To me, this is every bit as much, and maybe even more important than the Iraq War and healthcare, the idea of what kind of society do we want to create in the 21st century. Will we create an innovative society where Americans once again lead the world and cement our status as the great beacon of freedom in the world, or will we continue to slide toward mediocrity?
One of the reasons I have supported John Edwards and will continue to do so is that I believe he has an excellent vision of what America should be, and has a plan to make America an innovative society that leads the world in the new century. I would like to look at it.
First, Edwards gives a brief overview of the problem:
From the moving assembly line to the space race, America led the world in innovation in the 20th century. But now we find ourselves challenged by other countries that have invested aggressively in education, engineering and infrastructure, giving them an edge in the global economy. Building One America—where every person has a chance to succeed—means confronting the competitive challenges of the new century.
A pretty good, to the point summary. We did lead the way for the world in the last century. Toward the end of that century we began to lose or "technical edge" to the global economy. We must get it back to lead once more.
Edwards goes on to detail some of the specific problems:
Falling Behind in Science Education: American 9th-graders are 18th in the world in science education. Our children have not been given the tools they need to succeed. [UNICEF, 2002]
18th in science? These are the children we are asking to find cures for horrible diseases like cancer, and AIDS and they are 18th? Something has gone wrong here. What good will it be to have stem-cell research if nobody knows what they are? This is a serious problem that every candidate needs to address.
Moving on:
Lagging Investment in Research: The key to our future success lies in our nation's labs and testing rooms, but federal funding for physical science research as a share of GDP has been on a 30 year decline. The NIH used to fund four out of 10 grant applications; now it funds less than two out of 10. [Task Force on the Future of American Innovation, 2006; NIH, 2007]
It seems to me, if you want to have any kind of progress in any kind of science, including curing diseases it would be wise to INVEST IN RESEARCH!! At least something. Cutting research science funding right now, just doesn't seem to intelligent. I hope its not just me!!
Anyway, another problem:
A Growing Digital Divide: The country that developed the internet now lags behind European and Asian countries in high-speed access. The U.S. is now 24th in the world in broadband penetration per household, trailing Estonia. Our internet access is also slower -- a child in Japan can get high speed internet that is 33 times faster at 1/20th the cost per megabit than a child in the United States using DSL. While half of urban and suburban households have broadband, less than a third of rural homes do. African Americans are 25 percent less likely to have internet access at home than whites. [Newsweek, 7/9/07; CWA, 2006; Pew, 2007]
Broadband access has been a hot topic in some places in the south. To me it is inexcusable that America lags behind these countries in anything. This is an issue that is very much facing many Americans right now, broadband access, and it is a problem.
And now this last problem:
Ideology Prevailing Over Science: George W. Bush has presided over the most anti-science administration in American history, censoring research and slanting policy — on climate change, on air pollution, on stem cell research — to advance a narrow political agenda.
Now, this is the real problem isn't it? Bush and his cronies want to please their rabid base and force their far-right agenda and beliefs off on the rest of America. Edwards doesn't only call the Bush Administration out on their dismal failure, he articulates his own vision for American innovation:
Supporting American Ingenuity: The most important factor for America's future prosperity is investment in education, science, technology and innovation. As president, Edwards will make the Research and Experimentation tax credit permanent. The credit has expired or nearly expired 11 times in the last 25 years, discouraging companies from making long-term commitments to research. Ideological debates at NIH about things like stem cell technology have drained resources from promising research. Edwards will increase spending on basic research at the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health and lift stifling research restrictions. He will also modernize our patent laws — which haven't been updated in 50 years — to provide incentives for research.
This to me is just common sense. We simply must invest in research for cures for diseases and for scientific breakthroughs for all humanity. We must make it easier for our scientists to develop breakthroughs, and we must provide incentives for those that would invest in it. Great ideas from Edwards!!
Edwards now goes on to talk about building the New Energy Economy, and creating one million new jobs for Americans:
Building the New Energy Economy and 1 Million New Jobs: New energy technology holds great potential to unleash innovation and reshape our economy. "Clean tech" is the hottest new area of venture capital funding, and American entrepreneurs, farmers and manufacturers can lead the world in technology to generate clean, reliable energy and use it more efficiently. Edwards will create the New Energy Economy Fund to invest in clean, renewable energies like wind, solar, and biofuels, develop a new generation of efficient cars and trucks, and put new energy-saving technologies to work in buildings, transportation and industry. The result will be more than 1 million new jobs, renewed life for family farms and rural communities, new markets for American manufacturers, and a wave of innovation and productivity gains. [Newsweek, 6/21/2006].
I have diaried this plan before, and will just say that I think Edwards plans on creating a New Energy Economy are more promising than any other candidates. You can see his whole Energy Plan here:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Edwards now presents the dangers presented by America falling behind in Math and Science education:
Restoring America's Leadership in Science and Math Education: We all pay a price when young people who could someday find the cure for AIDS or make a fuel cell work end up sitting on a stoop because they didn't get the education they need. If we do not invest in science and math education now, the United States risks becoming a technology follower, rather than a leader. Edwards will ensure that American children are prepared to build on our current technology successes:
Again, this just makes sense, and just needs an America that will not accept mediocrity. We must prepare all Americans to excel in the New Century.
Edwards goes on to detail how he would achieve excellence for American students once more:
Improving Our Schools: Ninety-five percent of urban high schools report problems getting qualified science teachers. As president, Edwards will invest more in teacher pay and training to attract good teachers in the schools and subjects we need them most, expand preschool programs, math and science education, and after-school programs, and strengthen high school curricula. [National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century, 2000]
Unlike other candidates, Edwards doesn't seek to blame our teachers, who work hard and accept low pay for the problems that have beset our educational system. He realizes it has been the neglect and incompetence, and greed in our goverment, not our teachers that have let our students down. He seeks to reward our good teachers, and attract more good teachers with pay and a challenging curriculum to teach. This puts Edwards beliefs on education right in line with mine.
Edwards continues:
Expanding College Opportunity: Two years ago, Edwards helped start a College for Everyone program in Greene County, North Carolina that has helped increase the college-going rate from 54 percent to 74 percent. As president, Edwards will create a similar national plan to pay one year of public-college tuition, fees and books for more than 2 million students. In return, students will be required to work part-time in college, take a college-prep curriculum in high school and stay out of trouble.
Another plan I have diaried here:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Again, I think this is a very good plan, and will move on.
Edwards goes on to address the problem of Broadband access:
Creating Universal Broadband Access and Closing the Digital Divide: Just as FDR's rural electrification initiative brought power to every corner of the country, an investment in internet infrastructure can cover all Americans with a broadband "blanket," and create up to 1.3 million jobs and $500 billion in economic benefits. The starting place is a national broadband policy with a goal of giving all U.S. homes and businesses access to real high-speed internet by 2010. Edwards will establish a national broadband map to identify gaps in availability, price and speed, and require telephone and cable companies to maintain content-neutrality and not to discriminate against rural and low-income communities in building their broadband networks. He supports using some of the newly available 700 megahertz spectrum to create a nationwide wireless network that can connect with all digital devices [Progressive States, 2006; Crandall and Jackson, 2001].
As stated above this is a real problem that faces many Americans. Edwards is the only major candidate who not only understands the problem, but has seriously reasearched it and offers a solution. His solutions includes 1.3 million jobs and hundreds of billions in potential economic benefits. I think that more than speaks for itself.
Edwards then goes back to another issue that he has taken the lead on, healthcare:
Guaranteeing True Universal Health Care: Skyrocketing health care costs are a heavy burden on our manufacturing companies and other businesses. Edwards has offered a specific plan to guarantee true universal health care for every man, woman and child in America. He has also proposed an ambitious initiative to make health care more cost-effective through preventive and chronic care, information technology, and better research into proven tests and treatments. These and other steps will save an average family $2,000 to $2,500 a year and eliminate at least $130 billion a year in wasteful health care spending. [WHO, 2006]
There have been many arguments about healthcare plans or the lack thereof already so I will just say that I think Edwards plan is best because it offers both choice, and universitality. You can look at the whole plan and judge for yourself here:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Now Edwards speaks on how a real leader should respect science, even if it doesn't always agree with their ideology:
Respecting Science: John Edwards believes that policy should be science driven, and that science shouldn't be politics driven. He will make sure that government professionals charged with the collection and analysis of scientific data — from medical research to mercury emissions — are insulated from political influence. As president, he will:
He then goes on to give three ideas on solving this problem:
Eliminate political litmus tests for government scientists.
Protect the integrity of government science by prohibiting political appointees from overriding agencies' scientific findings unless the chief White House science advisor concludes they are erroneous.
Reverse the demotion of the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and restore the office to a central role as an assistant to the president, a rank held in previous administrations.
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Now, just about anyone in the Democratic Party agrees that religion and politics should not mix, and so too is true that science and politics shouldn't mix, or more so that political ideology should not impede scientific progress. We had that once, and it is lovingly called the Dark Ages!! I think Edwards is right on track in seperating the two.
So, those are Edwards ideas on creating an innovative society in America that will once again lead the world in a new century. I would like to say that now I have diaried several of his policy proposals that it really strikes me how they all inter-connect with one another. Every plan has a part in another plan and vice-versa. Edwards has put a wealth of study into these problems, and has led the way with solutions to solve them. He has shown tremendous leadership, and I believe he deserves to be our nominee in 08. I believe an Edwards Administration would restore American respect in the world, and create an innovative American society once again!!
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