Sputnikitus

Published on December 28, 2005 By stevendedalus In Politics

The bipartisan “initiative” to address the nation’s needs pretends to be something new:

Better health care by overhauling its infrastructure with funds to educate more technicians and medical students to meet the demand of a growing society’s need for egalitarian wellness.

Restore global leadership in high level technology by more funding to all levels of education, particularly science, mathematics, engineering and software development.

Tax incentives to preclude outsourcing by modernizing smoke stack plants for greater productivity in manufacturing.

Greater scholarship awards to gifted students who are particularly adept at science and mathematics, reflecting the sputnik motive of the 50s.

Focus on immigration of highly skilled craftsmanship and professions.

My question is where has the leadership been hiding out? All this should have been flowing seamlessly these fifty years.

Comments

SSG Geezer

on Dec 29, 2005

Bingo! That is a question that we should be asking!
And all parents, past present and future should be asking their children's schools, what are you doing for our kids to make greater scholarship possible?
Sputnikitus~ before my time but very apropos.

DPS

on Dec 29, 2005

I am all for it. But that's probably because I am one of the kids who would benefit from those greater scholarships. >.>

However all that spending has to come from somewhere. And we know the pork never gets cut. So either were looking at more deficit or some other project getting cut.

DJBandit

on Dec 29, 2005

I did say I was new to this site and to politics so maybe you can enlighten me by explaining what Sputnikitus means. I could google it (funny how we don't search the internet anymore, we google it) but I'm afraid of either not finding anything or finding too many sites that would leave me either where I stand ATM or make it worse. Since you (stevendedalus) already wrote about you might be able to explain it better for me. If it is not a problem I mean. I really do want to know.

stevendedalus

on Dec 29, 2005

DJBandit
In 1957, when Russia sent up the first satellite [sputnik], Eisenhower responded by initiating a science and math education incentive consisting of scholarships and moneys to the high schools and colleges to get us moving in the space program.

stevendedalus

on Dec 29, 2005

So either were looking at more deficit or some other project getting cut.

There's another way if we're serious and that is to terminate the maddening action to cut taxes.

And all parents, past present and future should be asking their children's schools, what are you doing for our kids to make greater scholarship possible?

It would be helpful if the schools' science deparments were not harried by ID.

kingbee

on Dec 30, 2005

amazing how easily the obvious is lost to distraction huh?
specially if what's distracting you is a seemingly endless series of schemes and shortcuts which invariably wind up costing more money and time and just as surely fail to deliver--sorta like how kids will spend hours avoiding doing homework that would take em 20 minutes to complete.

this is a great post, not only because it makes such a great point, but also because--after reading the comments it's elicited so far--this aspect of eisenhower's legacy may not have been given its due.

imagine where we'd be now if ike had been the nclb president.

stevendedalus

on Dec 30, 2005

imagine where we'd be now if ike had been the nclb president.

Ugh, we'd still be struggling with TV antennas on the roofs while still wondering if the moon was made of Swiss cheese.

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