I watched a video a while back about a woman in Germany who worked as a chimney sweep. Most women may not want certain jobs, but regardless, it should be their choice.

Keeping workers safe is an obligation and a responsibility. If I even hire someone to mow my lawn, I feel responsible for their safety.

And having a "guild" system for skilled labor seems sane. Once upon a time the United States had some of the highest literacy rates in the world and a very stringent education system. Now, frankly, many developing countries do a much better job.

On a world ranking, the United States still has some of the top universiities... and in the science and engineering programs, more than half the graduate students come from S. Korea, China, India, etc. I was one of the few Americans in a PhD program for electrical engineering at a top 10 school. Most of my friends getting doctorates in physics or math - Russia, Ukraine, Japan, Pakistan... very few Americans.

It makes me sad.