5 ms·

Based off our inability to build infrastructure? Boeing still builds a ton of airplanes in America. Tesla is founded and manufactured in America. In 20 years w

by acchow 9y ago

Based off our inability to build infrastructure? Boeing still builds a ton of airplanes in America. Tesla is founded and manufactured in America. In 20 years we've created the empires of iPhone, Google and Facebook. Wasn't CRISPR discovered in America as well?

peterhadlaw 9y ago
I don't understand this behavior with some people being so defeatist about America. It's by no means perfect, but there is much innovation, growth, and development shown by her people.
- a13n 9y ago
  Yeah maybe the trick to incredible innovation is just offering the shittiest transportation infrastructure and outrageously expensive healthcare. /s The US is extremely great at some things and extremely terrible at others.
- justicezyx 9y ago
  I think US infrastructure and health care are areas: 1. Real needs exist for renovation. 2. Real examples outside US that works better and cost less. It's just that the people somehow manage to still fail to achieve the desired results with reasonable investment. What went wrong? I cannot say for sure. Democracy does not mean that "you have to screw in some areas". If there is a way to do it better, just do it that way. There is no inherent limitations of democracy which make it unable to learn, right?
rayiner 9y ago
I'm more referring to the dysfunction of our government and institutions. But in a democracy, dysfunctional government is a manifestation of dysfunction in the people.
- JumpCrisscross 9y ago
  > In a democracy, dysfunctional government is a manifestation of lack of virtue in the people Or...just a reflection of bona fide disagreements? I prefer a gridlocked government to one that rams its will over the minority. That might be termed "dysfunctional" by some, but not by me. Not every value system needs the state to be efficient all the time. Note that the California High-Speed Rail project has never been approved by more than a slim majority of Californians [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High-Speed_Rail#Public_opinion_and_peer_review https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High-Speed_Rail#Pub...
  - rayiner 9y ago
    I don't really care if we build something or not in California. I'm more concerned about the fact that we've lost the basic consensus and cultural cohesion necessary to have a functioning civilization. Our inability to agree on anything leads us to "worst of both worlds" solutions.
- valuearb 9y ago
  What's dysfunctional about not wanting to pour hundreds of billions into technology that's poorly suited to the US? It's actually proof the system is working.
- justicezyx 9y ago
  > In a democracy, dysfunctional government is a manifestation of lack of virtue in the people. I am happy such mentality shows up here. Particularly, I am deeply concerned with American educational philosophy. It seems American schools emphasize skills dealing with people more than those for understanding the non-human objects in the world. These skills, although are always claimed to advance the greater good, they all have the central value of being personal freedom and self-realization. The history has proven that a society that share the common goals can advance forward. While those comprised with self-proclaimed leaders never really manage to unite any large nations.
  - alexbeloi 9y ago
    >The history has proven that a society that share the common goals can advance forward. While those comprised with self-proclaimed leaders never really manage to unite any large nations. This sounds nice, but I'm having a hard time thinking of any large modern states that appear to be driven by a shared common goal. If such states only existed in the past, then my feeling is that is a result of romanticizing the past having not lived it. Maybe in 50 years people will look back on these last two decades as a time when large parts of the western world 'came together' with the common goal of 'fighting terrorism'.
    - justicezyx 9y ago
      The early history of US is a prime example. The people all believe in freedom and free of development. With this common ideology, US becomes a super power.
      - alexbeloi 9y ago
        I can't say I agree, at least I would need some convincing that people in the US in the 1700s believed in freedom and freedom of development more so than people in the US now. The US didn't become a super power until after WWII.
akhilcacharya 9y ago
Wait but I thought the President said we are the laughingstock of the world?

by acchow 9y ago

peterhadlaw 9y ago

I don't understand this behavior with some people being so defeatist about America. It's by no means perfect, but there is much innovation, growth, and development shown by her people.

a13n 9y ago
Yeah maybe the trick to incredible innovation is just offering the shittiest transportation infrastructure and outrageously expensive healthcare. /s The US is extremely great at some things and extremely terrible at others.
justicezyx 9y ago
I think US infrastructure and health care are areas: 1. Real needs exist for renovation. 2. Real examples outside US that works better and cost less. It's just that the people somehow manage to still fail to achieve the desired results with reasonable investment. What went wrong? I cannot say for sure. Democracy does not mean that "you have to screw in some areas". If there is a way to do it better, just do it that way. There is no inherent limitations of democracy which make it unable to learn, right?

rayiner 9y ago

I'm more referring to the dysfunction of our government and institutions. But in a democracy, dysfunctional government is a manifestation of dysfunction in the people.

JumpCrisscross 9y ago
> In a democracy, dysfunctional government is a manifestation of lack of virtue in the people Or...just a reflection of bona fide disagreements? I prefer a gridlocked government to one that rams its will over the minority. That might be termed "dysfunctional" by some, but not by me. Not every value system needs the state to be efficient all the time. Note that the California High-Speed Rail project has never been approved by more than a slim majority of Californians [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High-Speed_Rail#Public_opinion_and_peer_review https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High-Speed_Rail#Pub...
- rayiner 9y ago
  I don't really care if we build something or not in California. I'm more concerned about the fact that we've lost the basic consensus and cultural cohesion necessary to have a functioning civilization. Our inability to agree on anything leads us to "worst of both worlds" solutions.
valuearb 9y ago
What's dysfunctional about not wanting to pour hundreds of billions into technology that's poorly suited to the US? It's actually proof the system is working.
justicezyx 9y ago
> In a democracy, dysfunctional government is a manifestation of lack of virtue in the people. I am happy such mentality shows up here. Particularly, I am deeply concerned with American educational philosophy. It seems American schools emphasize skills dealing with people more than those for understanding the non-human objects in the world. These skills, although are always claimed to advance the greater good, they all have the central value of being personal freedom and self-realization. The history has proven that a society that share the common goals can advance forward. While those comprised with self-proclaimed leaders never really manage to unite any large nations.
- alexbeloi 9y ago
  >The history has proven that a society that share the common goals can advance forward. While those comprised with self-proclaimed leaders never really manage to unite any large nations. This sounds nice, but I'm having a hard time thinking of any large modern states that appear to be driven by a shared common goal. If such states only existed in the past, then my feeling is that is a result of romanticizing the past having not lived it. Maybe in 50 years people will look back on these last two decades as a time when large parts of the western world 'came together' with the common goal of 'fighting terrorism'.
  - justicezyx 9y ago
    The early history of US is a prime example. The people all believe in freedom and free of development. With this common ideology, US becomes a super power.
    - alexbeloi 9y ago
      I can't say I agree, at least I would need some convincing that people in the US in the 1700s believed in freedom and freedom of development more so than people in the US now. The US didn't become a super power until after WWII.

akhilcacharya 9y ago

Wait but I thought the President said we are the laughingstock of the world?