The Economy & Education Connection

The Economy & Education Connection

If there is to be real sustainable economic growth in the USA and around the world, and realizing that long-term growth is tied to innovations and creativity in new technologies, then education is the biggest and most significant key to economic growth and to the creation of jobs.  

With the US rapidly falling behind in the sciences, in math and in reading skills, something must be done.  This trend is economically un-sustainable. What affect will such declines have in the country?  And on the world?  

Declining educational excellence, in any state on the planet, reduces the ability of the affected group to be innovative and to create new technologies, new industry, new enterprises, and thus stymies long-term economic sustainability and slows job recovery over time.  What should be done?

The answer is that  we must remove all obstacles that slow down, hinder or block the best chances for our children to be the very best in the sciences, in math, and in reading skills because of the direct connection education has with the success of the economy. These are the subjects from which all innovation  and new technologies arise.  We must provide the very best environment for success without shackling our children and grandchildren with unnecessary and useless non-productive foundations in those subjects.  

Two obstacles come to mind immediately:
   1)  Since a sustainable economy is tied to continual and persistent innovations in science and math, which generates new technologies, which then become tomorrows 'must have' gadgets, ideas and software, which in turn fosters trade, industry and enterprise, and since all such things are conducted globally using the Metric system, then we must make an immediate switch to the metric system.  The US pushed for global metrication and signed international agreements to that affect in 1875, called the 'Convention of the Metre'.  Just switch to the Metric System.  No conversion charts, tables or methods between measuring systems.  Conversions just muddle the issue and are efforts at procrastination. Just switch to the metric system.  We will adapt.
  2)   The second major obstacle to real innovation and creativity in the sciences and math is the tendency on the part of some people and organizations to demand the teaching or acknowledgement of pseudo-sciences in the science classroom.  These pseudo-sciences water-down, or dumb down, our young people by confusing the teaching of real science with myth.  All pseudo-sciences belong in the myth, superstition, or religious studies classes.  Pseudo-sciences of all stripes have no business being taught in our science classes. This obstacle should also be removed immediately.

So if we are truly serious about real long-term economic viability, competitiveness and growth, then all obstacles to that brighter future, where better jobs are plentiful in the US and around the world, must be immediately removed.  

Tell your Senators and Representatives.  Share this on your blogs, and on twitter and facebook.  Spread the word to businesses and industry, to your local school boards and state school agencies, and get this information to all your local, regional, state and national leaders.  

Spread the word.  The future prosperity of our children and grandchildren is being threatened by inaction today.  

Thanks!

Tim Williamson
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How to fix the economy through improvements in education.

How to fix the economy through improvements in education.

Tim Williamson

Brookwood, Alabama

globaleconomy101@gmail.com

12 Jan 2011
What obstacles must we overcome in order to get the economy moving sustainably over the long-term, and is it wise to delay implementing those changes that are inherently necessary for real growth and prosperity?  Would you agree that a foundational education in the sciences, math, technologies, reading, history, and economics is the most important key to economic recovery and prosperity?  Do you agree that a sustainable long-term economic recovery is tied directly to the educational foundation on which all nations are built?  Can you identify the hurdles blocking educational, and thus economic, excellence in the USA?  What are those hurdles that our children and nation must overcome for there to be a sustainable recovery so that they may have prosperity in their lifetimes and beyond?  Are we harming the future of nation and children by allowing obstacles to remain in place for whatever reasons?  Should we work quickly to remove all those obstacles that hold our children back from being the very best they can be in today’s competitive interconnected global marketplace of ideas, enterprise, innovation and creativity in those things that are the foundations for all real long-term economic growth - the sciences, math, new technologies, reading skills and reading comprehension?   

All of us, whether we have children or not, reap the results of a good nationally consistent educational system by having our children become contributing members of society in a growing economy. Businesses, communities, our states, the nation, families and individuals prosper as a result of the educational foundation of the nation.  Today, the US is ranked 14th out of 34 of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries for reading skills, 17th for science and 25th for mathematics. This is unacceptable. These numbers will have a direct affect on the economy. We, as families, as a society and nation, are failing our children, grandchildren and nation by not making the foundations of the sciences, math, and reading the highest priority we face today as a nation. These statistics put the future of our nation at risk of continued local and global economic decline over the long-term because our children will be unable to compete in the new inescapable paradigm of a global interconnected marketplace. We must change this trend at a foundational level to give the US a reasonable chance for economic and educational recovery and sustainability.  

Education is the basis for all innovations and advancements in the sciences and in all new technologies.   The sciences, math and reading skills provides the foundation on which new businesses are formed and on which those businesses evolve, innovate, create and hire employees.  

Without a consistent national education plan to remove all obstacles and provide incentives for educational excellence, innovation in science, math and technology moves elsewhere on the planet, and the local economy does not recovery sustainably over the long-term.  We, as individuals, parents and grandparents, as communities and as a nation, must push, incentivize and encourage, by providing the right foundations and the right environment, for our young people to pursue studies in the sciences, math, technology, literature, history, and reading in general.  If we are serious about the future success of our children and nation, then we too must make the necessary changes in our personal lives, in our businesses, and industries and encourage and help others to do the same.  We must set the example.  If not, we will continue to fall behind in technological innovation, scientific advances, and ultimately our economy will not be able to rebound sustainably because of a lack of a sound educational base on which to build a prosperous future.

We need, no, we must have, a national concerted effort from government, industry, educational institutions, media, teachers, instructors, all businesses, parents, families and individuals to emphasize and encourage our young people to pursue studies, innovation and creativity in the sciences, in math, technology, in nanosciences, in the biological sciences, in information sciences and genetics, in studies in history and economics and in reading and comprehension skills. Teaching and being enthusiastic about the foundations for the sciences, math and reading needs to start first at home then continue in pre-school and continue through college.  Three of those foundations are enthusiastic and involved parents, great teachers, and involved communities, but there are other things that will help as well.

One major obstacle and disadvantage our children face is learning two or three different foundational measuring systems and the respective conversions between them. This begins the confusion at an early age and builds hurdles our children must conquer.  Why make things more difficult when they do not need to be?  The metric system (SI) is the universal foundational language of science, business, trade, technology, and engineering, and is simple and easy to learn. We should be teaching the metric system exclusively in all our schools and not wasting time on teaching conversions between systems. Just teach the metric system. Do not bother with the other measurement systems. The kids will learn it quickly.  Adults should be involved in this transition from the beginning, but adults will also catch on once the only measurements they see are in metric units.  Use the commerce clause of the constitution to require all businesses that do interstate business of any kind to use exclusively the metric system. No conversion displays between Metric and English systems should be used because that just muddles the issue and delays implementation and restrains real long-term economic recovery as the rest of the world advances without us.

The US was one of the original 17 signatories to the Convention of the Metre in 1875.  We have yet to make it our official measurement system while the rest of the world uses SI in business, industry and the sciences because of its simplicity and ease of use.  We helped set it up for the world, then did not do it ourselves.  Yes! Converting to the metric system is possible, and even essential to US long-term educational and economic success.  If we are serious about US economic growth and success over the long-term, then we need to take those steps that will remove the obstacles to getting there.  Getting rid of the imperial english measurements will be a significant step in the right direction.  

However, to re-iterate, the best way to convert to the metric system is to just do it. Do not bother with teaching conversion factors between measuring systems. Teaching conversion factors is a waste of time. Switch to the metric system in one fell swoop. Immediately stop using other systems. Begin immediately teaching metric units to our students from pre-school forward. Switch all road signs to metric. But do it without other measuring systems listed. In a very short time, all the rest will catch on to the ease and simplicity of the metric system.  

Another obstacle to proper scientific, educational and economic success is our tendency to want to be inclusive of those things known as pseudo-sciences.  We do not need to be wasting our time teaching pseudo-sciences in the science class room. If we must teach Biblical or Quranic pseudo-science, then do so in a religious studies or myth class.  That is where they belong.  These things are not science no matter how they are sugar coated, explained or rationalized and have no business being taught to our children as if they have any legitimate or real scientific value. They bring down, or dumb down is more appropriate,  the level of real scientific understanding that is needed for the US to compete economically and educationally on a globe scale.

Firstly, government, families, individuals, businesses, teachers, parents, grandparents, adults and children need to be part of the nationwide effort to bring the US into the modern age by switching to the metric system without delay and with no recognition of other systems of measure or no conversions between them.  If we are serious about our economic and scientific success in a world where the new inexorable paradigm is the global marketplace for ideas, technology, and industry, then this is the first step in the right direction that we should take as a nation.  Secondly, stop teaching pseudo-sciences in our science classes.  Science is one thing.  Myth is another. And the two are not related, nor do they even closely resemble eachother in the application of reason and logic to advance economic, scientific and educational sustainability around the nation or world.  Get the pseudo-sciences out of our science class rooms. They make our students and young people less likely to success in a technological and interconnected world.

Proposed legislation for the US Senate and the US House of Representatives is included below.

Help spread the word.  Forward this to your Senators and Representatives, to business leaders, community leaders, the media, etc..

If, after reading this proposal, you agree, then please copy and paste this message to your Congress-person and Senators, and forward it to your friends and business associates.

The link to find your Congress-person is  -  
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

The link to find your Senators is  -  http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Tim Williamson
globaleconomy101@gmail.com

Proposed Legislation for the US House of Representatives

112th CONGRESS

___  Session

Re-igniting a national drive toward economic and educational excellence in the US

<<<Sample for the House>>>

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January __, 2011

H.Res _____

___________ submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules.

____________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Re-igniting a national drive toward economic and educational excellence in the US.

Resolved, That the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Ways and Means shall each report to the House legislation proposing changes to existing law, or new law as appropriate, within each committee's jurisdiction with provisions that--
1) recognizes that the economic, scientific and technological future of the US are interdependent factors to sustainable long-term growth in demand for jobs, and in national GDP, in economic success of families, businesses and individuals and are singularly important to our nation in a world where the global marketplace of ideas, innovations and creativity in sciences, business, math, engineering, new technologies, etc., will slip from those who do not build and secure the proper foundation for all those areas of industry, business, research & development, technology, and study;
2) fosters sustainable long-term economic growth through building the proper foundation by immediate implementation of the the International Metric System of Measurement (also known as the International System of Units, or by the abbreviation SI and also called the modern metric system), which will eliminate confusion between existing systems by exclusive use of the Metric System throughout the US, of which the US was an original signatory in 1875, without consideration for other measuring systems in use in the land, and without using conversion factors or mixed signage or mixed labelling, but using exclusively and only the Metric System in all products, services, transactions, businesses, etc.;
3)  fosters the removal of all obstacles to advancing learning, innovations and creativity in business and industry and in the sciences, math, technology, new technologies, engineering, reading skills, etc., through implementing the International Metric System of Measurement throughout the US in our schools, homes, families, businesses (private and public), industries, high way systems, the construction industry and associated trades, educational institutions of all levels, the medical professions and medical industry, throughout the federal government and the military, in  our state governments, local governments, school boards, police and fire departments, and so forth, while recognizing that the obstacles in question are the old imperial measuring systems which are non-scientific, not business friendly in the global marketplace, antiquated, obsolete, non-uniform, non-standard, and which require conversions to deal in any capacity with the rest of the world;
4)  removes the teaching and or recognition of all pseudo-sciences, those things not based on the scientific method in discovery, analysis, research, development and application by long established and recognized scientific standards and principles, to include Biblical and Quranic creationism, from science instruction and relegates such things to classes on religion, history of religion, ancient myths, or history in general, because these things are not science, and have no legitimate, rational or reasonable basis for their inclusion in real science instruction, and because their inclusion in science classes and science textbooks continues to dumb down America in the real sciences.

END

______________________________________________________________

Proposed Legislation for the US House of Representatives

112th CONGRESS

____ Session

S. RES. ____

Re-igniting a national drive toward economic and educational excellence in the US

<<<Sample for the Senate>>>

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January ___, 2011

______  submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
____________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Re-igniting a national drive toward economic and educational excellence in the US.

Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation , the Committee on Appropriations , the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions  shall each report to the Senate legislation proposing changes to existing law, or new law as appropriate, within each committee's jurisdiction with provisions that--
1) recognizes that the economic, scientific and technological future of the US are interdependent factors to sustainable long-term growth in demand for jobs, and in national GDP, in economic success of families, businesses and individuals and are singularly important to our nation in a world where the global marketplace of ideas, innovations and creativity in sciences, business, math, engineering, new technologies, etc., will slip from those who do not build and secure the proper foundation for all those areas of industry, business, research & development, technology, and study;
2) fosters sustainable long-term economic growth through building the proper foundation by immediate implementation of the the International Metric System of Measurement (also known as the International System of Units, or by the abbreviation SI and also called the modern metric system), which will eliminate confusion between existing systems by exclusive use of the Metric System throughout the US, of which the US was an original signatory in 1875, without consideration for other measuring systems in use in the land, and without using conversion factors or mixed signage or mixed labelling, but using exclusively and only the Metric System in all products, services, transactions, businesses, etc.;
3)  fosters the removal of all obstacles to advancing learning, innovations and creativity in business and industry and in the sciences, math, technology, new technologies, engineering, reading skills, etc., through implementing the International Metric System of Measurement throughout the US in our schools, homes, families, businesses (private and public), industries, high way systems, the construction industry and associated trades, educational institutions of all levels, the medical professions and medical industry, throughout the federal government and the military, in  our state governments, local governments, school boards, police and fire departments, and so forth, while recognizing that the obstacles in question are the old imperial measuring systems which are non-scientific, not business friendly in the global marketplace, antiquated, obsolete, non-uniform, non-standard, and which require conversions to deal in any capacity with the rest of the world;
4)  removes the teaching and or recognition of all pseudo-sciences, those things not based on the scientific method in discovery, analysis, research, development and application by long established and recognized scientific standards and principles, to include Biblical and Quranic creationism, from science instruction and relegates such things to classes on religion, history of religion, ancient myths, or history in general, because these things are not science, and have no legitimate, rational or reasonable basis for their inclusion in real science instruction, and because their inclusion in science classes and science textbooks continues to dumb down America in the real sciences.

END

______________________________________________________________

Toward a New Global Economy

Toward a New Global Economy

The Global Economy Series

by Timothy Williamson
30 Dec 2010

“There is a synergistic amplification of economic power and influence when individuals, groups of individuals, states or groups of states join together to form a single currency under the management of a strong central bank.” Timothy Williamson, 24 Dec 2010, Friday, 23:30 local time (0530 GMT)

This is the basis for the economic success of the US since the idea was first presented to the US Congress by Alexander Hamilton in 1790. At that time, the states used their own currency, operated state banks and controlled their own fiscal and monetary policies as separate and distinct sovereign states within a weak federal system. The state economies and the overall economy of the new nation were in dire straits after the Revolutionary War, with the federal government owing what would be equivalent to $1.4 trillion dollars in today’s money. The resulting national economic chaos could only be repaired when the states acknowledged that they could not independently solve their economic challenges. The nation was very near the point of actual and real collapse because of the economy. In other words, the economies of all the states had become irreversibly interdependent and connected. People, businesses and jobs could easily move from state to state within the nation. The cities were becoming centers for textile and manufacturing plants, and the rural areas provided the food, tobacco and whiskey. Businesses would move from one place to another depending upon resource and labor costs and availability. Hamilton knew that the only real viable solution to stabilize then grow the state economies out of pending demise was for the federal government to take on the states debt through the issuance of bonds to be held by those states and individuals so the they thereby had cause to support the success of the nation. Hamilton's plan created the first national central bank of the US, and established a single currency for the nation. When his plan was implemented in 1791 the economy, the creditworthiness and fiscal stability of the US almost immediately improved.

By operating under a stronger federal system with a single central federal bank in control of monetary policy and a single national currency, the overall economy of all the states improved dramatically above what they could have done on their own - if they could have survived the economic meltdown in the first place. Of course, every time the political winds shifted in opposition to the central bank, shutting the bank down, the economy collapsed. Every time the federal central bank was re-chartered, first in 1791 for twenty years, then after the War of 1812 in 1816 for twenty more years (Pres. Jackson defunded the central bank in 1832, a real estate bubble had also occurred, and the economy suffered for years afterward), then Lincoln had to fund the Civil War debt by creating the First National Banking system in 1863, and by 1913, after many turbulent years of the Long Depression starting in 1873, problems in 1899, the Federal Reserve was created to further stabilize the national economy, the economy grew. The people prospered. Businesses expanded, and innovation and creativity reigned.

There is obvious and historical proof that when states join together in recognition of the mutual and inescapable connection each has with the other, then there an amplification of economic strength and influence. The same will be true on a global scale. We do not need to run from this fact, but rather we should embrace the coming change. We can either be part of the global solution and help create an effective single global currency, where no nation has its own currency, and we have a strong global central bank or we will get what happens to us as we continue to decline in the long term. As has been proven in US history, such a union will make each member stronger than we could be independently.

Timothy Williamson
globaleconomy101@gmail.com

Mr. Gbagbo, Mr. Lukashenko, Mr. Putin, etc., etc.,

As people from all around the planet open up more to eachother across borders via social media etc., there will be a tendency over time to appreciate, incorporate and employ ideas from those other areas of the world into our local society and culture. Our ability to instantly communicate without regard to borders in effect weakens those physical borders and causes other ideas and ideals to become operative over a broad spectrum of the planet - making each of us, in all our diversity, and without threatening that diversity, similar over time. So complacency in one place about the political system will experience change as the people connect with the rest of the world. The idea then is to aggressively and actively expand our mutual connections via all means possible so that states and leaders must become more and more transparent and open to public debate and scrutiny locally and globally. 

This is the future of our world. Uniquely and beautifully different, but ultimately united, whether some want to admit it or not. That is the inescapable future toward which we are headed. So the challenge becomes, "Do we participate together in shaping our much more connected world, or do we let things happen randomly hoping that it will be a good and just place where all people of all races, nationalities, systems of belief, and gender identification have their human rights protected and defended?"

The situation in Russia, in Belarus, in Nigeria, and Kenya, and in Cote d'Ivoire, and concerning some issues in the US and China, becomes more difficult to sustain in the light of day as people from all around the planet begin to require leaders and states to uphold international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All leaders, states, and organizations that operate across borders, must be held accountable to international law - if they are not held first accountable within their respective states. This applies to Mr. Putin, Mr. Gbagbo, Mr. Lukashenko, etc., etc., etc..

Fareed on CNN tonight - 'How to Lead"

This should be a great program. The earlier show on "Restoring America" was great as well. As usual, Fareed's comments, and those of the contributors, are as applicable to America as they are to the entire world. Now comes the show on leadership. This will be great.

I my opinion, leadership has three essential elements - vision, planning, and action. Vision is by far the greater of the three elements and is generally the least understood, appreciated or applied. Planning is knowing and communicating how you're going to get there from here, and action gets the job done.

An old sage once said that 'my people die for lack of vision'. These aren't simplistic things like 'I think I'll fix two steaks tomorrow at 3pm', but rather grandiose awe-inspiring breath-taking things that are just outside your current reach. Vision has passion. Vision grabs the heart and mind and soul, and propels you and others forward, to a better place. It is a goal and purpose full of heart. Think of it as a purpose and goal with attitude. That is vision, and that is the first step toward a better more secure future for us and for the world - if we let it be true. Are we going to die for lack of vision, or do we set ourselves a vision to which we, as a global people can aspire?

Is there a vision to which the entire world can aspire? Is there something that can drive innovation and creativity and energize local and global economies? Something that is so big and visionary and awe-inspiring that no single nation or regional group of nations can do in isolation from or independently of the rest of the world? Yes! I believe there is such a vision, such a goal and purpose that it will drive economic growth worldwide, encourage strengthening of connections with other states on the planet, and give all of us a more secure and prosperous future, while encouraging innovation, creativity, enterprise, on a global scale.

I have an idea. Do you?

If we're going to lead the nation and our world into the future, and out of a past into which we can never return, then we must boldly set a course then go there. Plan, then act on that plan - that is the key. Words alone will not do it, but decisively knowledge based leadership will bring the future to us.

We can do this, but it requires vision. It also requires a foundation for the advancement of knowledge.

Every business, every home, every state needs to start training programs in engineering, in the sciences and math. We need to teach our employees, our children, and our grandchildren in new technologies and in the foundation for those technologies. We need to move into the future boldly, rather than hoping to go back to a past way or method or ideology that no longer works. We should honestly appraise our situation, aggressively pursue society-wide innovations in sciences and math, recognizing that we are not going to get back those industries that have already left our state or nation. So where then does our future lay?

Recognizing that knowledge and education in the sciences, in new technologies, engineering and in math is the central key to our success over time, and acknowledging the paramount need to re-train all our people from the ground up so that the US remains the pre-eminent innovator in the world, means that we must focus on building the right foundation for that success.

Where do we start? We need to emphasize teaching the metric system exclusively so that we do have the proper foundation for sciences, engineering and math. To do other wise is to overly burden our innovators of the future with cumbersome conversions between those systems in the US verses those in the rest of the world. With the foundation of a easy to use, base ten measuring system, then we can build up our sciences. Until we convert to the metric system exclusively in the US, we will continue to be second rate in sciences, engineering and math.

And, that is leadership - vision, planning, action.

Tim Williamson
Brookwood, Alabama
            1-205-765-6090      
globaleconomy101@gmail.com

Ivory Coast, and other nations flaunting international laws

This proposed UN Security Council Resolution has been posted to leaders in Ivory Coast, the UN Police Forces and UN delegation in Ivory Coast, to the UN Security Council members, the International Criminal Court at  the Hague, and to the Human Rights Council at the Hague.

The actions of Mr. Gbagbo necessitate his immediate arrest for the issues outlines in this resolution.  It is not the responsibility of any single state or association of states to carry out enforcement of the globally recognized conditions specified in  Ivorian national law, or international law, or obvious violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The solution is for the UN to enforce applicable international laws decisively and quickly by strengthening the UN Police mandate to accomplish this obvious goal.  

Excellency:

Acknowledging that as you are fully aware, the situation in Ivory Coast is in violation of national law, international law and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all of which have been acceded to by all the member states.

Recognizing that Mr. Gbagbo lost the national election, but refuses to cede power to the rightful winner of that election and is now using intimidation and force to try to maintain his unjust authority.  

Knowing with certainty that the actions presently taken by Mr. Gbagbo are violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, other international laws, and the laws of Ivory Coast.  

Admitting that the situation with Mr. Gbagbo, acting as President of Ivory Coast, having rightfully and legally lost the election to that office, is unjust, illegal, untenable and unsustainable for the rule of law to hold legitimate importance over time, for the people of Ivory Coast, for the African region and for the world.  

Thus for the international community to allow Mr. Gbagbo to continue to flaunt the rule of national and international law is an affront, threat and challenge to the people of Ivory Coast, to Africa, and to the world.

Further stating that UN police action is warranted, just, required and demanded against the illegitimate actions of Mr. Larent Gbagbo.

Further stating that this degree of police action rightfully falls under the purview and authority of the UN,and that this degree of decisive action is not an action that needs to be taken by individual nations, or even regional associations of nations, but is rather a just international issue demanding quick and immediate resolution by the UN.

Requires that the permanent and temporary members of the UN Security Council and the members of the UN General Assembly (if needed) give the UN Police Force presently on the ground in Ivory Coast, with re-enforcements in personnel and materiel as appropriate, the active and decisive authority necessary to detain and or arrest Mr. Larent Gbagbo on violations of national law, international law and the Universal Declaration of Human rights.  

Tim Williamson
tl#  1-205-765-6090
Brookwood, Alabama, USA