for W3c validation

This piece by Tom Friedman in the NYT is spot on — Pass the Books. Hold the Oil. It ends with this:

In sum, says (Andreas) Schleicher, “knowledge and skills have become the global currency of 21st-century economies, but there is no central bank that prints this currency. Everyone has to decide on their own how much they will print.” Sure, it’s great to have oil, gas and diamonds; they can buy jobs. But they’ll weaken your society in the long run unless they’re used to build schools and a culture of lifelong learning. “The thing that will keep you moving forward,” says Schleicher, is always “what you bring to the table yourself.”

Couldn’t agree more with the piece. If you’re not forced to innovate and can instead rely on an “easy” source of money — the majority of people are likely to sit around and take the easy route in life.

[Photo via futurechallenges.org]