THE DUMBING OF AMERICA

For many years it has been obvious that asian americans have been excelling in many areas of technology and science, trumping the american born population. Morgan Stanley's chief economist Stephen Roach warned in a note Monday that U.S. workers may already be behind in educating themselves, citing statistics showing the number of Asians getting science and engineering degrees has jumped more than 50 percent in the past two decades while the number of Americans getting similar degrees has been stagnant. Roach went on to write, "The United States has long drawn comfort from the quality differential of its educational system. However, in the Internet Age with its ubiquitous diffusion of knowledge, innovation, and technological change, that may turn out to be an increasingly false sense of security."

We have become a society that is complacent about what we have. Our children have become confused by television. They see images of what life is like, yet it is a fabricated and in most cases unrepresentative portrayal of what it takes to succeed and how to go about becoming successful. The new reality show "The Apprentice" is the most striking example of what we are showing our children and ourselves about what it takes to make it in the American business world. Sports figures, super models, musician and singers get idolized while teachers are paid less than sanitation workers and are mired in overcrowded classrooms and delapidated schools. Children and adults are being blinded by a twisted sense of what it takes to earn a "good living".

Immigrants are building our homes and office buildings, they harvest out food and clean our homes. White collar jobs are being sent overseas or eliminated due to redundancies. Blue collar, lifetime jobs are being replaced with technology and machines. Doctors are overwhelmed with high insurance costs and HMO's that don't pay them promptly or adequately for their skills. Service jobs are abundant as our society thinks its entitled to eat out, shop, and travel regularly. Leisure is a constitutional right and work is a way to make money to pay the interest on the credit cards. People are retiring later in life and are taking up jobs that previously went to entry level workers starting out in the job market.

Since we have stopped educating ourselves and our children to be the best and smartest, others have filled the void to the detrement of the next generation of workers. Most Americans have become job snobs, only seeking out those positions with lots of perks, good health care benefits and a good paycheck. Otherwise, it makes more sense to stay at home and take care of your children. Some have decided to get a job selling some sort of skin care product in a multi-level business. Some opt for collecting disability insurance as their previous career careened off track and made them unable to function in the new technological age. And as a last resort, unemployment insurance and welfare are better than the menial jobs offered at fast food restaurants.

As our good paying jobs continue to get downsized or outsourced, the working population has had a harder and harder time finding jobs that are acceptable. Whether we like it or not, the trend will continue and illegal immigrants will continue to take our labor jobs, and white collar workers will have a much more difficult time finding the job they desire.

The unemployment rate and jobless claims do not reflect the structural changes in the jobs market in the US. The next generation will see major changes and challenges getting good jobs going forward, and the baby boom generation will have to cope with the repercusions of less workers paying social security taxes. Retirement may never come for most as they will need to work longer to pay their medical bills.

The current "jobless recovery" may be just the beginning of a structural change in the US economy and jobs market that will last well into the 21st century. Educational will be a key factor in determining if the next generation has a job or not.