RE 48TH IS NOT A GOOD PLACE

What has long been striking is the extent to which American higher educational institutions have been allowed to cater to, and to have been subsidized by, foreign powers and interests, even in relatively technical areas and subjects: research projects, institutes, etc. Much of this research has been made available wholesale, or to its specific sponsors, whoever they have been.

The authors mention and discuss patents; another editorial recently exhorted greater American R&D and patent activity (though ideas are now quickly pirated in many places because of weak regimes everywhere to prevent this).

There will be a lot of excuses made for this longstanding educational state of affairs; not enough qualified Americans, demand outstripped domestic talents, etc, etc.

The authors note that while these foreign students used to stay here (an ostensibly good thing); now they are increasingly going back home, wherever that is.

This heavy advanced education of foreign nationals, who end up in competition with directly, or employed by MNCs which have no nation's interests at heart, has only exacerbated the excess capacity of multiple developed competitor regimes around the globe, each always clawing for limited resources and opportunities in a world rapidly shrinking in both.