The Whys of American decline

VAX and the economics of microprocessors: "If, at some far distant point in my life, I sit down to write some kind of historical look at the computing industry in the 90's and the early decades of the 21st century, an enormous part of that story will be taken up with lawsuits and legislation. No doubt this is one reason why it will be the story of the permanent loss of American leadership in high technology. Know this fact, and get used to it: the world is now chock full of people who [know a lot about high technology], and 90 percent of them are Asian."

The rapid decline of the United States from the dominating position it has enjoyed since the end of World War II is about more than just the idiot Presidency of George W. Bush. It is about the self-destructive culture that produced Bush, of course, but, also, about people, elsewhere, who have their own concerns and power.