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Show rn- - Bruce Burningham ThtRsdAy, OcTobtH 1, 1987 Paqe El even Tl Quality decline makes America less viable "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. " John F. Kennedy Everyday it becomes more and more apparent. Pick up any newspaper and you'll find a story detailing in one way or another the United States' decline in areas such as trade, education and standard of living. Some political leaders say U.S. woes can be fixed with protectionism or with trade agreements. Others think bigger and better programs in education, welfare and labor are needed. The problem with such thinking is many symptoms can be relieved but the greater malady continues to fester. It is a matter of decline on the part of the American public itself a public unable to compete in today's world. We have been so successful for so long, we have simply- gotten lazy. There was a time when being an American meant you tried a little - (f harder, worked a little longer and put a little bit of yourself into everything you did. There was an inherent "elbow grease" in your nature, and "Made in U.S.A." really meant quality. This is no longer the case. We did not achieve our magnificent trade deficit because of some international conspiracy to bypass American goods. People worldwide would rather buy a Japanese stereo or German automobile than a similar American product. The fact is American companies cannot compete in many areas. Our modes of production are outdated, and the quality of our products has declined. And the quality of our products has declined because the quality of the people behind our products has declined. Our students score lower than Japanese and European students because, for the most part, we are not really concerned with learning anything. , We want to get out of school as quickly as possible so we can move on to the big bucks. Once employed, we want to become as upwardly mobile as possible, pursuing the elusive "better life." But we really don't want a life what we want is a "lifestyle." We have become a nation of superficial acquiring possessions on borrowed money. toy-seeke- rs, Nothing illustrates this point better than the present economic state of our nation. Unemployment is down, and most people would say they are better off (materially) than they were four years ago. However, the national debt has more than doubled under the Reagan administration, and it is not hard to see we are living on borrowed prosperity. During vacation this summer, I noticed an inscription on the wall of Continental Bank in Chicago which reads, "Capital is what we have saved Heori' disease ir from yesterday's labor." This was undoubtedly written years ago because today, capital is the profit we can create on tomorrow's speculation based on today's inside information. Millions of dollars each year are electronically whisked around the country with neither goods nor services to back them up. It is this kind of Wall Street magic that is the epitome of America's dilemma. It is imperative that we wake up and smell the coffee if we wish to see our country remain a world leader well into the 21st century. If we do not want to become part of yet another fallen empire, we must pull ourselves up by our boot straps and look back to what built this country in the first place: hard work, perseverance and above all, foresight. ar Bruce R. Burningham is a columnist for the Chronicle. He is a senior majoring in theatre and Spanish. semi-regul- 1987 Fall Quarter Devotional Schedule Friday Noonat LDS Central Institute stroke eomi efo Chapel Weekly OCTOBER -2 Lt. Bert Alvey, U.S. Navy Top Gun 9 Dr. W. Cleon Skousen. President, Center for Constitutional Studies 16 Dr. Chase Peterson, President, University of Utah 23 General Authority, TBA 30 Cr. Ed. 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