[pedalpete]

I think the article, and the above response are both reactions in the 'to a hammer, everything is a nail' analogy. And as I use to say to my father, it only works for the hammer!

These two solutions are only address small parts of somewhat unrelated problems. Will more start-ups strengthen the economy? likely! Will more phd create more technology for the start-ups? likely!

But what is missing is the scale of employing thousands if no millions of people. I know history says the original trickle-down economics of the Reagan era didn't work, but that was giving people money in the hope they would spend it rather than invest. The new version is keep financial institutions alive so that they can continue loan/borrowing activities - though hopefully without making the same dumb moves they have made in the past.

Start-ups are theoretically small in nature at the beginning, and therefore are potentially a long road to recovery. Same with PHD's? How many individual auto-workers or even accountants are going to become PHD's. Though you (nostrademons) do say 'many physics & math Ph.Ds ' are not using there Ph.D abilities, that will hopefully change due to the lack of potential in the new Wall St. Though you could also argue that this is the time when Wall St. actually needs those Ph.Ds the most.

[ericksoa]

True, but isn't the combination of money, IQ, and courage to take a risk the world's only known universal hammer?