[srvmshr]

Sure. The reasons where US shines & is able to draw talent is probably several of these:

* US is absolutely the leader in innovation. No doubts about it.

* Champion of democracy. The US political system & constitution has inspired a lot of other countries. Its a very immaculately drawn political system built on checks & balances

* High degree of choices to an individual to shape his life

* High degree of demographic diversity.

* Good quality secondary & college/university education.

* A general attitude to question the status quo - which is necessary to bring change.

* Secure nation militarily.

* Peaceful & cooperative neighbors, who engage symbiotically for the better of all stakeholders.

* High social mobility for a lot of people (not all but a big chunk).

* Good quality of life in general.

* Very high natural diversity & plentiful resources.

* Ability to shape the political climate to maintain world order.

[mikkergp]

How would you measure that the US is the leader in innovation.

US News says Japan: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/rankings/innovati....

World Intellectual Property Organization says Switzerland: https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2021/article_0008...

Bloomberg says South Korea: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-03/south-kor...

[srvmshr]

If you ask my personal opinion/ experience, I would factor 3 things

1. The presence of top research institutions across a wide spectrum of science & technology.

2. The footprint of this research in reputable publications & conferences.

3. The amount of capital investment to bring ideas to products.

If we consider this practical yardstick - US is ahead by a fair margin to any other country.

[palmetieri2000]

Attributing all of this to the US simply because it occurs in the US is wrong and fails to acknowledge the contributions of other countries without which the innovations could not occur. How many top research institutions are staffed from people 100% US educated? My guess is none. How many US innovations occur without the input of other countries through educated individuals, resources or capital? Why isn't their contribution recognized and all credit given to the US?

[srvmshr]

That unfortunately is the nature of credit assignment. US is a melting pot for different demographics & has conducive environment for attracting global talent with resources, opportunity & salaries. Any research funded & operated by them will be claimed by them - human resources aren't staked in claims. Research & capital resources are.

A better question to ask is why other countries (e.g. India, China Japan) aren't doing better to retain their talented scientists & engineers

[palmetieri2000]

No, the 'better' question is why the logic of the US taking credit for an initiative that isn't (entirely or solely) theirs is considered an acceptable norm.

[srvmshr]

And how do you suppose intellectual credit be assigned? Let me illustrate my question

I did my schooling in India, college in US & doctorate in Japan. Had I made a novel discovery, who should be apportioned the majority credit? The schools which taught me the basics, the college which taught me engineering or the specialization which earned me the hypothetical achievement?

I think the credit assignment based on institution of incidence is the most practical way of recognition since they happen to have an outsized influence on the outcome in terms of labor, capital & collaboration. Economics of technology is known to have little room for moral discourses. I understand the point you make, but there are no better objective and granular ways to understand achievement & progress.

[throw0101a]

> US is absolutely the leader in innovation. No doubts about it.

Inherent to the US, or an accident of them just happening to be the largest economy?

When UK (and/or Germany or France) where large(r) economies, innovations was happening there (e.g., Industrial Revolution). Now that the US is the large(st) economy, it's happening there.

How much are innovation levels 'just' a correlation with a lot of money sloshing around?

> High social mobility for a lot of people (not all but a big chunk).

The high-ish wealth inequality ties into low social mobility in the US:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Gatsby_curve

[Tainnor]

"Champion of democracy" when it suits them. The US was responsible for installing Pinochet, the Mujahedeen, possibly the Taliban, ...

[egKYzyXeIL]

I don't think it was intentional, but given the recent Roe v Wade controversy I find it amusing that your wrote "High degree of choices to an individual to shape _his_ life". Gave me a chuckle.

[srvmshr]

I didn't factor in Roe vs. Wade. It was not intentional or any veiled sarcasm.

What I meant is that unlike a lot of countries where you are bottlenecked by choices of educational specialization, profession, career & personal development, as a US resident one doesn't face any of these. There is ample scope to pursue your interests or take risks to change your career path, things which are unthinkable in the aforementioned situation.

[the_third_wave]

Roe vs. Wade being overturned means that the policy on abortion reverts back to the states, the way your constitution states things which are not regulated by it are to be decided. Some states will continue to offer late-term abortions, some will move to a model more comparable to that in much of Europe with 1st term elective abortions being legal, others will move to ban elective abortions altogether.

The emphasis on his is not as telling as you make it out to be given that fathers also play a role in the conception (by definition) and raising (hopefully) of children. Some men will see what they considered to be their "right" to skip the consequence of them having intercourse without contraception taken away. Those who consider elective late-term abortion to be an essential part of life may move to those states which continue to provide this - New York and California seem to be poised to become abortion 'free states' - while those who consider abortion to be an abomination/against their religion/... may move to those states where it is limited. As far as I know - and correct me if I'm wrong - there are no states where abortion in case of rape or incest or in those cases where the life of the mother is directly threatened is forbidden.

[tester756]

>High degree of demographic diversity.

Why is it good? and for who?

[srvmshr]

A very homogeneous country like Japan (I could speak for that only, being a current resident), is generally inure to the culture of people around the world. Foreigners don't stick around long because they are like the thumb sticking out. One feels left out if not thick skinned enough.

In US, I always felt at home. There were people just like me - eating similar food, sharing different festivities, of same socioeconomic strata etc. Eventually inclusivity & diversity retains immigration. US (& UK as well) does better than most other developed countries