The Next Super Power!

Yes, at the moment maybe. But: If you have no (or nearly no) “native” PhDs, who shall become prof once this generation retires?

This is a country built on immigration, I am sure those that decide to stay (on their own will), don’t revert to this instinct…

No, i don’t expect all to do it. But more than the 1% mentioned by CC.

I’m not sure how accurate CC’s data is (any written articles on it? :)), but I consider the act of graduating from college (and high school for that matter) to be a huge accomplishment. Judging from the rates that Americans are now attending college and finishing high school, the intelligence curve is very high compared with 50 years ago.

@TG:

This is a country built on immigration, I am sure those that decide to stay (on their own will), don’t revert to this instinct…

Yes, i agree to that. But, do you think that the US might lose their flexibility to assimilate people in the future? The Romans were great in “adopting” people (and gods and customs) from other nations, still this flexibility died away somehow later.

I’m not sure how accurate CC’s data is (any written articles on it? :)), but I consider the act of graduating from college (and high school for that matter) to be a huge accomplishment. Judging from the rates that Americans are now attending college and finishing high school, the intelligence curve is very high compared with 50 years ago.

I bet that is the case everywhere in the fiorst world. Parents want their children to “accomplish more than they did”, and the best way to let the children do that is giving them a higher degree.
Do you have studies that look at the qualities of the degrees as well? From my (gut)feeling, i think that this quality is decreasing, that higher degrees are kind of inflationary.

@F_alk:

@TG:

This is a country built on immigration, I am sure those that decide to stay (on their own will), don’t revert to this instinct…

Yes, i agree to that. But, do you think that the US might lose their flexibility to assimilate people in the future? The Romans were great in “adopting” people (and gods and customs) from other nations, still this flexibility died away somehow later.

I think that the US is much better at “sucking that instinct away” than Canada. Many people who come here have the urge to “return home”. Even/especially 2nd generation Canadians (sorry, no data - mostly anecdotal, but thats the “Canadian salad vs. American melting pot” thing-y.

I’m not sure how accurate CC’s data is (any written articles on it? :)), but I consider the act of graduating from college (and high school for that matter) to be a huge accomplishment. Judging from the rates that Americans are now attending college and finishing high school, the intelligence curve is very high compared with 50 years ago.

I bet that is the case everywhere in the fiorst world. Parents want their children to “accomplish more than they did”, and the best way to let the children do that is giving them a higher degree.
Do you have studies that look at the qualities of the degrees as well? From my (gut)feeling, i think that this quality is decreasing, that higher degrees are kind of inflationary.

“my data” is not that accurate. Kind of a “general rule” thing. Not very accurate and i heard it from some other grad students.
Also my dad (also a doctor) was quite philosophical about this when he was bawling me out one day for “not performing to my potential” (how many of you had that speach?) when he told me that “i’ve made something of myself. . . i’m not some immigrant farmer off the boat who’s living to see his son make something of his life, i’ve already made it. This is about you and your own success for yourself”. He’s right too and an impossible shadow to grow out of. Even yesterday i was being introduced to my preceptor by another physician who said “do you know who this young man’s illustrious father is?” He is now the “poster boy” for family medicine in Manitoba - every issue that arises on the news that might have an impact on physicians requires a minimum of one camera crew in his office (from different stations . . . ).

But, do you think that the US might lose their flexibility to assimilate people in the future?

How long has it been, almost 500 years (since colonization) already? :)

Canadian salad

canadian salad? :)

I bet that is the case everywhere in the fiorst world. Parents want their children to “accomplish more than they did”, and the best way to let the children do that is giving them a higher degree.
Do you have studies that look at the qualities of the degrees as well? From my (gut)feeling, i think that this quality is decreasing, that higher degrees are kind of inflationary.

Probably no idea, though I think completing college is already a accomplishment far ahead of the curve.

@TG:

But, do you think that the US might lose their flexibility to assimilate people in the future?

How long has it been, almost 500 years (since colonization) already? :)

Well, surely the first colonists were not a mix, but all brits.
Anotehr point that struck me on my way home (mixing threads now):
In one thread, christianity was mentioned to be a strong “unifier and identifier”. I guess that is surely the case in the US, and one of the reasons, why christianity is such (overly) strong over there with you.
I mean, “God’s own country” is pretty a strong phrase to pronounce the role of judeo-christian believes in the US.
How easy is it for non-judeo-christians to “assimilate”?

@F_alk:

@TG:

But, do you think that the US might lose their flexibility to assimilate people in the future?

How long has it been, almost 500 years (since colonization) already? :)

Well, surely the first colonists were not a mix, but all brits.
Anotehr point that struck me on my way home (mixing threads now):
In one thread, christianity was mentioned to be a strong “unifier and identifier”. I guess that is surely the case in the US, and one of the reasons, why christianity is such (overly) strong over there with you.
I mean, “God’s own country” is pretty a strong phrase to pronounce the role of judeo-christian believes in the US.
How easy is it for non-judeo-christians to “assimilate”?

the first colonists? Not all brits my friend, but the French, the Dutch, Germans. Perhaps the Mayflower was comprised of brits, but it was not long until other nationalities found a home there.
Also in Canada we don’t assimilate very much. People gradually become Canadian but they maintain very culturally distinct indentities, and it does not seem that difficult for them to do so (just looking at the large number of Indian, Chinese, etc. practitioners of medicine anyway).

Well, surely the first colonists were not a mix, but all brits.

I think CC already mentioned it. There were other races besides Brits (many Dutch, Scots/Irish, other North/Western Europeans. And also of different religions, different classes, and different ideologies.

I stand corrected… New York should be called New Amsterdam anyway :)

well there is always “Harlem”
or “haarlem” as you prefer.
Also look at Pennsylvania. You, obviously, may translate that to “the forests of Penn” - not a British name.

Why should the US be called “God’s own country?”

Our religions change continually… just like every other country in the world…

Don’t ask me, I just live here. :)

I am familiar with the study F mentioned. It’s conclusion is that out of the major industrial nations, young Americans have a worse grasp of geography than other youngens.

Why should the US be called “God’s own country?”

Where does it say that the US is God’s own country?

Our religions change continually… just like every other country in the world…

How so?