Justin wrote:
> Curt Fischer wrote on [Thu, 30 Jun 2005 00:24:37 +0900]:
> 
>>Justin wrote:
>>
>>>Danny Wilde wrote on [Wed, 29 Jun 2005 13:26:31 +0900]:
>>>
>>>
>>>>"Vernon North" <verno@oyama.bc.ca> wrote in message 
>>>>news:MPG.1d2bb231b36701aa98a1d8@shawnews.vc.shawcable.net...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>"American high school students have a poorer mastery of basic math
>>>>>concepts than their counterparts in most other leading industrialized
>>>>>nations, according to a major international survey released yesterday."
>>>>
>>>>(etc. snipped.)
>>>>
>>>>Doesn't American high school education tend to be more broad than in other 
>>>>countries? European countries tend to specialize much earlier. The same goes 
>>>>for universities, I believe.
>>>>
>>>>Anyway, the level of American science is number one in the world. So common 
>>>>sense tells us that the education system must be doing something right.
>>>
>>>
>>>The fact that a lot of that "American science" comes from imported
>>>scientests tells us otherwise.

Notice your original claim, above.  That the presence of foreign 
scientists in America discredits the notion that the (American) science 
is number one and that therefore its education system must be doing 
something right.  OK, wrong, but as a wise man once said, at least it's 
an ethos, dude.

>>
>>No it doesn't.  Let's imagine that primary and secondary science 
>>education, all throughout the world, was totally equal in all places. 
>>Scientists would still go to America because America spends more on 
>>research than many other nations.
> 
> 
> 
> And to do this research you pay to have the best, yes? So if the best
> were all American then they wouldn't be importing people.

So now you are arguing that not all the world's best scientists are 
American?  Great rescoping of the argument.  If you stick with this one 
then everyone will agree with you.

-- 
Curt Fischer