Unfortunately the erosion started sooner, and is broader and deeper than Grove's suggestions would address. I think his idealism is a good thing, however. My concern is mainly with the expertise and knowledge base. By keeping people in the game, here in the USA, we can cultivate an advantage. I think many companies counting on the American people to be consumers of the goods they build overseas are too quick to forget that we need well-paying jobs to buy those high-tech goods.

And as the article says, there is a real problem if the expertise for manufacturing and repair of high-tech stuff is all in the hands of folks overseas. When I was graduating from High School, already the statistic was that most of the US jobs requiring advanced degrees were held by people born outside the USA.

America was once known for its innovative thinkers. This was especially true in the sciences, but I can tell you from attending international Physics conferences, that both academia and industry in the US seem to be rewarding conformity, rather than innovation. We have lost our edge, on the knowledge front, in my opinion.