Japan is a nation of engineers and producers. We're a nation of lawyers and consumers. Japan sacrifices today for tomorrow. And we sacrifice tomorrow for today. But the second part of his comment focuses upon the present concerns of the Clinton Administration and others with respect to America's flagging educational endeavors.
Competition is a healthy thing to a point.
The educational crisis of the 90's has shown to be a supreme failure, as it is driven mostly by economic concerns, ignoring Jesus' reminder that man simply cannot live by bread alone. The tension between intellectual and moral development in educating the young is as old as civilization. The virtues we acquire by first having practiced them, just as we do the arts. Our Founding Fathers faced clearly the necessity of providing an educational experience that encompassed both the cognitive and moral spheres. This is neither possible, nor is it desirable.