Intel CEO: US lags in global competitiveness

Today's NYT column by Tom Friedman features an interview with Intel CEO Paul Otellini. Otellini is concerned about the future innovative capacity of the US economy. He points out that the combination of high corporate tax rates in the US and incentives provided by other countries to base new plants inside their borders are having a profound effect on corporate decisions. Case in point: Intel's next big plant opens in October in -- where else -- China. Otellini also is concerned about human capital; the US is lagging in critical STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math). Money quote on the emerging education gap:

As a citizen, I hate it. As a global employer, I have the luxury of hiring the best engineers anywhere on earth. If I can't get them out of MIT, I'll get them out of Tsing Hua.