"How do we accomplish this without also opening our country to a massive influx of the less than best and brightest?"
Interesting question. It actually begs for a paradoxical alternative: Without a steady influx of those with less than the best educations, it becomes imperative to fill the ranks that they would otherwise fill from within. Although, someday that might not be viewed so much as a paradox as a real threat, depending on where offshoring and globalization take the fortunes of disparate stateside industries.
I suppose it would be a bit much to ask to expect a cross-section of competencies scaling the entire spectrum, minus ill-wishers and thugs. It's not something folks like to admit outright, because it smacks of promoting class distinctions, but hasn't the nation always opened it doors (either officially, or tacitly, as it has done for at least the past half-century) and benefited from cheap-to-moderately priced labor, especially those who were less than the best and brightest but who are, at the same time, willing to dig its ditches and tunnels, pick its fruit, perform all manner of servile work, and in an earlier time, pick its cotton, as well?
I've no grave issues with bringing in those who are less educated along with the potential cream of the crop, since opportunities will allow their conditions to self-correct over time, with succeeding generations establishing their own levels of competence and stature. On average, it's been a formula that has worked to the benefit of all in too many ways to list here, in comparative terms, for centuries. |
