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United States on temporary work visas。 〃When we look at the kinds of people that we
are trying to hire here…the master's and Ph。D。 levels in photonics and optics
engineering and very large…scale computer architecture…what we are finding is that
as you go up the food chain from bachelor's to master's to Ph。D。's； the number of
people graduating from top…tier universities in those fields are increasingly
foreign…born。 So what do you do？ For years ＇America＇ could count on the fact that
we still have the best higher…education system in the world。 And we made up for our
deficiencies in K through twelve by being able to get all these good students from
abroad。 But now fewer are coming and fewer are staying 。 。 。 We have no God…given
right to be able to hire all these people； and little by little we won't have the
first…round draft choices。 People who graduate in these very technical fields that
are critical to our industries should get a green card stapled to their diploma。〃
It appears that young people wanting to be lawyers started to swamp those wanting
to be engineers and scientists in the 1970s and early 1980s。 Then； with the dot…com
boom； those wanting to go to business school and earn MBAs swamped engineering
students and lawyers in the 1990s。
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One can also hope that the marketplace will address the shortage of engineers and
scientists by changing the incentives。
〃Intel has to go where the IQ is；〃 said Koon。 Remember； she repeated； Intel's chips
are made from just two things…sand and brains； 〃and right now the brains are the
problem 。 。 。 We will need a stronger and more supportive immigration system if we
want to hire the people who want to stay here。 Otherwise； we will go where they are。
What are the alternatives？ I am not talking about data programmers or ＇people with＇
B。S。 degrees in computer science。 We are talking about high…end specialized
engineering。 We have just started a whole engineering function in Russia； where
engineers have wonderful training…and talk about underemployed！ We are beefing that
up。 Why wouldn't you？〃
Wait a minute： Didn't we win the Cold War？ If one of America's premier technology
companies feels compelled to meet its engineering needs by going to the broken…down
former Soviet Union； where the only thing that seems to work is old…school math and
science education； then we've got a quiet little crisis onour hands。 One cannot stress
enough the fact that in the flat world the frontiers of knowledge get pushed out
farther and farther； faster and faster。 Therefore； companies need the brainpower that
can not only reach the new frontiers but push them still farther。 That is where the
breakthrough drugs and software and hardware products are going to be found。 And
America either needs to be training that brainpower itself or importing it from
somewhere else …or ideally both …if it wants to dominate the twenty…first century
the way it dominated the twentieth…and that simply is not happening。
〃There are two things that worry me right now；〃 said Richard A。 Rashid； the director
of research for Microsoft。 〃One is the fact that we have really dramatically shut
down the pipeline of very smart people coming to the United States。 If you believe
that we have the greatest re…seach universities and opportunities； it all has to be
driven by IQ。 In trying to create processes that protect the country from undesirables；
＇the government＇ has done a much better job of keeping out desirables。 A really
significant fraction of the top people graduated from our universities ＇in science
and engineering＇ were not born here； but stayed here and created the businesses； and
became the professors； that were engines for
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our economic growth。 We want these people。 In a world where IQ is one of the most
important commodities； you want to get as many smart people as you can。〃
Second； said Rashid； 〃We have done a very poor job of conveying to kids the value
of science and technology as a career choice that will make the world a better place。
Engineering and science is what led to so many improvements in our lives。 But you
talk to K through twelve kids about changing the world and they don't look at computer
science as a career that is going to be a great thing。 The amazing thing is that it
is hard to get women into computer science now； and getting worse。 Young women in
junior high are told this is a really wretched lifestyle。 As a result； we are not
getting enough students through our systems who want to be computer scientists and
engineers； and if we cut off the flow from abroad； the confluence of those two will
potentially put us in a very difficult position ten or fifteen years from now。 It
is a pipeline process。 It won't come to roost right away； but fifteen or twenty years
from now； you'll find you don't have the people and the energy in these areas where
you need them。〃
From Richard Rashid at Microsoft in the Northwest to Tracy Koon at Intel in Silicon
Valley to Shirley Ann Jackson at Rensselaer on the East Coast； the people who
understand these issues the best and are closest to them have the same message： Because
it takes fifteen years to create a scientist or advanced engineer； starting from when
that young man or woman first gets hooked on science and math in elementary school；
we shouldbe embarking on an all…hands…on…deck； no…holds…barred； no…budget…too…large
crash program for science and engineering education immediately。 The fact that we
are not doing so is our quiet crisis。 Scientists and engineers don't grow on trees。
They have to be educated through a long process； because； ladies and gentlemen； this
really is rocket science。
：：：：： EIGHT
This Is Not a Test
We have the power to shape the civilization that we want。 But we need your will； your
labor； your hearts； if we are to build that kind of society。 Those who came to this
land sought to build more than just a new country。 They sought a new world。 So I have
come here today to your campus to say that you can make their vision our reality。
So let us from this moment begin our work so that in the future men will look back
and say： It was then； after a long and weary way； that man turned the exploits of
his genius to the full enrichment of his life。
…〃Great Society〃 speech； Lyndon B。 Johnson； 1964
As a person who grew up during the Cold War； I'll always remember driving along down
the highway and listening to the radio； when suddenly the music would stop and a
grim…voiced announcer would come on the air and say； 〃This is a test of the emergency
broadcast system；〃 and then there would be a thirty…second high…pitched siren sound。
Fortunately； we never had to live through a moment in the Cold War where the announcer
came on and said； 〃This is not a test。〃 That； however； is exactly what I want to say
here： This is not a test。
The long…term opportunities and challenges that the flattening of the world puts
before the United States are profound。 Therefore； our ability to get by doing things
the way we've been doing them…which is to say； not always tending to our secret sauce
and enriching it…will not suffice anymore。 〃For a country as wealthy as we are； it
is amazing how little we are doing to enhance our natural competitiveness；〃 said
Dinakar Singh；
the Indian…American hedge fund manager。 〃We are in a world that has a system that
now allows convergence among many billions of people； and we had better step back
and figure out what it means。 It would be a nice coincidence if all the things that
were true before are still true now…but there are quite a few things you actually
need to do differently 。 。 。 You need to have a much more thoughtful national
discussion。〃 The flat world； Singh argued； is now the elephant in the room； and the
question is； What is it going to do to us； and what are we going to do to it？
If this moment has any parallel in American history； it is the height of the Cold
War； around 1957； when the Soviet Union leaped ahead of America in the space race
by putting up the Sputnik satellite。 Yes； there are many differences between that
age and our own。 The main challenge then came from those who wanted to put up walls；
the main challenge to America today comes from the fact that all the walls are being
taken down； and other countries can now compete with us much more directly。 The main
challenge in that world was from those practicing extreme communism； namely； Russia；
China； and North Korea。 The main challenge to America today is from those practicing
extreme capitalism； namely； China； India； and South Korea。 The main objective in that
era was building a strong state； the main objective in this era is building strong
individuals。
What this era has in common with the Cold War era； though； is that to meet the
challenges of flatism requires as comprehensive； energetic； and focused a response
as did meeting the challenge of communism。 It requires our own version of the New
Frontier and Great Society adapted to the age of flatness。 It requires a president
who can summon the nation to get smarter and study harder in science； ma