is where that begins.
What we need to start:
I know government health care is a dirty word, but some prudent government interference in the industry is necessary. They don't need to take it over completely, but they need to play their part in making our nation healthier.
3. Emphasis on Critical Thinking in Education
A healthy population will make a strong population, but we need the brains as well as the brawn. I find too many people so faithful of the system without questioning the corruption or possibilities of corruption. Too many people willing to listen to biased news without examining it for what it is and looking at all the angles. Too many people so subservient to our government that is stripping away our rights in the name of hypothetical security.
How can any true American support the Patriot Act? This is the exactly what our Founding Fathers and revolutionary brothers and sisters were fighting against. What is the point of being the United States of America when we're tossing away the Bill of Rights, the document that so clearly defines our culture and way of life. Meanwhile, President Obama resigns the thing this year without barely a peep from the media. Why aren't more Americans as upset as I am about this?
What we need to start:
We need education to put more emphasis on critical thinking so our people can learn to read between the lines. So our people can see beyond all the fear mongering we're bombarded with on a day to day basis. So we ask more questions rather than shutting them down in the name of false-patriotism.
4. Emphasis on Math and Science in Education
We're falling behind in the world in math and science. China's population is over four times our size and they crush us in this arena. We're generally better than them in thinking outside the box, but we also need to excel in math and science in order to stay on top in the high-tech sector. We need the inventive minds as well as the know-how to create such inventions.
Right now, the world economy depends on high-technology to grow. If we want our country to thrive, we need to be the purveyors of high-tech. We need to be inventing things that change the world in a positive way. We need to get on top of renewable energy so our world politics aren't so tied down by depending on foreign nations for our energy needs. Nations where much of their people hate us.
What we need to start:
Our schools need to create more incentives for studying math and science. There is so much emphasis and reward for sport, and there's nothing wrong with that. We just need to also focus our energies and resources in this area as well. More mathlete competitions with higher rewards. More science competitions with higher rewards. More teachers with the ability to connect with their students and make these subjects more accessible and interesting.
5. Emphasis on Money Management
We are superb debt accumulators. Our government overspends and our general population overspends. The Chinese government recently stated that we need to live within our means, and they are absolutely right. Doesn't mean we have to follow them by example, we just need to get in touch with the common sense of managing our money properly.
The first several weeks of entering college in 2004, I get dozens of credit card offers. Why does a college student need so many credit cards? I don't want to restrict business, but something has to be done about the incredibly easy access there is to credit. Easy credit means easy debt accumulation. And add college drinking habits into the equation, and one more drink or one more "whatever" on that credit card doesn't seem like a bad idea.
College really plays into the topic when talking about much bigger debts. College costs so damn much, it puts our youth in serious debt right when they're ready to join the work force, often not getting the glamorous jobs they thought would. Not sure where to go here, but something has to be done about the cost of higher education for our own good as a nation.
Where to start:
Economics and money management needs to be taught as a mandatory subject in middle school and high school education. Students need to understand how the greater economy works and they need to understand how to manage their own money in this global economy. Otherwise, we're in for debt crisis after debt crisis and an eventual complete lack of credit, collapsing our country from the inside out.
These five things are a good start for making our country better, stronger, smarter, and justifiably #1. I think morality is a major point that needs to be emphasized in our current situation, but it's a very subjective subject. It's hard to create government solutions for this, and it's really on the parents to teach this sort of thing. Whatever your creed or lack thereof; Jesus Christ, Gautama Buddha, Confucius all had some pretty good ideas going for them.
4 comments:
I am with you on all of these, but I see one problem. As you say one benefit of number 1 would be encouragement of more unity and responsibility. But contrast that with number 3. Arguably, we already have many people understanding critical thinking and they use that to become apathetic/anarchist. If everyone is questioning everything, the disorder is going to slow down all the progress that can be gained from your other suggestions. This is arguably one reason the Chinese are doing so well economically. When the government says, everyone do this, everyone does it. In America, we have debates ongoing for a long time about everything, so stuff takes forever to get done. I guess I am arguing more for a republic versus democracy idea, where everyone has their opinion to throw in the hat.
I thought about that. Number 1 was supposed to give at least a temporary experience of unity. Sort of a chance to get to know your peers from all walks of life as complete equals. I think it would help people to be more understanding of each other in many situations in their futures.
Combined with number 3, perhaps the questioning of certain plans for the future could become more civil, rather than the discourse we're having in America right now.
Awesome blog, Nathan. I agree with all the points you make and think they would make a great difference in our society.
I would add one more thing: Rebuild and expand infrastructure. Our infrastructure is either dilapidated or lacking. The American Society of Engineers (I think) said we currently have a near-failing grade for our overall infrastructure, at a D. We need to spend nearly $2.2 trillion to address the problems (over 5 years) in rail, highways, public transport, airports, sea ports, water treatment etc. We need something similar to the New Deal; a stimulus of sorts.
It will certainly create jobs when they are much needed and neglected (as Tea Party extremists distract us and sink our nation). The multiplier effect of government infrastructure spending, at the right dose, is undeniable. Just look at what China did in 2009.
Apart from job creation, it paves way for a more competitive and well geared economy for fierce competition coming our way in the near to medium term future.
Infrastructure development has been a long time coming. Good call, Basel.
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