The War of Innovations

    

     The war of innovations among countries has begun. The weapons of choice are technological products that are more durable, more efficient/productive, more in demand, more user-friendly, and less expensive. Their aimed at the world consumers’ want, needs and financial means. Countries, like Sweden and China, which anticipated and prepared for this conflict, are poised to do well. Others, including The United States, were so busy helping their richest citizens become richer that they are finding themselves unprepared for this scuffle.

     Those of us who teach and study science and technology and their impact on global economies knew that this day would come. We wrote and spoke about it, for we saw the handwriting on the wall: We saw the United States abandoning its self-commitment to equal opportunities for all its citizens, destroying its safety nets for its most vulnerable citizens, and neglecting the educations of its youngest citizens. At the same time, we observed China, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan . . .  investing in education, creating safety nets for its citizens, building and repairing their infrastructures.  More importantly, we saw their leaders busily guiding their citizens to implement national strategies for innovative development, sustainability, and world-wide product promotion and distribution.  

     Most of us (including me) were unaware, however, that the day would arrive so soon, and the consequences of superior foreign technology would begin grinding several of America’s most advance technology to an immediate halt. But this is exactly what’s transpiring in green energy technology. Already, we are being out performed, out produced, out priced, and out marketed in the creation of solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectricity, batteries . . . and we are only in the early stages of this brawl that is going to intensify in the upcoming years.

     In the upcoming months the presidential race will heat-up. Some candidates will talk about increasing taxes on the richest one percent of Americans, saving social security, and other entitlements; others will talk about cutting taxes, changing social security, and cutting entitlements. I am looking for the candidate that is going to offer a sustainable vision that puts innovation front and center, by showing liberals, conservatives, employers, employees, teachers, and students, ways to act in concert with each other for the purpose of achieving this goal.

By

James A. Porter