Well said point on where the US is going wrong

There is no shortage of economists who will
argue that the benefits of free trade for the American economy outweigh the
inevitable pain, but numbers like those quoted in the Bloomberg article are
impossible to ignore. Globalization is exerting downward pressure on worker
wages in the developed world. It is likely of little comfort to a downsized auto
worker that, at the same time, hundreds of millions of people are moving out of
poverty in India and China. A lowering of the standard of living in the United
States demands a political response, and the longer it continues, the more
inevitable that response becomes.
The question is: What kind of response?
For months, congressional leaders have been making protectionist noises,
mouthing off about slapping huge tariffs on goods manufactured in China,
demanding a revaluation of the Chinese yuan, or otherwise looking to close the
barn door long after all the livestock have fled. Never mind that the majority
of economists blanch at such steps. Something's got to be done, right?
Absolutely. But how about reinforcing the traditional strengths of the U.S.
-- its leadership in science and technology, its ability to create new markets
and innovate -- instead of trying to close out the rest of the world? If
Congress and the Bush administration really want the U.S. to flourish, they
should be pouring billions upon billions of dollars into education, job training
and the funding of basic research. Instead of approving obscene tax cuts and
immoral wars, they should be ensuring that American citizens have every
advantage in a competitive landscape that will only get more cut-throat. And
then, as nations like China and India, with their huge populations, mature into
affluence, the United States will be there to sell them the advanced products
and services that those countries will no doubt crave with historically
unprecedented hunger.