President Obama offered a compelling narrative at tonight’s State of the Union. He did not mince words when discussing the challenges that we face today: joblessness, division, and crumbling infrastructure. America can no longer take for granted our economic stature. If we fail to out-innovate and out-perform, globally mobile workforce and labor-demand will continue to deemphasize the United States. Add in radical environmental change, crushing debts, and unmentionable shifts in American demographics.
He called this our Sputnik moment. An apt allusion. America could have crumbled at the challenge presented by the terrifying object launched on 4 October ’57. Instead, the Federal Government created DARPA, the agency that brought us the Internet and GPS.