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Is America Dying?

I dunno. People in every generation complain about how tough it is and we always seem to make it through. I think we'll still see the good ol' US of A in fifty years, just not the one we grew up with. And the USA today ain't the one our parents grew up with...on and on.
 
Indeed..."it's always the end of the world".

I'm pretty sure that's how most of Europe felt during the Black Plague...killed something like 30 to 60% of the population...

"The sun never sets on the British Empire". Didn't fall apart that long ago, and did it reasonably gracefully too. Maybe we could learn something?
 
At the same time our industries are falling apart, China's is booming. Heres an example of how they have learned to build a High Quality 15 story hotel from the ground up..in just one week! :eek:

[youtube]Ps0DSihggio[/youtube]
 
When China becomes the dominant power in the world, they will have us to thank for it. Our shortsighted greed made it all possible.
 
Plenty of American auto companies went the way of the dinosaur before GM lost a few brands. Let's see... Packard. Nash. DeSoto. Those are just off the top of my head.
 
Heres anoth invention that the Japanese have seemed to be working for them

Japan vending machine recommends drinks to buyers
Sun Nov 14, 10:13 pm ET

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) – For you sir, a canned coffee. And for madam, perhaps a nice cold tea.

A new Japanese canned drink vending machine uses facial recognition technology to "recommend" drinks based on the customer's age and gender -- and sales have tripled over those from regular vending machines as a result.

The machines, developed by JR East Water Business Co, a subsidiary of railway firm JR East Co, use large touch-panel screens with sensors that allow the machine to determine the characteristics of an approaching customer.

"Recommended" labels will then appear on specific drink products. Suggested products may also change depending on the temperature and time of day.

"If the customer is a man, the machine is likely to recommend a canned coffee drink, since men tend to prefer these. If the customer is in their 50s, though, that recommendation is likely to be green tea," a company spokeswoman said.

A woman in her 20s will be recommended a tea drink or slightly sweeter product, since market research has shown that they prefer these.

"We thought it would make it a lot more fun for the customers to have this kind of interaction with our machines, that it would improve the whole buying experience," she added.

The company has so far tested one machine at one Tokyo train station but plans to add five machines on Tuesday at central Tokyo Station, with the network to be expanded to other major Tokyo stations and nearby suburban areas by early in 2011.

Some 500 of the machines should be available in Tokyo and surrounding areas by March 2012.
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Where are all of America's inventors, and why arent they making things like that for the U.S? :(
 
I heard the Japanese are making a vending machine that allows you to select a girl in a schoolgirl outfit, Japanese maid outfit, or in a Sailor Moon outfit. I don't know if it's a real girl or a robot, though.
 
starguard said:
Heres anoth invention that the Japanese have seemed to be working for them



Where are all of America's inventors, and why arent they making things like that for the U.S? :(
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It would never work here. Japanese are much more polite as a society and would take such recommendations as helpful. Here if a machine tried to tell us what to do we'd kick a mudhole in its shiny metal ass. "Fuck you machine, I said gimme a fucking Mt Dew and I by god Meant it." We suffer as a nation from "you're not the boss of me-itis"

I cracked my kid up last week because I went to fill the tank and when I put the card it it began asking me all manner of questions before I could turn on the damn pump. Not the usual, credit or debit stuff, but shit about whether I wanted a car wash, or a six pack, or how the fucking weather was today, or whether I thought the Bills would finally win one this week, I swear the stupid thing was just lonely and wanted to talk. So I said out loud, "Look goddammit, I don't want to share my life fucking story with you, I just want some gas!" Apparently I said it louder than intended however, because several people started laughing and the kid completely lost it. Laughed all weekend...and now it's "Hey dad, remember that day when you said..."
 
It's all of these women in the work-force.

Now we make lawyers and "sensitive" things and software, rather than stuff made of steel and coal.

afv_mk3_bulldog_b.jpg


(note, this is a UK vehicle)
 
Donovan said:
Not the usual, credit or debit stuff, but shit about whether I wanted a car wash, or a six pack, or how the fucking weather was today, or whether I thought the Bills would finally win one this week, "
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When I was very very young riding with my dad, I can remember when the Gas Station attendant would actually get up off his ass and run out to your car (regardless of the weather), and would ask you all of those things in person :eek:

They would offer to do everything:

Check you oil

Check your radiator

Check your Tire air pressure

Check the wipers on your windshield

Wash your windshield and mirrors

Wipe down your headlights and turning signals.

They would check almost everything.....

Nowdays they have people that can hardly speak english sit behind bulletproof glass, make you get out and pump your own gas, service your own vehicle, and won't even speak to you. Ask them how THEIR days been, and you'd most likely be chased out of there more than anything!!
 
Starguard said:
The Bradley turned out to be a Dud didn't it
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Not really, no. The basic M2 was successful enough to spawn a host of variations, everything to recon/scout roles to the M6 Stinger mobile anti-air platform. It has been largely superseded, though, by the Stryker.
 
Saint, not to split hairs but the Stryker hasn't replaced the Bradley at all. It is a light armor unit and has largely been used to upgrade units such as light infantry units or the 2nd ACR. I am not sure but I think we still have all our Bradley forces. They're integral to our heavy divisions and won't be replaced by the Stryker ever due to a number of reasons- most important one being the Bradley can handle heavy armor with its TOW package. During the first gulf war we only lost like three of them to the Iraqis. The Stryker is a very capable vehicle, don't get me wrong. It's just not designed to do what a Bradley can do. Apples and oranges imo.
 
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