Great read but I don't think this is a huge problem, yet. The US is the biggest and most vibrant economy in the world. It has the most advanced military, it spa

Great read but I don't think this is a huge problem, yet. The US is the biggest and most vibrant economy in the world. It has the most advanced military, it spans a huge land area, and the country has massive impact on global culture. Until that changes, I don't think the average American needs to speak another language. Note this is about the average American. Obviously for people who conduct international business, I think the story is different. I'm actually bilingual and I do appreciate the benefits. But again I just don't think learning multiple languages is needed for the average American. What's probably missing more from the American educational system is STEM competence. I think that is a lot harder to argue against given what it confers in terms of economic and defense benefits.