Flight of the Creative Class

Hey guys!
I came across this title at work. I LOVED Florida's The Rise of the Creative Class, and this description to his new work really resonates with me. Has anyone else read this? How do you feel about this topic? Florida also calls the "Creative Class" to use their creativity to enhance the quality of life of those not in the Creative Class. I really like that...I don't want to see the U.S. crumble.
Meg

Flight of the Creative Class
By Richard Florida
www.creativeclass.org
"Lately, the political arena has been swamped with proclamations by analysts and economists alike that the center of the global economy is shifting away from the United States and towards Asia and the European Union. China and India will grow exponentially in the coming decades, the argument goes, becoming the most politically and economically potent regions in the world. America, the giant of the 20th century, will succumb to the new superpowers....

The crux of this looming economic crisis lies in the growing global competition for talent. The United States - which has long been the preferred destination for the world's top entrepreneurial, innovative, scientific, artistic and cultural talent - is for the first time losing this key historical advantage. Various factors threaten to erode America's 20th century role as the world's foremost competitor for global creative talent. Tighter immigration and visa laws are driving away foreign talent from American universities and companies. Better occupational and educational opportunities, and less politicized scientific climates, are helping other countries recruit the cream of the crop. Greater tolerance of alternative lifestyles is luring some of the best and brightest from the U.S. as well. All the while, the social fabric and creative infrastructure of the U.S. is fraying; the highly-skilled and highly-educated have the world at their fingertips, while the working, urban, and rural poor are left to languish in a broken system.

Compounding America's looming creativity crisis is the dynamic nature of creative class workers, who seek not only fulfilling jobs, but also tolerant and vibrant communities and cities. This new class of workers does not define itself by national boundaries, but is highly mobile, willing to relocate for the best social, cultural, and economic opportunities. The creative class, 38 million strong in the U.S., produces a disproportionate share of wealth., accounting for nearly half of all wages and salaries earned - as much as the manufacturing and service sectors combined. Though the raw numbers are impressive, the U.S.'s current percentage of creative class employees already ranks only 11th worldwide on Florida's Global Creative Class Index."

"FLIGHT OF THE CREATIVE CLASS argues that this global competition for creative talent will be the defining economic issue of the 21st century. Finding ways to mitigate gross inequality, harness the creativity of all human beings, take on political polarization, and retain the traditional openness of American society to international influence will all be crucial to the success - or failure - of the United States."