Falling behind has become an embarrassing habit for America.
The nation is the world's largest debtor, with more IOUs to foreign governments written every day.
Detroit lost its leadership to foreign automakers. Most U.S. computer manufacturing has moved abroad. Once dominant American airliner manufacturing has been sharply reduced by the competitive overseas Airbus company.
The national infrastructure of vital systems and services—roads, dams, water works, bridges and the like—are in a disgraceful state.
Now another lost leader position: The country no longer leads the world in college degrees as it did as late as 1980. It now ranks 12th among 36 developed nations.
As of 2007, the College Board estimated that only 40.4 percent of Americans between 24-34 years old had an associate degree or higher, falling behind Canada (55.8 percent), Korea (55.5), Russian Federation (55.5), Japan (53.7), New Zealand (47.3), Ireland (43.9), Norway (42.7), Israel (41.5), France (41.4), Belgium (41.3) and Australia (40.7).
Producing a highly educated population is not an esoteric social goal. College graduates are essential in fiercely competitive global commerce.
The College Board predicts that "the educational level of the younger generation of Americans will not approach their parents' level of education"—an inescapable indictment of public schools, lack of parental and political support, and the skyrocketing cost of a college education.
Are Americans willing to be a second-rate nation? By this standard, we are.
