Productivity, Efficiency & Decentralization — Part 2

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You can’t create a twenty-first century society based upon an educational system promoting the myth that you can be all you can be — by just showing up; enforced by an mediocre bureaucracy – which essentially just shows up; built on a twentieth century industrial model to create workers for factories — that no longer exist; and enforced by a geopolitical financial establishment — totally hedged against any risk.
— Jerry Bannon, The Wonder Springs Chronicle, 25 January 2012, Publisher and angry American citizen

On Monday we posted a homework assignment with two videos and two real articles on why America is no longer competitive in the real world. Besides the links we suggested this was going to be a unique week, when starting Saturday we had a major political upset in the South Carolina presidential primary and then last night the president’s State of the Union address. Not being all that into the current political spin, I wasn’t aware of Monday night’s eighteenth Republican candidates’ debate.

Just before the debate I made the mistake of watching the DVD of Waiting for Superman, the documentary about the failure of American education, which really is the cause and effect for the Wonder Springs’ homework post earlier Monday. NBC’s Brian Williams began the debate by again asking “baiting” questions of both Romney and Gingrich, to wit they actively entered the fray. This continued, while I did a little housekeeping. Fifteen minutes in and no change on the horizon, I decided there must be a better way to spend my time. A rapid surfing of the channels provided only commercials and nothing of equally redeeming social value, so I decided to go to bed; a very good decision.

Not so strangely Waiting for Superman proposed an education solution based upon this series title, increased productivity and a greater and more efficient utilization of both finances and other resources through decentralization. The problem with Superman however was that his goal in life was to have a college degree. Aren’t-weren’t the Occupy protests mostly based upon the futility of financially leveraged college degrees, based upon a progressive warm-fuzzy nonexistent utopia?

So departing from my previous script of looking at details related to greater efficiency and decentralization, this week we will wander into the desert of American education and beyond, things I am probably better versed anyway.

Tags: Waiting for Superman, education, SAFER Process, biofuels, research, Laffer Curve, high marginal tax rates