I'm surprised that despite talking about the push for scientific education that came out of the Sputnik event, the article doesn't quote the seminal manifesto that really galvanized the conversation: A Nation at Risk[0]

Is it as relevant today as it was back then? The rest of the BRIC nations hadn't yet reached their ascendancy, and outsourcing was in its infancy. AI automation was a fantasy.

[0] https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/risk.html