Statistics are one part of the changing American story. The other include serious cultural backlash against people of colour and those who follow religious faiths that are different from Christianity. Taken together these factors are changing the American landscape. I will first provide some numbers.

For decades America led the world in achieving excellence that made it world leader. In 2024, the year Donald Trump won the second term as US president, Americans spent $1 trillion — about 3.5% of the country's gross domestic product — on research and development. A large proportion of this came from the government and was focused on basic research and its application. This put America on the top of scientific and technological advance.

The government's share in total expenditure was 40%. The remaining 60% came from private enterprises that relied on universities and research institutions to supply the knowledge they needed. Even IBM that spent a lot of money on research brought in the best and the brightest to work in its laboratories, gave significant amounts of money to private universities and research institutions.

Not only the very best in terms of talent from different parts of the world were attracted to America to learn and acquire skills, a large proportion of them did not return to their home countries. They stayed in the United States working in jobs and opportunities that were not available in the countries of their origin.

Social scientists came........

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