34 Comments Add your own

• 1. John Barry  |  January 9th, 2010 at 2:42 pm

  In the article Dr. Carr speaks of, columnist James Fallows evaluates the argument of American decline, and despite making a few comments on things that America needs work on, he appears overly optimistic about America’s advantageous position of strength going forward. Having been born and raised in one of the emerging BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China), I feel that Mr. Fallows underestimates a few advantages of places like Brazil in particular, but overall, I do not disagree with his view as I do not see America losing its status as “the” world power simply because a mature economy cannot grow at the same rate as an emerging one.

  In Brazil, being fully versed in Algebra and Geometry by the age of 10 didn’t make me the exception, but the rule. Furthermore, while at UCSB, I studied with foreign exchange students from Brazil who laughed at the rigor of our econometrics courses where the mandatory curve insured that only 6% of students got solid A’s - a feat they accomplished without ever stepping foot inside the university library.

  Despite the far superior educational system in most emerging nations, I know that Brazil for one will never attain the same business clout as America, because the culture is not driven by the same motivating factors as we are here in America. The fact is, that people there are not overly interested in amassing wealth for the mere sake of displaying it. For one, it wouldn’t be safe to do so. Cars for instance are utilitarian objects and nothing else. Even people with helipads in their residences, are driven around in pretty modest cars by American standards.

  My prediction is that as long as American culture continues to value the same things it does today, it will continue to be the superpower people here are so concerned it could cease to be.

• 2. Phil Hamer  |  January 28th, 2010 at 7:45 pm

  This was an excellent article and extremely frustrating in it’s truth. America is a great country today not because of the American people or the government of this generation, but because of the investment the country put in itself in the past. What is especially frustrating is the realization that we are living below our priveledges and, as Fallows said, “the gap between our potential and our reality is opening up, not closing.”

  Our country has shot itself in the foot with partisanship where the success of one party is determined by haulting the plans of the other. Millions and millions of dollars are wasted every day in argument and rhetoric when we could be making sweet progress.

  One statement in this article that stood out to me was, “The U.S. has in the past decade committed $1 trillion to the cause of entirely remaking a society (referring to Iraq). We know that such an investment could happen here—but we also know that it won’t.”

  When I lived in China I had a similar thought. In my obnoxious American pride I would think, “So what if China can build the biggest building, the fastest train, the biggest port, the most productive and convenient technology park, etc. - we could do all of that if we wanted to.” Now I’m thinking, why don’t we want to invest more in our country to make it great? Why don’t we have an idea or plan like China, India and other upcoming countries have to make our country better? Are we good enough the way we are? I sure hope that is not the consensus.

  As the world’s richest and most powerful nation, we need to have more of an introspective focus; we have highways and bridges that need to be built, people that need to be educated, and cities that need to be revitalized. The part that kills me is that we also have the money to do all these things.

• 3. Dan Noland  |  December 10th, 2010 at 10:33 pm

  Well, if Mr. Fallows’ comments don’t have you squirming in your chair then nothing will. First of all, what a treat it is to read his work. Reading this article on the heels of Postcards from Tomorrow Square has made me a fan for life. In fact, I’ve already added a subscription to The Atlantic to my christmas wish list. I wonder, does Santa qualify for a student discount? Writing that is this meaningful and masterful is addicting…

  What - if anything - can reverse the trend of self-centered instant gratification in this country? Fallows claims that “America the society is fine shape! America the polity is most certainly not.” I disagree with him in that our politicians are not alone in choosing to pursue their own short-term self interests on a daily basis.

  Take Away #1: We’re liquidating our endowment. This is crazy, stupid, moronic, unacceptable… What are we thinking spending more then we are making as individuals, municipalities, states and as a nation? We’re so caught up in instant gratification that we’re liquidating the endowment given to us by previous generations while simultaneously borrowing money from our children. Amarillo Slim, a famous poker player, allegedly coined the phrase, “you can shear a sheep many times but skin it only once.” I guess we’re in the mood for lamb chops and sheep skin boots these days because the “sheep” that our ancestors carefully raised and passed to us don’t look like they are going to be around for our children and grandchildren to shear.

  Take Away #2: It’s easy to see what’s wrong with our government… until you become a part of it. Fallows reminds us of Obama’s campaign of national rebirth and reform. I’m amused as I reflect on that time because it sure seems like it is business as usual in Washington. It seems that once the system lifts someone like Obama to their places of privilege, there exists a disincentive to tear down one’s own throne.

  Take Away #3: Nobody seems to be stepping forward to lead our society back towards a self-replenishing condition… so I guess that means that it’s up to us. Despite the genuine fear that I feel after reading this article, I am ultimately left with a feeling of resolve. This article reminds me how blessed I am to be in this program. It reminds me how blessed I am by the opportunities that lie before me. I am confident that I will leave this program with the tools necessary to lead. It is up to me to choose to use these tools to help others instead seeking my own self interest.

• 4. Cassie Bettencourt  |  January 8th, 2011 at 3:36 pm

  I found Fallows’s article to be quite insightful. He put what America is going through today into perspective for me. As I’ve gotten older, I have naturally become more aware of what is going on in the world around me. I would say 9/11/01 and the current swirling news about American “falling behind” China have both been eye opening for me and have made me anxious as an American citizen. However, Fallows’s article actually made me feel a little better about these things. That being said, I do not feel better about our government system. I have never looked at it as Fallows’s described it, but everything he said was relevant and true.

  Some points I found interesting and takeaways:
  -”America is a country that has more problems than it deserves, and more solutions than it applies.”
  -The concept of jeremiad. I have always felt that this is an undertone of our society and now I have a word for it.
  -The two main American advantages: Continued openness to immigration and continued concentration of universities that people around the world want to attend. I found it really interesting that 0 out of the top 100 universities were Chinese. These also related to the blog about the possibility of a Silicon Valley in China. America’s advantages are what made Silicon Valley possible.
  -Fallows’s tie in to China’s tension between an open economy and a closed political/media environment. This statement immediately reminded me of Tank Man and the “Deal with the Devil”

  Overall, I was somewhat inspired by Fallows’s article. I realize that America has the tools necessary to survive and it is our job to “muddle through,” work with what we have, and push forward as we always have.

• 5. David Hart  |  January 8th, 2011 at 8:27 pm

  Fallows comes through again with a thought-provoking article. There is a lot to digest when reading through it. His description of American politics and how the system hinders progess is fascinating.

  One of the points he makes in the article (which he also makes in his book Postcards from Tomorrow Square) is that it is important for Americans to keep attracting the brightest minds to its universities. Our universities are among the best in the world. By keeping our universities strong, the future remains bright.

  Also, I thought he brought up a good point when considering American history. The negativity we see portrayed in each election cycle is nothing new. There have always been nay sayers who have said America is about to go off a cliff. The negativity and doom and gloom is nothing new. Despite all of its challenges, America has always gotten better and overcome its challenges. This will continue to be the case–despite the problems with the government.

  One of the things that has alway bothered me about the politics in the United States is how divisive both sides are. I have always been of the opinion that if people would build on common ground and put their minds together, they could really solve some of our major problems.

  Instead, like the article notes, politicians do not take a long term approach. They are only worried about the “now.” I like how the article notes that if we made decisions based on their effects in 75 years, we would think differently. Instead, politicians are more concerned about getting reelected. Instead of trying to do what is right and problem solving, they simply try to stop the other party from progressing.

  Imagine what could happen if politicians put aside their differences and saw each other as “Americans” rather then members of different political parties. Imagine a political system where politicians did what was right rather than what would get them reelected. We would have an even stronger country with fewer problems.

  I definitely enjoyed this article and short interview with Fallows. He does a great job of making his points. I wouldn’t mind reading more of his articles.

• 6. Katie Moeller  |  January 9th, 2011 at 8:46 am

  I really enjoyed this article by Fallows. He made some great points that I hadn’t thought about and some that I had. There are multiple points I want to address. First, I understand what Fallows means when he talks about appreciating nature and space since living in China. I studied abroad in London for five months and being surrounded by concrete everywhere started to get to me. I tried to find any grass and nature because I missed it. It is simple things like this one take for granted in the United States.

  Second, I couldn’t agree more with Fallows than when he talks about being exposed to other countries. I make an effort to explore other countries because it’s the only way, I feel, to really learn – being immersed in the city, the culture, and the people. I understand that some people may not have the opportunity to travel but I cannot stress enough how important it is to escape the United States and see how well you do or do not have it here. This brings me to one point that Fallows discusses in this article – America falling behind. For example, the train system in Europe amazes me – it seems as though you can never really get lost in Europe or be far away from exploring another country. I wish the United States had a fast and connected rail system. I know, it’s probably the least of our worries right now.

  Third, Fallows made some interesting points in regards to our education system. I never realized how great it was. However, other people have figured this out. I liked the quote in regards to Chinese people coming here because “United States higher education has been our innovation engine.” Use us and leave us. Smart.

  There are many things the United States needs to do to make sure we do not fall behind. One of the main ones is to preserve our education and talents. I don’t have all of the answers on how to make this work but I think the more we make some of our issues or solutions known, the better. The United States needs to capitalize on our history and government stability to help shape a competitive and adaptable future for the American people.

• 7. Robbin Forsyth  |  January 16th, 2011 at 8:27 am

  The intro to this article is a great reality check on the quality of life in a “recession” era America. Even in the down times we are blessed.
  The other ideas I take away from this article are:
  1- The long history of insecurity of about current events and there impact on the American conscience. There has been SO much focus on the problems of our country in the recent past that a bit of perspective is good. The fact that this type of self-criticism has drive a lot of American innovation is important to remember. I think that being a bit paranoid can drive people to work towards their goals.
  2- The idea that what other countries achieve is not as important as what we are doing at home. Fallows’ makes a great case for the foresight of our previous leaders in the development of our country. He also shows us how over the last 30-40 years we have lost this foresight and the impact it is having on the infrastructure of the USA. As we have focused on the fact that other countries are gaining on our economic prosperity, we have let key elements of that prosperity fall apart.
  3- Fallows point about a poor China being more dangerous than a prosperous China is true. During the Korean War the CCP through over a million troops to fight against UN forces. The biggest contributors to them doing this were ideological and fear of our military/technological advantage. I don’t believe this would happen today.
  4- Fallows point about openness and its impact on world leadership is also important to bring context to state of America. People come to American to be educated, build careers and companies because of the openness. No other country can match the scale of permanent opportunity and possibility that exists in the US. Fallows’ hits the nail on the head when he outlines how almost no expats that move to China will stay permanently. China has gravity generated by its economy and culture, but very few outsiders are willing to ignore the problems and restrictions imposed on its citizens in daily life. I believe that when more world and business are being educated in another single country than the US that will be the sign of real, permanent problems.
  5- I agree with Fallows that the stagnation of the American political system is biggest hurdle to future American prosperity. The functionality of our government most evolve to become more forwardly focused.
  Congressional congress anyone?

• 8. Brady Haug  |  January 29th, 2011 at 12:41 pm

  This article by James Fallows was particularly interesting. I enjoyed it a great deal more than his writings in Reports from China: Postcards from Tomorrow Square. He makes shrewd assertions about the modern U.S. and related it historically. One of the first points he made that I found interesting, was the American propensity to fell as though we are on the verge of the apocalypse. From 9/11 to Katrina, it always seems as though we are slipping from our global power position. He comically stated that, “Thomas Jefferson was probably sure the country was going to hell when John Adams supported the Alien and Sedition Acts.” He also poses the thought that we may hold ourselves to an unreachable standard and that we have a personality defect in that we think we can be greater. That we think we can become something better than we actually can. I think it is true that we look for the next thing to worry about and that “fifty years from now, Americans will be as worried as they are today.”

  Another point that he made was that Americans have lost faith in their leadership. He further mentioned that the appointing of president Obama marked the opportunity for a new start. I think it is a great point in certain factors (“ including the good luck of geography and resources, the First Amendment’s success in reducing religious and sectarian friction, and the decentralization of power and culture”) have kept us from ruin.

  Fallows states that not until WWII did we begin to measure ourselves in terms of global positioning. We had previously measured ourselves in terms of expectations. Falling behind China or other foreign powers has become a constant issue of concern. In reality, the emergence of China as the world’s largest economy is not a detriment to us. Fallows points out that China will become even more of a global business zone and will have more reason to confront environmental issues. Another interesting thought was that China’s stealing of jobs was more a domestic issue. “According to prevailing economic theory, a country’s job structure and income distribution are determined more by its own domestic policies—education, investment, taxes—plus shifts in technology than by anything its competitors do.”

  One of the largest takeaways from this article and many other blogs we have read is that the U.S. reigns supreme in education. We are the heart beat of innovation and attract the brightest minds in the world. Our open immigration laws aide us in being the leader in education.

  On a closing note I chose this quote, “Ours is great for distributing benefits but has become weak at facing problems. I know the power of American rejuvenation, but if I had to bet, it would be 60–40 that we’re in a cycle of decline.” The U.S. has no reason to worry about our current stance in the world. We have preserved through time and will continue to do so. Governmental flaws and the ability for ‘one member of the bus to put on the brakes’ will not doom us.

• 9. Chris Bruns  |  January 29th, 2011 at 8:27 pm

  There were several things I appreciated about this article and Fallows’ writing. The first was the lines “But here’s the alarming problem: our governing system is old and broken and dysfunctional. Fixing it—without resorting to a constitutional convention or a coup—is the key to securing the nation’s future.” Boom. He comes out and says exactly what his main point is and what he is writing about. I also liked the line that “Through the entirety of my conscious life, America has been on the brink of ruination, or so we have heard, from the launch of Sputnik through whatever is the latest indication of national falling apart or falling behind.” I believe this is true, especially with all of the talk concerning China and the economy, in that bad news sells. As a society we are constantly worried about something that the news or a blog has brought to our attention and will ultimately be the downfall of the US.

  Fallows outlines his points well, his writing is organized, well-researched, and interesting enough. My main issue is the same as with his book, which is that he takes the scenic route to get where he is going. I understand he is essentially getting at that the US has its problems, we do some things well, can improve on others, its good that we worry, China succeeding is better for the US then failing, and ultimately the US will be fine. It’s just that Fallows leaves a lot of space for the reader to get lost in-between great thoughts like “Our American republic may prove to be doomed, but it will make a difference if we improvise and strive to make the best of the path through our time—and our children’s, and their grandchildren’s—rather than succumb.”

• 10. Kristine Spencer  |  February 5th, 2011 at 3:44 pm

  I really enjoyed reading this article; it is so important to our lives and the future of our country. I feel like the media is constantly talking about the problems in our country, and all that our politicians can do is argue about it…nothing ever gets done! It’s pretty obvious that our system is broken, but Fallows not only describes why it’s broken, but how to deal with the dysfunction in order to turn our country around. This article made me feel confident about American culture, but depressed about the state of the US government and how hard it will be to make the necessary changes.

  I agree with Fallow’s reasoning and conclusions. It is true that Americans are like Chicken Little, there is always something on the horizon that makes us think the sky is going to fall, but it hasn’t yet. Comparing ourselves to other rising countries is no way to be the best. We need to set our goals and expectations based on the best that we can do, not the best that China or India can do. These goals and expectations should be extremely high considering all of the advantages that Fallows points out. The US “continually refreshes its connections with the rest of the world…in a way no other nation does, or will,” and despite all of our flaws, everyone still wants to come to America to learn and work! That is our biggest advantage, and we need to sustain this. Traveling and having a worldly point of view and education is extremely important in the world today. Our government should not be cutting funding to our schools because this is one of the few things that keeps our country moving in a positive direction. We should stay focused on our core values, and be more “American,” in the sense that we are support education and legal immigration.

  I loved how our government was compared to clogged arteries, where plaque just builds and builds over time and it is hard to remove. I do think we need a little bit of revolution to rid ourselves of the old and stagnant. Nothing will change until we muster up the anger, energy, and devotion to the cause. How bad does it need to get before we stand up and demand change? Our politicians are more focused on the next election, with all the bipartisan fighting, than the long term direction of our country. Our government needs a huge makeover in order for us to reach our true potential.

• 11. Jason Jay Sharma  |  February 8th, 2011 at 2:55 am

  This article was a great follow-up to James Fallows’ “Postcards from Tomorrow Square.” In fact I enjoyed “How American Can Rise Again” much more due to the fact that it examined the United States in the same fashion Fallows had previously commented on China’s emergence. What really connected with me was that Fallows was able to pin-point the thoughts I have floating in my mind when I watch the news and worry about the state of the United States, and then connect and analyze them in ways I could not on my own. The article provides many topics for discussion; it’s difficult to start…

  Prior to entering the MBA program at Cal Poly, I was fully aware of China’s rapid development, but I never feared that America would lose its power or status. I could have been naive, or I could have been demonstrating the American Spirit that underlies Fallows entire article. Once I began researching, reading about, and focusing more on the developments of China did my emotions gradually become somewhat of a fear. This combined with the constant news stream of the United States’ economic condition did not help alleviate my concern.

  All that emotion put behind me, I don’t think the United States has much to worry about. As a country, we have countless problems, but as Fallows states “But if this is “decline,” it is from a level that most of the world still envies.” It’s true that we initially set our own goals to reach, but I think it’s very important to have that competition with other nations. While we shouldn’t rely on it for the only reasons for development, it pushes you to strive for the next level before the other country does.

  I also don’t wholly agree with Fallows belief that we cannot adapt, but I do understand where he is coming from. It’s human nature to resist change and I believe we have difficulty adapting–it slows us down, but doesn’t stop us entirely. Michael Keeley’s comparison of government to a bus where all passengers have brakes is a great representation of what we face in America on a daily basis–there is always someone opposing someone else. Our main goal is to convince that someone else to lift off their brake so we can reach the next stop. Our government has lost its path, especially when it comes to working together with other politicians and even the general public. If we can change our government to focus on more long-term effects, they will hopefully work together to fix problems before they become large scale issues, and then we’ll have a starting point for rising up again.

• 12. Ashley Ogden  |  February 8th, 2011 at 11:05 am

  James Fallows gave us a lot to think about in this article. There are multiple takeaways from this article but I will focus on my top three.

  First, throughout history various leaders have thought and preached that the World was going to end, is this time any different? Decline is inevitable if you think of history as cycles of decline and renewal. Fallows points out that the thought of doom has a tendency to drive action. He speaks of Jeremiads who are revolutionist that ask for change and use the thought of total failure in order to spike a revolution.

  Second, America’s “decline” is still not as bad as we think, when compared to other countries. Fallows points out our weaknesses such as: aging infrastructure, bad passenger-rail system, declining standard of living, cell phone coverage and hospital protocol. But when looking at America as a whole, it could definitely be worse. We have been able to pull through and reinvent ourselves before thanks to our geography, resources, decentralization of power and culture and religious tolerance. We also continue to be a “magnet” for immigration because of our higher education systems which will allow us to continue to be at the forefront of innovation.

  Third is that the US has the power to correct our issues through policies yet we haven’t and that is our biggest problem. No one is envious of our Senate and Fallows suggest that the structure of the Senate be changed in order to be more effective. Our current system has lead to “safe seats” which allow politicians to slide their way through to re-election. Although this is a big issue it would be hard to change our entire system so we must “muddle through” what we have started.

  An important thing to think about is Fallow’s suggestion that we should think about decisions as if you were to wake up tomorrow and it be 75 years from now.

• 13. Will Moeller  |  February 13th, 2011 at 5:45 pm

  The first thing that struck me was Fallows’ comment on how nice things are in America. Our sense of entitlement to all things nice can really only be fully appreciated when we see what life is like outside of America - both in developed and developing (emerging market) nations. When I went to Rio De Janeiro in 2008, I was struck by how much nicer even the “lower class” parts of American cities are compared to the shantytowns of Rio…granted I never would have fathomed actually going into these neighborhoods.

  The second thing that struck me was the American view of looking at the short-term rather than the 75-year view. If America wants to be a leader going forward, it needs to change its outlook to longer-term, according to Fallows. Articulating this point well was the quote from the Silicon Valley CEO, “I don’t know what we’re funding that will pay off 30 years from now.” It’s food for thought…then action.

  Along those lines of fear that America is becoming Rome, I think of the FDR quote, “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Maybe this is an optimistic way of thinking about the American future, but Fallows does bring up the point that America has, time and again, overcome fears that it cannot continue to lead and thrive. The Carter quote runs along these lines as well that America, in the 70s experienced a “crisis of confidence.” The talks of the space race with the Soviet Union also articulate America’s ability to stifle the naysayers.

  Another point of interest was that, in regard to China specifically, America will maintain a larger GDP per capita in spite of the exponential Chinese economic growth. In this case, GDP per capita is a proxy for standard of living. Yes, China may overtake America in overall GDP relatively soon, but that does not necessarily mean the demise of the American standard of living.

  Fallows also uses a quote from colleague James McGregor to illustrate a point he harps on in Postcards from Tomorrow Square. “We scream about our problems, but as long as we have the immigrants, and the universities, we’ll be fine,” America’s universities are still a fantastic draw of human capital. If America can retain this human capital, it can sustain economic growth. Of the top 20 universities worldwide, 17 are American and none are Chinese. What does this say about the importance of education?

  Fallows makes many points, but perhaps the strongest is simply this: in aggregate America’s problems seem many and large, but on a relative basis, given all the resources at America’s disposal, they are manageable. My biggest takeaway from this is something I discussed earlier, the government needs to focus on longer-term issues rather than getting mired in the short-term muck. If the government is able to adapt, America can continue to grow and thrive.

• 14. Tara Millard  |  February 15th, 2011 at 1:22 pm

  I find James Fallows to be extremely conversational in tone, and tend to emotional connect with his writing. This article while extremely interesting was an emotional rollercoaster for me who generally has great pride and patriotism for this country. Although Americans enjoy a high standard of living, it appears to be a sickeningly selfish standard. While Americans are known for large homes, nice cars, plastic surgery and a million other materialistic items, we have let our country fall to ruins.

  At what point did all for one, and one for all become obsolete. Although America prides itself on being a country of individuals, we need to escape from this individualistic mindset. Billion dollar Corporations choose to relish in unnecessary luxuries while the roads and public transportation systems that their employees use on a daily basis are crumbling. Why is it that in America, it is unheard to use personal profit for a collective good? What has this country come to?

  James Fallow’s questions whether America will rise again. This question is one of parody as America’s falling still leaves our country at an elevated standard of living. Yet, the selfish nature of the individual citizen leads me to question whether American has fallen too far. How can America thrive if its own citizens don’t take responsibility for the place in which they live?

  I realize this has may appear a disconnected rant, but I ensure you this article has influenced me greatly.

• 15. Anthony Kallioinen  |  February 16th, 2011 at 7:59 pm

  James fallows is a fantastic writer. I like how he starts the article with reassurance. In a time where much of the world hates the United States, he points out the things that make this country resilient in the face of the ‘Great Recession.’ Our universities, receptiveness to immigration, and our sense of innovation are the traits that have saved us in the past, and with any luck, they will do so again.

  Take-Aways:

  We Cause Ourselves to Worry:
  When one visits a developing country, it really puts our ‘dire’ situation in perspective. We still live in extremely comfortable conditions relative to the rest of the world. It is obvious that Americans are constantly worried about their place in the world. Some people wonder if we ‘are Rome,’ a great nation always on the verge of falling apart. Others say that we have always been worried of being left behind, yet we have always moved forward, even lead the world in many ways. I feel that sometimes we assess ourselves too strongly. In fact, we still lead the world in the hard sciences in terms of Nobel Prize winners.

  I think that this threat of imminent decline is made by those that strive to galvanize the American people. This may be that we have the ‘underdog spirit’ ingrained in us; we react strongly to the metaphoric urging of the football coach in the locker room. We have gotten to the point where we are always comparing ourselves to another country. First it was Russia, then Japan and now China. The problem is not that we are falling behind other countries, more that we are falling short of our own potential. We have to keep in mind that it was inevitable that China would become a larger economy that the US due to the sheer size of China! In relative terms, the US is actually in a good position. China is on a runaway train of economic development with no chance at slowing it down. They are in a race against time to see if a relatively small youth (one child policy bubble) will be able to support an aging population. They are also in a race against the environmental consequences of so much industry. Perhaps this constant possibility of decline is actually a good thing. In the US, our worry spawns reform; maybe our fear of complacency is our way of staying ahead of the curve.

  Our Biggest Challenges:
  It seems that we are so competitive that we have come to the point where we have trouble (or are incapable of) solving collective problems – cell phone coverage for instance is better in most other parts of the world. In many ways actually we are not keeping up with the rest of the world — who would have guessed that competition doesn’t always lead to the best answer in the quickest manner? Today we are largely lagging in infrastructure — roads are run down and we have few high-speed connected railways. I think that the in many ways flashy advertising and lobbying slows down innovation in America.

  What We Do Well:
  Why is the US so resilient? Is it our 1st amendment? Our luck with geography and resources? Our decentralization of power and culture? Our better religious/race/immigration tolerance in recent decades? Our unprecedented human rights (women/gay/Mexican) as well?

  Fallows’ says that the measure of whether a country is dominant or not are how much people want to be a part of it. The US is still unmatched in this. People from all around the world want to come here and want to study here because 17 of the top 20 universities in the world are in the US. The only way we can continue this trend is to maintain our openness to immigrants and the standards of our universities; outsiders must desire and be able to attend our education system!

  In summary:
  The biggest take away is no matter what our major concerns are, the US can solve them! We are a ‘self-renewing culture that attracts the world’s talent.’ If only we had the government system that this great culture deserves. We are now a ‘big, inefficient, favor-ridden state.’ “America the society is in fine shape! America the polity most certainly is not.”

  Should we do more or do less..? We should do more; it makes all the difference if we try. What if we made decisions with the understanding that tomorrow we would wake up and it would be 75 years later? Would we make decisions differently? I hope so.

• 16. Sarah Weinzapfel  |  February 19th, 2011 at 4:04 pm

  The content of Fallow’s article left me just as torn as his style of writing does. While he has such a conversational and relatable tone in his work, it is in some need of Zinsser-izing. As for the content, there were moments that made me proud because, “America is strong…they worked within the their flaws and limits, which made all the difference.” And then there were times that I felt scared for the direction our country is going in and upset with the way our politics are run.

  This article was a rude awakening. If we keep going the way we are and only looking 5 feet in front of us instead of a mile, we’re not going to be able to swerve fast enough when an obstacle is placed in front of us. On the other hand, “you’ve got to be very careful about thinking things can’t rebound.” I think this is very true. When I hear people say things that refer to suspicions of permanent decline, I can’t help but wonder how they don’t know that America has been through hard times like this before.

  Another huge takeaway for me relates to this “recession”. I understand people are losing jobs, houses, cars, and self-respect, but we take everything for granted. I’ve recently started watching this documentary type show called Vice. They travel around the world reporting on topics from fashion to entire cultures. I recently watched an episode on North Korea and was in awe of what I saw. Now I understand that this country is a bit of an extreme, but it doesn’t really matter. I’ve seen footage on other countries such as China, Africa, etc. and no matter where it is, we have it better. It’s almost shocking what the people of these emerging or third world countries live in and it makes me feel so lucky and thankful to have not only the things I have, but just for the country I live in…recession or not.

  I think the main takeaway for me was that, yes, we have areas in need of improvement, but just because our economy is not moving as fast as emerging countries’ economies, doesn’t mean we’re doomed.We need some changes, but we’re unmatched in a lot of areas such as our education system. Basically, America’s problems are manageable as long as we don’t become “fat and happy.”

• 17. Jessica Shayler  |  February 21st, 2011 at 9:30 pm

  “The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect to their elders…. ”
  “I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words.”

  Sound applicable? Yeah, well, both quotes are from men who lived in the B.C. centuries, or “B.C.E.” if you prefer (Socrates and Hesiod respectively). We can take from these quotes something similar to what Fallows points out in his article; people have a tendency to think “they don’t make ‘em like they used ta,” but really, the world is not that much different now than it was or will be. That said, Fallows pointed out that we do have some serious defects to address w.r.t. infrastructure and our political paralysis if we expect to close the ever widening gap between our potential and our achievement. “It’s sort of a personality defect on a national scale to think you are so great that you think you should be better than you are…this has been an important part of our self regeneration.” I hope this will be true again. I found Fallow’s article oddly reassuring. He reminded us that all those times in the past where we thought “this is it. This is the end,” we pulled through and surpassed expectations. We think something should be better, so we make it better. Will that work again given that “As a political system…we have become used to not addressing big problems?” America seems to have swung so far to the Individualism side that we cannot seem to function as a collective in any capacity; we seem to take sides for the sake of taking sides rather than over any argument over ideals. “Whenever there’s something to be solved that requires a network we think it can’t be solved.” The thing about pendulums is they always swing back. I think that is what Fallow’s was trying to impress upon us. If we persevere, refuse to give up, then we have a shot. We must adopt Escher’s attitude: “Although I know it can’t be done, I want to do it anyway!”

• 18. Jessie Wilkie  |  February 26th, 2011 at 7:31 pm

  Before I started reading this piece I was apprehensive. I wasn’t a fan of Postcards from Tomorrow Square-according to the blog post I must be a “dragon slayer”. Fallows, however, caught my attention right away. I’ve always thought that we were blessed here in America with our spacious countryside and amount of land per capita. I really liked how that was the first point he made. Then he finds me in agreement again with the discussion of the healthy physical appearances of Americans and quality of our buildings and institutions. He transitions into a little bit of history and humor, which made me think. After his positive, humorous introduction, Fallows starts sliding into his usual self.

  It begins with the cell phone coverage and hospital CRM/IT systems in China and other developing countries being more advanced than those in the US. I’ve been to a hospital in India that was pretty run down, but they used computers very efficiently. He moves into talk of the aging infrastructure and how it is perceived as run-down. I have actually been thinking about that idea more and more. Like all of the houses, what are people going to do as the houses keep getting older? How long do houses last? And often times I’ve wished that the roads were smoother. The End of Influence sounds like a depressing read. I don’t think that I want to subscribe to that belief. Yes, America is in economic hardship, but I’m hoping we’ll pull out of it. Fallows’ one-page introduction was beautifully written and captured my attention. Now, I definitely have to keep reading to hear the good and the bad news-at least as Fallows’ perceives it…

  I thought that the first reason not to worry, the fact that we’ve been here before, was very interesting. I had never heard of the American Jeremiad, but after reading this I was fascinated with the idea. The built-in cultural nature of Americans to worry-it’s almost the makings for an indie dark comedy. I also thought it was good that it was pointed out that America is doing better than it ever has as far as human rights go. The world perceptions of Obama getting elected as America being able to change also resonated with me. I was abroad during the elections and I remember that people were very happy that Obama got elected! I was also abroad (like Fallows) when the financial crisis was happening. I remember getting my Economist and seeing who had failed every week…it was frightening to say the least.

  His second reason was alright. America shouldn’t be worrying about falling behind, but rather about falling short. Fallows brought up the valid point that America has only been the dominate world power post WWII. Meaning that the idea of American decline had more loosely been associated with falling short of American goals and/or standards. I, however, do contest that the fear of falling behind is also a powerful stimulate for the nation–a.k.a. the Space Race. The third reason was about the fact that American culture is so open and pervasive in the world. American influence is in the fact that people want to be American or come to America. Fallows, however, believes that the university system here is a great tool to let foreigners in to our culture and get them thinking like us. I’m not sure if I’m in agreement since a lot of qualified American students are losing seats to equally or lesser qualified counterparts.

  Fallows then launches into the concerns. He starts the concern section by citing an interview with an immigrant billionaire. The billionaire says that he’s worried about America in the present, but in the future, America will be fine. I thought this was uplifting. Then Fallows discusses reasons for concerns: 1) job loss 2) debt 3) military strength and 4) overall independence. His talk of job loss was something that I don’t usually think of. It’s not (entirely) China’s fault that we’re losing jobs here in America, but it might also be our fault-domestic issues. These issues need to be addressed. We need to set goals, not points of comparisons.

  Fallows pointed out the biggest problem being that American government can’t or won’t change. This was a very interesting part of the essay. It brought up some very valid and disturbing points. The number of votes that states gets was alarming—the fact that 12% of the population could control action. Also, the fact that our government is favor-ridden and dysfunctional was frightening, but true. I’d have to agree with Fallows that something needs to be done about the government, but who is to say what needs to be done.

  Fallows seems to think that he has some good ideas though. He presents them in his conclusion. The first set of ideas are fanciful and unrealistic: a military coup, a new constitution, a third party, a parliamentary system etc. Then he launches into his pragmatic approach: muddling through our problems. I was pleasantly surprised by his conclusion. I was disappointed and saddened by the points that he brought up where there have been opportunities for change that have been blown: 3 trillion recovery package, the 2004 presidential elections, and 9/11. There is nothing that we can do now, but to keep going. Fallows made this very clear. He really rallied the fighting American in me. I am all about the idea of looking 75 years out to make decisions for today.

• 19. Tyler Sereno  |  March 5th, 2011 at 4:08 pm

  I enjoyed reading this article by James Fallows as it discusses America’s ability to get back up after it has fallen down. The United States is in a current wave of declinist worry, which is a tradition that has been an inseparable part of America’s strength. I found the following quote interesting: “America is a country that has more problems than it deserves, and more solutions than it applies.” America’s decline routinely involves falling behind someone else rather than falling short of its expectations.

  There is no reason for the United States to feel depressed about the natural emergence of China as a world power. America may have reasons to feel actively optimistic about its prospects in purely relative terms. The U.S. will be better off if China does well than if it flounders because there will be a bigger world economy with more opportunities and less turmoil.

  As a truly universal nation, America continually refreshes its connection with the rest of the world. China has come nowhere near the feats of absorption and opportunity as the U.S. has. Fallows mentions two policies that are pillars of America’s strength and advantage, which include continued openness to immigration and continued concentration of universities that people from around the world want to attend.

  America’s main concerns are jobs, debt, military strength, and overall independence. Its big problem is that the American government is a victim of its own success. America’s society is in good shape, but its polity is not. The United States needs to work within its own flaws and limits to build toward the future, which is its bravest and best choice for now.

• 20. j hurley  |  March 5th, 2011 at 5:06 pm

  It is no secret that most Americans live an easier and more spacious lifestyle than most people around the world. We are fortunate enough to experience these advantages due to the hard work and commitment of past generations. America’s history has been based on building bigger and better than anyone else. However, as Fallows mentions, we no longer have this mentality. It does appear that today’s generation no longer prides themselves on being the best. We once strived to build the tallest buildings, the most vast freeways and the newest technology but have somehow in the past few decades forgotten what it is like to be the best. Americans no longer push to be number one, and are content with just getting by.
  This mentality has let our once great nation deteriorate and fall to pieces. However, we should not just give up and let the U.S. become a mediocre and dilapidated country. We are still at a point in time where we can rally together and put time, money and work back into the system in order to restore the U.S. back to the top.
  Fallows brings these topics into view and helps identify what some of the existing issues are and what we need to do to change them. Americans needs to stop pursuing instant gratification and use a more long term view when making decisions and taking actions.

• 21. Amanda Podesta  |  March 5th, 2011 at 8:27 pm

  I read Fallow’s “Postcards from Tomorrow’s Square” with great enjoyment. I admire Fallow’s levelheaded logic and evenhanded approach to topics. It was a treat to hear from Fallow’s once again.
  It’s interesting because in America, we are always so geared to question: How will things get better? What’s the next turn on this great carousel of progress?
  Fallow asks his audience to approach the question from the other side. It is a paradigm shift in Americans’ mindsets to instead recognize the honest value of, with no irony: well, things won’t get significantly worse.
  It is odd to me how the education system in America is reportedly so poor at the elementary level but then we get internationally recognized for our colleges. I know it’s a bit like comparing apples to oranges but I can’t help but think it’s a bit of a paradox… how much of this reputation is based on fact vs. clever marketing?
  Fallow’s makes the point that a working socioeconomic partnership with China is in our best interest… okay. In reference to your latest blog, Professor Carr, “What a Trip Alumni Reports He is seeing on the ground in (Southern) China,” an alumn gives a basic health report on China’s industries. How come no one talks about the impact of 2008 (i.e. The Housing Bubble Burst and the Stock Market Crash) on the Chinese populace’s worldview of America? It stands to reason that orders must have fell through as demand dropped, factories would have closed, jobs have been lost: Chinese lives must have been effected. Was their backlash? Is it common knowledge amongst the Chinese populace that the CCP’s heavy investment in American Treasury bonds has tied up huge amounts of THEIR capital? Do they feel that it could have arguably been put to better use domestically?

• 22. Randy Camat  |  March 6th, 2011 at 5:13 pm

  We often compare ourselves with others in which case we often compare the US to other countries. We see the US economy to be ‘falling behind’ when we compare its growth with that of China and other rising economies. Additionally, our infrastructure often lags behind what other countries have and what they are doing to maintain its current infrastructure. The question of ‘How America can rise again?’ is a hot topic among American businesses, economists, and politicians. However, the statement that America is a country that has more problems that it deserves, and more solutions that it applies is very true, but our biggest problem is avoiding the problem. I once heard the saying, “Once you’ve begun, you’re halfway done” and I think it relates quite well to our current situation. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was nice, but was it really a valiant effort to correct our problem? All I see is a few highway construction upgrades with a rising deficit and more budget cuts. ‘In a nearly $1 trillion stimulus package, it should have been possible to build all those things, in a contemporary, environmentally aware counterpart to the interstate-highway plan. But it didn’t happen; we’ve spent the money, incurred the debt, and done very little to repair what most needs fixing.’

  Maybe the problem is the system/distribution of money. I protested the state budget cuts on March 4, 2010, and many from other colleges might remember the activities that went on that day. With my involvement, I learned that education funding was not a priority. I was really upset that the priorities were reversed. It’s not the prisons and corrections system that attracts people to the US, it’s our education system, which relates to this post in that we need to stop worrying about short-term profits and start looking to the future with a long-term view on protecting our assets – our universities and public and private developments that make the US at attractive place. We also need not be afraid of changing what is broken, even if it means our own government. And maybe we need another Sputnik moment to jumpstart this economy, and this comparison with China may be it, but we need to capitalize on the moment and start acting upon it instead of looking back a few years from now giving ‘shoulda, woulda, coulda’s’ type of excuses.

• 23. Matt Streiter  |  March 6th, 2011 at 5:59 pm

  Fallows’ article pointed out things that I never really put much thought into but definitely do find relevant. One thing specifically I found interesting is that he says American’s have been fearing their decline for hundreds of years and through many tragedies but still found a way to move forward. As optimistic as this seems I feel that it may create a false form of comfort for people who are not taking domestic issues seriously enough. The United States is benefiting from beating most other countries to the punch in large scale economic growth but now is partially relying on their previous accomplishment to pull themselves through the hard times today. As stated in the article, the U.S. has not maintained its infrastructure and in the appearance aspect is looking older and less advanced in comparison to newly structuring countries like China.

  Another point made in the articles is that congress wastes a lot of time on less than important issues due to party conflicts and the senate votes. Although I do understand the purpose of the 2 votes per state in the senate is to give the smaller states an equal voice that they don’t necessarily get in the house, if small states are going to join forces to block legislation as described in the article then perhaps some restructuring should be considered (I do realize this would be nearly impossible). The problem of getting caught up with smaller issues which keeps attention off the big picture is that it is a huge set back in the legislative process that I believe has been even more apparent in recent events.

  The fact that foreign countries are adopting American practices is a very strong sign of political power though. With Chinese students traveling here for their education and with 17 out of 20 top engineering schools being in the U.S., this is a demonstration of the superior education system that takes place here. So these are signs that the U.S. is still a model to others but as other countries advance and we do at a slower pace will we be able to keep that reputation? That is a tough question to answer and I do believe that this country needs to do some self reflecting.

  We are not doomed or in a terrible position (yet). I thought the statement saying that we need a government as good as the people was very interesting and still undecided how I feel about it but it is a good thought provoker. When analyzing the faults in the U.S. it is important to recognize that every country has its own set of problems. Our nation’s social security benefits may be diminishing but China in a few decades will have a country full of old retired people and not enough working people, for example.

• 24. Ben Raymond  |  March 7th, 2011 at 8:50 pm

  I thought Fallows’ article was very well written and addressed many of the pertinent issues with the current American system. I liked his tone throughout the article and how while he addressed the issues, he maintained that America has always felt like they were on the decline, and has always bounced back.

  The problems with the system focused mostly on the government. We pride ourselves on our system of checks and balances, but sometimes it seems like their are too many checks. I liked the government analogy of the bus where everyone has a brake. It sure seems like we do a lot of braking.

  The infrastructure issue was also very interesting. Its something that I don’t often think about but see everyday. Potholes are everywhere and we never associate them with collapsing pipe lines. Our roads are deteriorating and I know Cal Trans isn’t keeping up. And when is the last time you saw them renovating an old bridge? I’ve heard of bridges collapsing but hopefully that’s not what it takes to bring the issue to light.

  The point that the U.S. government wastes its time on smaller issues is one that I completely agree with. I’ve always wondered why with all the intelligent people in this country our government spends all of its time arguing over details instead of focusing on the major problems. One of the most concerning statements in the article was that “the gap between our potential and our reality is opening up, not closing.” I think this is also true and am wondering when enough people will realize it to actually do something about it.

  On the brighter side I thought he did an excellent job pointing out that the U.S. is still the world leader and has the resources and potential to keep it that way. The spread of our language, education, and lifestyle is very encouraging for the future. And other countries know it. It is in both of our interests for China and the U.S. to maintain a positive relationship. Hopefully our government can accomplish that. If we can bring the system up to speed with the society, the future for the U.S. is a bright one.

• 25. Tim Easton  |  March 8th, 2011 at 9:20 pm

  The article “How American Can Rise Again” by James Fallows was very thought provoking. I was not a fan of his writing in his book, “Postcards from Tomorrow Square”, but this article seemed to resonate with me more. Maybe after doing all of these blogs, and reading the book for this quarter, I have a greater appreciation for what is going on in China. I will not give up on reading Fallow’s work, as I know he has a far greater understanding of what is happening in China than I ever could. There were many key takeaways from this article but a few of them really stuck with me. The first was that America has an advantage because of our openness to immigration, our university system, and the focus on innovation. I do believe that these are all areas in which the United States is not falling behind. Yes, we learned that Chinese schools, and schools in other countries, are improving rapidly. Is that falling behind, or them catching up? We are still the model that they base their schools off of. The United States is based off of immigration and this is something that will always set us apart from other countries. Innovation and creativity has always been a key to success in the United States and I don’t see that changing, or anyone taking that away from us for a long time. The second key take away from the article was that we have the ability to correct our problems, but we don’t. A really interesting quote from Fallows is, “The most charitable statement of the problem is that the American government is a victim of its own success.” I could not agree with this statement more. We believe that since our government has worked for more than 200 years we don’t need to adapt to the changing world around us. Overall this was a great article that really laid out the problems we are facing as a country.

• 26. Kyle R.  |  March 13th, 2011 at 12:39 pm

  James Fallows really understands how to convey a message. I cannot believe the sheer amount of information that was presented in this article. The article itself was a bit concerning to me, due to all the issues that were presented in depicting the health of our country. For example, his quote, “Today’s fears combine relative decline—what will happen when China has all the jobs? and all the money?” stood out to me. From my perspective, this is a great concern for so many people in the United States. I believe there is this fear that one day China will own our country.

  I enjoyed the various arguments he presented in why we will weather the storm. Our country had been in troubled times before and has managed to emerge stronger and more confident than before. I think the same will happen, but we must make changes. It’s important to note what Cullen Murphy stated, “If you go back and pick any decade in American history, you are guaranteed to find the exact same worries we have now.” I believe it’s this constant fear that we are behind that leads us striving to accomplish more.

• 27. J Vail  |  March 14th, 2011 at 12:45 pm

  This article was alarming for me in that only 7 pages could change my perspective and think about so many things. It’s pretty hard to paraphrase all of the information Fallows skates across but there were multiple parts of the article that stuck in my memory. More so than anything else, I reflected a lot on how originally I was dissatisfied about living in a rural area, but considering other countries I realize that I have been taking it for granted. Similarly, I came from an area where the ‘optimal’ education was to go to a private boarding school such as Choate or Fairfield Prep, and that public education was considered inferior. I hadn’t really put much thought into how much better my public school was in comparison so many other places in the world.

  Other points that I took away –
  1. Jeremiad. I didn’t think that the spirit of America and this cyclical history of dread and persistence could be wrapped into a blanket term. I feel like this is something I should have learned earlier being taught in a history class.
  2. Originally I didn’t fully agree with the drive for immigration, but the context is much better in this article than Postcards from Tomorrow Square. I think now it is one of the few most important ways to continue on as a nation.
  3. It’s funny to think of the bay area as ‘run-down’ but I have never been to anywhere outside of the country other than Europe – with all of the new modern architecture in China, I’m sure I’ll be better able to understand this comment.
  4. Poor China being more dangerous than rich China. I’m surprised this hadn’t occurred to me yet, and I think it makes a lot of the fear today in China even more ridiculous. It’s interesting to think that the same amount of people, maybe even less, worried about China 40-50 years ago, when they had so much more to gain from actually engaging in war.

• 28. Chris F.  |  March 16th, 2011 at 4:56 pm

  I thought this was a good article by James Fallows. I agree that there are problems with America but as he pointed out, they are not the ones that grace the headlines in today’s news media. He also states that while we are in a “decline,” we as a society have the resiliency to bounce back, learn from it and persevere.

  One point that seems obvious is that we have problems with our current government and the gridlock that has occurred in trying to get anything done. As a democracy (actually a republic), we are supposed to look out for the best interest of the country and the citizens that reside within. However, it seems like everyone complains about issues yet no one is offering solutions. Or if solutions to policies are at hand, the execution and implementation of it is woefully bureaucratic. There is so much in-fighting between the political parties that no one seems willing to say “Stop” and take a step back to assess the real issue at hand. I agree with others that we should agree to disagree but that there is common ground between the two parties in government; we as a country should be constructing a solution based on mutual interest.

  Another point that James Fallows points out is that our national infrastructure system is in dire need of an overhaul. I have watched a documentary showing the state of the nation’s transportation and utility networks and the picture isn’t good. From an economic standpoint, having a good national infrastructure system is key to global competitiveness. Moving goods from one point to another quickly and efficiently is a competitive advantage. However, if you have traveled outside the U.S. to Europe or Asia, you can see how antiquated much of our infrastructure is. Yet no one has taken action to do something about it. We need a long term vision and plan to put our nation’s infrastructure system back on track as President Eisenhower did when he authorized construction of the National Highway System.

  James Fallows also points out that education and innovation is our biggest advantage over the rest of the world. We as a society should be investing in what we are good at; instead we are subjecting these systems to budget cuts and decay. Education breeds innovation and from innovation comes entrepreneurship - a driving force in the economy. I am confident if we put resources towards research we could make faster headway into innovation that could help society as a whole - (i.e. a “Manhattan Project” for green technologies, alternative fuels, etc. ).

  But overall, I think the most important problem for us as a nation is to stop looking at the short term and look towards the future. There’s an old adage that I believe in: “If you are always looking down at where your feet are, you’ll never know where you’re going.” I think that quote sums up where we are at the moment in our history. Many of our problems are things that can only be sorted out over the long term yet many solutions are implemented to pacify us for the short term. I agree with Fallows in that many companies look towards quarterly earnings; Senators and Congressman look towards the next election term. As a country we must, sooner rather than later, face the stark reality that we have to face the problems head-on. All of the solutions will be tough, there is no getting around that, but we must face them and take the first step towards the road of revitalization.

• 29. JP Salazar  |  March 17th, 2011 at 11:54 pm

  Fallows brings up some very interesting points in his article. He raises the question, is America on the decline? The first thing that struck me was his description of how ever since he can remember, America has been “on the brink.” Every year there is a new supposed threat to American superiority and the effect it can have on our way of life could be devastating. Why does it feel like the American economy and its culture can only be motivated by fear? This just reminds me of the “imminent threat” Iraq posed under Saddam Hussein and the now eight year long war our nation has been a part of due to this culture of fear.
  There were three main ideas that I will take away from this article:
  1. America no longer maintains its capital that led to such rapid growth and development after WWII and leading up to the 21st century. America no longer has the funds to invest in research, manufacturing, and infrastructure. The government and the average American has leveraged their equity to a point never seen before. From Bloomberg Businesweek, each American is in dept to the Chinese for $140,000. We are spending well beyond our means and it will come back to bite us eventually if this trend isn’t curbed.
  2. The US still maintains certain advantages over the rest of the world. Fallows makes a point to say that even if American is on the decline, we are still in an enviable position for the rest of the world. Most nations can only dream of only having the problems that the US is facing. In addition, the American university system is still the best in the world. There is a reason why people from around the world come to the US to go to school. Also, the fact that America is open to allowing foreigners to come to the US to work and study is a major advantage. By keeping our borders open we allow for the best and the brightest to put their talents to use here if they so choose.
  3. The US has reached a point of stagnation. People are content with maintaining that status quo and not making an argument for change. The problem is that the rest of the world is not on the same page as we are. Fallows points to the American government as not doing enough in this regard. There is no one carrying the standard on the issue of America’s future place in a changing world. It is an issue that no one seems to want to address, despite the fact that it is now knocking on our doorstep.
  Overall, I am a big fan of James Fallows. His style is very approachable and he is able to make complex foreign topics more relatable and easier to understand.

• 30. Omar Pradhan  |  March 18th, 2011 at 1:36 pm

  This Fallows analogy really resonates with me: “Football coaches roar and storm in their locker-room speeches at halftime to fire up the team, and American politicians, editorialists, and activists of various sorts have roared and stormed precisely because they have known this is the way the nation is roused to action.” As mentioned previously, I had a chance to travel with my undergraduate college football team and see firsthand how an undersized, underdog football team is coached and motivated to perform beyond all imagined potential (11-1 record, Top 10 NCAA finish in ‘98). Clearly, the ebb and flow of the pendulum swing of human progress is at times frustrating but necessary as it serves to illuminate our collective path in a temporally and culturally relevant way. Thus, what’s important to me is not who’s got the most accurate perspective on truth (strength coach, position coach, optimists, pessimists, apologists, dragon slayers, etc.) but rather the extent to which the dialogue advanced by each motivates us to, as Gandhi put it, “BE the change [we] want to see in the world.” For me, various voices within this broad spectrum of noise have caused me to rethink and refocus my life on not “mindlessly” flying for a paycheck in the airlines. Rather, following my combat military service in Afghanistan and Iraq, my chance encounter with the compelling ideas in Joel Bakan’s documentary “The Corporation” motivated my return to school. Notwithstanding my appreciation of the “flaws and limits” of our existing system, I stand with others, ready and willing to live up to Woodrow Wilson’s charge: “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”

• 31. Kevin K.  |  December 27th, 2011 at 6:43 pm

  In a way I find it ironic that Fallows writes that America has hope because it has always been in a perpetuating state of fear. Fear of collapse, fear of being overtaken, or gasp, fear of being second to China. After reading Fallows’ Memoirs From Tiananmen Square, I find this article an excellent supplement to that book. In his book he mentions what America must do to remain at the apex of the world — most notably accepting the world’s intellectuals and future scholars (which he again addressed in this article).

  One of my favorite lines from this reading was when Fallows quoted Nader, saying: “You’ve got to be very careful about thinking things can’t rebound. My favorite phrase is ‘America is a country that has more problems than it deserves, and more solutions than it applies.’ We don’t want to be Pollyannas, but we really should believe that we can turn things around.”

  Although we live in a somewhat tumultuous time, optimism is good, rare, but good.

  America is a resilient country, and because of its competitive nature feels as though it needs to best the rising superpowers. What we have learned about globalization is that this is bound to happen and that we should embrace it rather than get depressed by it. If China does well, we will do well because of the larger successes of the world’s economy.

  I agree with Fallows when he writes that America is getting old and that change is needed — another great line is when he states America has, “a vital and self-renewing culture that attracts the world’s talent, and a governing system that increasingly looks like a joke.” The fears we have are not new (jobs, debt, military strength), however, unless something is done to influence our government, change may be hard to find. Fallows even lists “coup” as a fix-it strategy. Getting a jeremiad for today is no different than say 30 years ago, but if we embraced America’s change on the world scale — and how it interacts with China and India — perhaps the list of woes would be a bit shorter.

• 32. Vladimir  |  December 30th, 2011 at 1:04 pm

  I’ll admit it feels good to live in the most powerful country in the world. How would Americans have felt if Russia had 1 billion people during the Cold War, or if North Korea had 1 billion today? But James Fallows does have a point when he says that we should be worried about falling short rather than falling behind. Falling short is harder to define than falling behind. What is the passing score and who decides it?

  He uses infrastructure as an example of where we’re falling short, but I’m not sure that’s a good example. Fewer people are dying on America’s roads than on Chinese roads. Yes, it may well be that it’s because Americans are safer drivers. But with highway fatalities in America falling to the lowest level on record, how important is spending money on roads? Wouldn’t fewer people lose their lives if an 8.0 earthquake were to strike an American city than a Chinese city? It’s one thing to say our infrastructure gets a “D”, but quite another to say this is where we should allocate $2 trillion to get it up to adequacy with more urgent (or more urgent sounding to the American voters!) concerns amid a growing national debt.

  I didn’t expect the cell phone coverage to be better in China. But how profitable are the cell phone companies there? How many people there have landline phone access? Are the people there more cell dependent due to lack of substitutes?

  He talks about the US higher education system being the best in the world, which attracts foreigners. Having universities that attract foreigners is a good thing, but having inferior domestic students is not. America’s primary and secondary education is falling short and behind. When I was in elementary school, my parents hired a Russian math tutor, not because I had problems in math, but because math at my American public school wasn’t up to the Russian level. In fourth grade, If I didn’t complete all my assignments in a given week, my teacher would send home a note with a sad face on it saying that I didn’t complete some of my assignments, “Please try harder next time.” Great motivation. Persuading foreigners to stay here after completing their degrees may benefit America, but it’s no substitute for American students raising their game. Let’s generate more talent, not just absorb it.

  Do politicians really want what’s best for America in the long run, or do they merely want to maintain power? Of course they want power, but I believe they also want what they think is best for the country. It’s hard enough to balance self-interest with one’s vision of America’s interest. It’s even more difficult for a politician promote what’s best for America when others are trying to promote a different vision of what’s best. Getting an overwhelming majority on the same page about a plan for America’s success is almost impossible. Politicians should look beyond the next election cycle. In fact, it may be better to have no such thing as re-election. You get one term to serve. Then you live with what you did or didn’t contribute and go back to your day job. US president looks pretty good on a resume.

• 33. Daniel Fleek  |  January 2nd, 2012 at 12:07 pm

  I think it was great point that Fallows mentions the fact that people come to the US to get educated and often, they stay because they like it here. This is probably America’s biggest advantage over countries like China where besides for business and tourist reasons, people don’t really have a desire to go there (at least for me). People all over the world strive to come to America for different reasons but they all come here because America offers more freedom to individuals than almost any other nation. Therefore, I believe its important that the American government addresses immigration and education issues very carefully because the last thing America needs is to stop the influx of immigrants, especially those who are coming here to attend universities. It is from these immigrants that the US as a whole gains knowledge and perspectives which would not be possible if we closed our borders to immigrants. Also, the immigrants who have learned at US universities will be able to share their American based knowledge with their own countries improving foreign relations.

  This article reminded me a lot of Postcards from Tomorrow Square, Reports from China in that the overall notion was that the US will be fine in the long run. However, I agree with Fallows that the US government structure needs change. His analysis on the breakup of the senate verse the overall populations of each state made me realize how much power these little states can have in accepting or rejecting new policies. I believe there needs to be some sort of change in this area because it gives these small populous states too much power to influence the nation. However, i agree with Fallows that in the long run, even with the flaws in America, it is up to us to make America successful into the future. I thought that the advice to make decisions by thinking about 75 years ahead is a great point and these long term decisions are probably the most important for our country to be successful in the future.

• 34. Charles Dornbush  |  January 21st, 2012 at 3:53 pm

  Although I have not read James Fallows’ book Postcards from Tomorrow’s Square, I imagine this article has many of the same ideas. Fallows’ ideas also closely mirror Fareed Zakaria’s Post-American World, which I have read. Both authors agree that American society and people are not a problem but rather a strength of our nation. Both agree that dysfunctional and partisan government is causing America to fall behind its potential.

  Fallows’ first point is that America has constantly feared “falling behind” for centuries. One particular quote I liked was “anything America is going through is not as bad as the Civil War”. This helped me realize that we are not only better off then the vast majority of the rich in other countries, but better off than our parents and ancestors. A lot of media is driven by fear and constant stories about China or other countries overtaking America is overstated and used to drive up ratings.

  One continuing story line is how the U.S. education system is falling behind China and India. Fallows disputes this by showing that 17 of 20 of the world’s top universities are American and none are Chinese or Indian. More college students are coming to America to study than anywhere else, and either contributing to the American economy or to American influence in their home country. This is a vital comparative advantage that America must maintain as top university graduates start the best companies as is seen in the Silicon Valley, Boston and other places around the country.

  When Fallows’ talks about California it shows America’s condition magnified. California is the center of American innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit but has more governmental and financial problems than every other state. Maybe political California can be an example for the whole nation, although I bet almost no one expects to see it soon.

  Fallows and Zakaria both argue that government gridlock and shortsightedness is crippling the country and diverging our potential from our reality. America’s political system is becoming more corrupted and dated every year. The future success of America depends on us finding a new way forward with regards to politics. The scary part is that apathy over the system seems higher than ever. I believe that having Obama or a Republican elected in 2012 will do little to fix the broken system. Unfortunately it is a view that I think is shared by many people.

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