One list that doesnt rank us high for business

[Just the facts]

I don't think returning to entirely a local economy is possible in the Internet age.

That is where the internet is taking us though. Google and other search engine spent billions connecting people to local businesses and suppliers. It is happening all around you, you just need to be able to see it.

[Rover]

Quit acting like its either/or just to win an argument. Internet is about connecting everything and everywhere. Having been integrally involved in international business for more than two decades, I can tell you the Internet and technology has made it easier to do business and trade information, not just a little, but a huge amount. It is easier than ever to do business far away and near. Reducing international barriers of language, information flow, timing, etc is real and only getting better. Knowing what is available locally is also better.

[TheTravellers]

Can't find the link, will keep searching, but we (America) need to revamp our education system in probably one fundamental way. Apparently out of the OECD countries, we're the only one that doesn't follow this pattern for education - for poor/poorly performing schools, decrease the class size and put better teachers there. We do the opposite, it appears - richer schools have smaller class sizes and better teachers. That's *not* the way to do education of a populace successfully.