3 ms·
I also think it's a political issue, but not specifically because of lack of trust of the government. I think it's lack of competition for the US as a whole.
by cube13 14y ago
I also think it's a political issue, but not specifically because of lack of trust of the government.
I think it's lack of competition for the US as a whole. For the first time in the history of the US, the primary international problems for the US aren't developed nations that are as technologically advanced(or even more advanced). Even the biggest current competitor(China) is so beholden to US interests that they can't afford to do anything to destabilize the US economy, and they're still behind on innovation by a tremendous amount.
Also, the current military challenges that the US faces aren't things that can be solved strictly through technological innovation. It's asymmetric warfare, so there's very little incentive for the US to invest heavily into new tech.
Compare to the international problems the US faced in the 20th century. The first half was dominated by competition and warfare with the developed nations in Europe. WWI and WWII forced the US to invest heavily into new tech. The second half was dominated by the cold war, which, again, forced the US to invest resources to keep up with the USSR.
- maxerickson 14y agoOn the other hand, many of the pilots involved in Afghanistan live and work near Las Vegas. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/blog/2009/10/new-video-fighting-from-afar.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/blog/2...
- msrpotus 14y agoBut America faces plenty of challenges that technology can help with, especially around health and food issues. Just because we don't face significant challenges due to military technologies doesn't mean that technology can't be useful in other ways.
- pdonis 14y agoAlso, the current military challenges that the US faces aren't things that can be solved strictly through technological innovation. It's asymmetric warfare, so there's very little incentive for the US to invest heavily into new tech. So remotely piloted drones, small weaponized robots, and ever more precisely targeted guided munitions don't count as "new tech"? To the best of my knowledge, R&D funding for new technology that might have military applications has, if anything, increased over the last 10 years or so.