How America Can Rise Again, by James Fallows
January 6th, 2010
Greetings and a check in from Professor Carr, the fellow who launched this blog 5 years ago. China and India are a big part of the future, in my view, and for you to see India this year with Dr. Singh is very important. Your experience in India is an important investment in your education and future. I have been following with interest some of your blog posts and insights this year. I am a big fan of James Fallows, who now writes for The Atlantic. Fallows has written some great stuff on China over the years (e.g., “Postcards from Tomorrow’s Square”), but his latest piece that I just came across, “How America Can Rise Again”, is one of his best works and well worth reading. It applies to what you will see in emerging economies and emerging markets such as India, China, Russia, Brazil. Click HERE to read it. The 6 minute video interview that accompanies the article is also worth watching.
What are your take-aways from this article? Your trip to India is important, in that it will help you test some of Fallow’s arguments. Can’t do that if you stay home and only read about it in a book, and never visit the business future in a places like India, China, Brazil, Russia, etc.
Entry Filed under: Pre-Departure, China, India, Pre-Departure
4 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. Kirk Story | January 22nd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
John,
I appreciate your comments not only because they originate from a true Brasileiro, but also because they remind me of a time, place, and culture that overpowers the US standard of a successful existence. I’m sure several students have heard the adage, “North Americans live to work and South Americans work to live.” I believe there is some truth to this. Many years ago, I dated a girl from an aristocratic family in Brasil. It was during this time I learned the truth of the quoted remarks. As you stated, “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.” I can attest to this reality. Moreover, I do not believe that Brasileiros burden themselves with their average five weeks of holiday. In fact, I would be willing to trade five weeks of Brasileiro holiday for superpower status any day of the week.
3. 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.
4. Alex Thornton | February 11th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
I would like to emphasize Fallows’ section entitled “Another Reason Not to Worry: The Irrelevance of ‘Falling Behind.’” Fallows is right on the money: only after World War II did the United States start worrying about “decline.”
When World War II ended, the United States was left as the sole economically-intact industrialized country in the world; all the others had been bombed and decimated by the war. Consequently, the United States was number one in a myriad of ways from the strongest currency to the largest industrial base.
Critics who bemoan things like the weakening dollar and declining influence of Washington often over look the fact that when you are number one, the only direction you have to go is down. Thus, the United States decline is simply an issue of when.
Perhaps the United States would be better served by adapting to the inevitable new world alignment than complaining or pointing fingers.
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