Firstly, I don't disagree with everything you said.. but a few points:
Because most of "us" (Europeans) grew up in a world which was dominated by the US and we did not really mind as we were thought by our fathers and grand-fathers you were benevolent (I am teaching my children something different...)
I'm teaching our kids that Europeans are not friends, but adversaries under the guise of being allies.
Because most of "us" see (not necessarily watch) movies coming from the US which portrays the US as the land of the "Free" and "Brave" while we know it is not the case and just propaganda for the mindless masses.
We call it entertainment, and nobody has forced you to purchase or watch it, aside from your own weak-willed compatriots. Seriously, this whole issue of US cultral imperialism cracks me up: look in the mirror for the guilty party.
Because most (but not all) of "us" see the state of the US economic capabilities (and in case you are wondering... yes, US is in worse shape than the EU, even in this euro crisis)
You're comparing apples and oranges. The EU is not a nation, and the only ones with their crap together are the Scandinavian nations and Germany. The rest of you.. well.. heheh we'll see about how you fare with everything from economic insolvency while not controlling your own currency to dealing with too many Muslims in your so-called "tolerant" democracy.
Currently America is FAR, FAR AWAY from the utopia your founding fathers had set it out to be... The current generation is eating up the goodwill and faith, that previous generations have built up, in a record pace and either the American population in general is being kept in the dark or they lack the mentality or intellect to see what is going on.
I agree that the goodwill is being eroded (that's if there is any left), but we do see what is going on. Wasn't it Churchill that said nations don't have friends, but interests?
Your comment "Most Americans couldn't give a rat's ass" is spot on because most Americans believe they are still the biggest, best, etc,... which clearly they are no longer (in a lot of areas).
No, most "Americans" (I'm pretty sure the Canadians and a few others would take issue with that ignorant terminology on your part) don't give a rat's ass because what happens to our citizens carries a hell of a lot more weight than what's happening in your neck of the woods.
Killing foreigners? Okay. Killing Americans? A violation of the president's oath to uphold Constituional Law: "No person shall... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." A kill list may exist, but a kill list that includes Americans citizens is tyrannical.
As a libertarian-leaning Democrat (yes, we exist), Holder has been nothing but a walking, talking fuckup machine. First, the asshole seems to want to tell me who to spend my weekends with (4th paragraph), but then wants to brainwash people in his anti-Second Amendment campaign.
As a centrist Dem, I'm going to say right now to Obama: get rid of this shit stain or lose in November.. full stop. And don't get me wrong, Romney is going to be a disaster, but Holder is evil incarnate.
Because that's how much it would cost to make a PC if the factories that make the parts were in the US, dealing with US Environmental Regulations, US Taxes and having to pay US Workers who expect to be able to afford a McMansion and Porsche Cayenne for working in any aspect in the Tech Sector and would likely Unionize overnight
I think many of them would settle for a living wage (where I live that would be about fifteen bucks an hour) plus health care benefits. As far environmental regulations go, Chinese externalitles will have an effect. One of many articles about this.
Some people in the Linux community is however so used to getting everything they want for free that they for some reason think that they should have everything for free and that companies that don't do that are somehow evil. No they are not evil, it just happens that they are not especially friendly either. It is fair.
Reminds me of the OpenBSD and UltraSparc III situation awhile back...
Theo was all miffed about them not them not releasing documentation. I wonder if that ever got resolved.
That's OK, the young people aren't capable of doing the jobs that older people are anyway, and never will be. Once the older generations are gone, it's all over, and you'll have to rely on people in other countries to do those jobs, if they get done at all.
Could you be any more vague? Which jobs?
kthxbye...
That's why marijuana should be removed from that list. When do you ever hear of pot smokers doing anything violent at all?
Dood, have you seen the gang fights that result at White Castles at 1am after some serious tokage?!?! It's like hey man, that's *my* burger.. give it back!
The problem with letting nature take its course (aside from any qualms a human being might have about watching other human beings suffer) is that it will have extensive, expensive repercussions for everyone else.
Completely agree. I'm a liberal with libertarian leanings, but I do realize the concept of externality.
But it becomes difficult (for me, anyway) to reject that humanity is headed to Idiocracy due to either a ton of personally observed anecdotes, or in some cases empirical studies: people often eschew well-reasoned arguments (hell, they often ditch any semblance of reason whatsoever) for what they "feel" to be true, or what they "want" to be true.
I'm not saying that people in the past didn't face nuanced or complicated issues, but it seems nowadays that we have a culture wherein it's not cool to be smart, and would you please shut up, SportsCenter is on.
I'm acutely aware that the concept of an elitist intelligentsia and technocratic class might find favor among certain Slashdotians, but I'd prefer we raise the bar across the board and shoot for that. Unfortunately, right now we (at least in the US) lower the bar in pursuit if political correctness, expediency, and harmony.
In addition, even those it's already a bit dated, read Kozol's "Savage Inequalities" to add fuel to the fire/debate.
Maybe we ARE doing too much to protect weak genes in the pool....that might have weeded themselves out in the past....and allowing them to continue to proliferate?
Watch the movie Idiocracy. It's coming, and I don't know if there's anything we can do about it. I'll paraphrase something that I once read (can't come up with a cite, sorry): "I say we take the safety labels off of everything and let nature work itself out."
Anonymity is necessary for Joe Public to exercise his right to free speech. The rich and powerful can't crush him like a bug if they don't know who he is.
This is EXACTLY what I was thinking. What they really want is SLAPP suit fodder. If you criticize them (the politicians and the interests lining their pockets), they want to be able to make you to sit down and shut the fuck up, and also make it painful enough that you won't DARE do it again.
NeXT would have never been if it hadn't been for the original incarnation of Apple, which itself would have NOT happened without Woz. Your house of cards falls so easily....
I've truly never understood what the problem is with just waiting till folks leave the house and then grabbing them. There are many fatalities on both sides due to the militarization of the police.
Of course, having been in the military I'm fluent with weapons that make mincemeat out of body armor so I'm not too worried. What you need is an AR-15 chambered in 6.8mm SPC just to be sure.
This includes the TRS80 Color computer (The computer that got me into this crazy field in the first place... OS9 for ever!)
I have to admit, I had my Atari 130XE running Spartados when I ran into a Coco running OS9 and was pretty much incredulous (and humbled).
Nowadays companies like Cloud 9 and projects like NitrOS-9 are keeping the fun alive.
If time weren't so damned finite I'd love to pick up a Coco 3 and pop a 6309 into and get busy.. alas real life intrudes.
I think we would all do good to remember that the Trash, VIC, C64, BBC Micro and Sinclair changed a lot of folks lives and gave them a lifetime love of computing. Just think how different the world would be if those little guys never came out? if the only computers for sale in the 80s cost thousands of dollars? it would probably be a lot more empty place, with a lot less programs, tinkering, and DIYers out there.
Indeed!
I managed to get my father to buy a $99.00 Vic from K-Mart back in the day, and it was a godsend. What was kind of funny is that for my birthday or Christmas, he'd buy me a cartridge for it (yes, like everybody I had the requisite Omega Race and Gorf.. both excellent), but I kept trying to explain to him what I really wanted was a datasette and a programmer's reference manual (a memory expansion was in the wildest dreams category). I never got either, and like many of us learned by playing with BASIC, figuring out that it was far too slow for games, then POKEing in machine code using magazines and the users's guide it came with to assemble some sort of memory map. Then the little sister would come alone and touch something (or my RTS didn't work out) and *poof* all gone. Wrote my first bubble sort on that machine.
By the time I was old enough to get a part time job I ended up buying a new Atari 130XE and a second hand 1050 drive off of some kid who was upgrading to the (then) very new Atari ST.
You cannot live on US talent alone - not for long, anyway.
What makes you think in any way, shape, or form, that EU talent is a factor here? I work with plenty of talented MS and PhD level scientists and engineers; they're all home grown here in the US or mostly from India and China. The few EU engineers I've worked with have been very good, because they were older and basically victims of ageism in Europe. They brought themselves and their expertise over here and we appreciate it.
If I ran my own company, I'm not sure I'd ever send a representative to the US at all, given the visa hassle and security charade, even if I *KNEW* they had nothing suspicious.
That's fine. Another business will fill the gap.
The US has pushed its laws across the world. For some reason, the EU capitulates all the time. So every time the EU capitulates of the US does something stupid, the closer it gets to boycotts and revolts from other countries and the less cooperation it will see. Just what is the US going to do if the EU turns around one day and says "It's gone too far"? Because, somehow, I don't think they'll just back off quietly.
Honestly now, this is displaced aggression about your own corrupt governments... isn't it? The could have said "no, we won't do it", but being cowardly they caved. Look in the mirror. The citizenry of which you are a member elected them. Hell, you ratified the Lisbon Treaty, and you're worried about US travel?!?!
A lot of the population of the UK sees the US as an interfering, overbearing bully. How long do you think the "special relationship" will last with one side acting like that?
The "special relationship" will remain in play until the UK decides to get off its ass (arse, sorry), join the Euro (after they unfuck the currency crisis, which I'm confident will happen), and start acting like a European country in earnest. Until then the UK wants the option to leverage the special relationship with the US against the EU if need be.
The "special relationship" was over as far as I'm concerned when we wouldn't give the UK the source code to the F-35. Why they're buying it is beyond me; you've got Eurofighter, Rafale, the Grippen, all sorts of cool toys over there and you bought the F-35?!? Alas, that's a topic for a different day.
I can garantee your tourisme is suffering, even if the average american might think we all love you guys.
If our tourism is "suffering", it's because of your cratering economy.
Secondly, what gave you the idea that we think you love us? Don't you remember "Freedom Fries" and "Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys"? The level of our apathy and slight disdain between the US and EU is not a secret.
Most americans will be quite happy with just seeing the Grand Canyon and Hawaii, once in their lifetime, in clear contrast with Europeans that make it one of their biggest achievements stepping on each continent and seeing a bit of each of the now 27 countries in the EU.
As a US citizen who has only been to Germany, Turkey, and Canada (yes, not much traveling, but some), many "Americans" don't care to travel outside of the US, and of those who would like to many simply cannot afford it.
At least most of us can name more than half the EU states. Can't imagine Americans being able to name more than 10 of theirs.
I hope you're not serious. This is second grade material, along with the capitals of each state.
A bit of reading on USians and passports/travel.
I guess I just don't understand the average European outrage at the US when it is their own politicians selling them out. We didn't cave, your politicians did.
I'd actually encourage a tit for tat retaliation against the US for two reasons 1) Make people in the US wake up and realize that this is going on (though most wouldn't care), and 2) push the US and EU further apart, which is long overdue.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm teaching our kids that Europeans are not friends, but adversaries under the guise of being allies.
We call it entertainment, and nobody has forced you to purchase or watch it, aside from your own weak-willed compatriots. Seriously, this whole issue of US cultral imperialism cracks me up: look in the mirror for the guilty party.
You're comparing apples and oranges. The EU is not a nation, and the only ones with their crap together are the Scandinavian nations and Germany. The rest of you.. well.. heheh we'll see about how you fare with everything from economic insolvency while not controlling your own currency to dealing with too many Muslims in your so-called "tolerant" democracy.
I agree that the goodwill is being eroded (that's if there is any left), but we do see what is going on. Wasn't it Churchill that said nations don't have friends, but interests?
No, most "Americans" (I'm pretty sure the Canadians and a few others would take issue with that ignorant terminology on your part) don't give a rat's ass because what happens to our citizens carries a hell of a lot more weight than what's happening in your neck of the woods.
I don't know where the fuck you've been man, but they think that they're giving people due process!
As a libertarian-leaning Democrat (yes, we exist), Holder has been nothing but a walking, talking fuckup machine. First, the asshole seems to want to tell me who to spend my weekends with (4th paragraph), but then wants to brainwash people in his anti-Second Amendment campaign.
As a centrist Dem, I'm going to say right now to Obama: get rid of this shit stain or lose in November.. full stop. And don't get me wrong, Romney is going to be a disaster, but Holder is evil incarnate.
I think many of them would settle for a living wage (where I live that would be about fifteen bucks an hour) plus health care benefits. As far environmental regulations go, Chinese externalitles will have an effect. One of many articles about this.
Reminds me of the OpenBSD and UltraSparc III situation awhile back... Theo was all miffed about them not them not releasing documentation. I wonder if that ever got resolved.
Could you be any more vague? Which jobs?
kthxbye...
Dood, have you seen the gang fights that result at White Castles at 1am after some serious tokage?!?! It's like hey man, that's *my* burger.. give it back!
Completely agree. I'm a liberal with libertarian leanings, but I do realize the concept of externality.
Thank you!
That did make me laugh. :)
But it becomes difficult (for me, anyway) to reject that humanity is headed to Idiocracy due to either a ton of personally observed anecdotes, or in some cases empirical studies: people often eschew well-reasoned arguments (hell, they often ditch any semblance of reason whatsoever) for what they "feel" to be true, or what they "want" to be true.
I'm not saying that people in the past didn't face nuanced or complicated issues, but it seems nowadays that we have a culture wherein it's not cool to be smart, and would you please shut up, SportsCenter is on.
Maybe, but it *might* look a bit more like this.
I'm acutely aware that the concept of an elitist intelligentsia and technocratic class might find favor among certain Slashdotians, but I'd prefer we raise the bar across the board and shoot for that. Unfortunately, right now we (at least in the US) lower the bar in pursuit if political correctness, expediency, and harmony.
In addition, even those it's already a bit dated, read Kozol's "Savage Inequalities" to add fuel to the fire/debate.
Watch the movie Idiocracy. It's coming, and I don't know if there's anything we can do about it. I'll paraphrase something that I once read (can't come up with a cite, sorry): "I say we take the safety labels off of everything and let nature work itself out."
Anonymity is necessary for Joe Public to exercise his right to free speech. The rich and powerful can't crush him like a bug if they don't know who he is.
This is EXACTLY what I was thinking. What they really want is SLAPP suit fodder. If you criticize them (the politicians and the interests lining their pockets), they want to be able to make you to sit down and shut the fuck up, and also make it painful enough that you won't DARE do it again.
Maybe you'd like to back up before NeXT to the part where Apple raped PARC, eh?
NeXT would have never been if it hadn't been for the original incarnation of Apple, which itself would have NOT happened without Woz. Your house of cards falls so easily....
Oh horse shit. Just like Bill Gates would have had an "in" at IBM had he not been "Mary Gates' boy".
And when we're not their biggest consumer? Got news for ya, South America is up and coming. Keep an eye on Brazil over the next 30 years.
O'rly?
Well, got news for you, no-knock warrants are horseshit. Don't want to get bit? Don't execute them. You took the job!
Here ya go skippy! Check this out. Or, think you're "above" the law? Then read this.
I've truly never understood what the problem is with just waiting till folks leave the house and then grabbing them. There are many fatalities on both sides due to the militarization of the police.
Of course, having been in the military I'm fluent with weapons that make mincemeat out of body armor so I'm not too worried. What you need is an AR-15 chambered in 6.8mm SPC just to be sure.
As much as I'd enjoy being 20 again I really wouldn't trade my experiences for theirs, their tech may be more powerful but they have zero control.
Word, brother!
All the big-names are 30 years old just now.
This includes the TRS80 Color computer (The computer that got me into this crazy field in the first place... OS9 for ever!)
I have to admit, I had my Atari 130XE running Spartados when I ran into a Coco running OS9 and was pretty much incredulous (and humbled).
Nowadays companies like Cloud 9 and projects like NitrOS-9 are keeping the fun alive.
If time weren't so damned finite I'd love to pick up a Coco 3 and pop a 6309 into and get busy.. alas real life intrudes.
I think we would all do good to remember that the Trash, VIC, C64, BBC Micro and Sinclair changed a lot of folks lives and gave them a lifetime love of computing. Just think how different the world would be if those little guys never came out? if the only computers for sale in the 80s cost thousands of dollars? it would probably be a lot more empty place, with a lot less programs, tinkering, and DIYers out there.
Indeed!
I managed to get my father to buy a $99.00 Vic from K-Mart back in the day, and it was a godsend. What was kind of funny is that for my birthday or Christmas, he'd buy me a cartridge for it (yes, like everybody I had the requisite Omega Race and Gorf.. both excellent), but I kept trying to explain to him what I really wanted was a datasette and a programmer's reference manual (a memory expansion was in the wildest dreams category). I never got either, and like many of us learned by playing with BASIC, figuring out that it was far too slow for games, then POKEing in machine code using magazines and the users's guide it came with to assemble some sort of memory map. Then the little sister would come alone and touch something (or my RTS didn't work out) and *poof* all gone. Wrote my first bubble sort on that machine.
By the time I was old enough to get a part time job I ended up buying a new Atari 130XE and a second hand 1050 drive off of some kid who was upgrading to the (then) very new Atari ST.
I would trade those experiences for NOTHING.
You cannot live on US talent alone - not for long, anyway.
What makes you think in any way, shape, or form, that EU talent is a factor here? I work with plenty of talented MS and PhD level scientists and engineers; they're all home grown here in the US or mostly from India and China. The few EU engineers I've worked with have been very good, because they were older and basically victims of ageism in Europe. They brought themselves and their expertise over here and we appreciate it.
If I ran my own company, I'm not sure I'd ever send a representative to the US at all, given the visa hassle and security charade, even if I *KNEW* they had nothing suspicious.
That's fine. Another business will fill the gap.
The US has pushed its laws across the world. For some reason, the EU capitulates all the time. So every time the EU capitulates of the US does something stupid, the closer it gets to boycotts and revolts from other countries and the less cooperation it will see. Just what is the US going to do if the EU turns around one day and says "It's gone too far"? Because, somehow, I don't think they'll just back off quietly.
Honestly now, this is displaced aggression about your own corrupt governments... isn't it? The could have said "no, we won't do it", but being cowardly they caved. Look in the mirror. The citizenry of which you are a member elected them. Hell, you ratified the Lisbon Treaty, and you're worried about US travel?!?!
A lot of the population of the UK sees the US as an interfering, overbearing bully. How long do you think the "special relationship" will last with one side acting like that?
The "special relationship" will remain in play until the UK decides to get off its ass (arse, sorry), join the Euro (after they unfuck the currency crisis, which I'm confident will happen), and start acting like a European country in earnest. Until then the UK wants the option to leverage the special relationship with the US against the EU if need be.
The "special relationship" was over as far as I'm concerned when we wouldn't give the UK the source code to the F-35. Why they're buying it is beyond me; you've got Eurofighter, Rafale, the Grippen, all sorts of cool toys over there and you bought the F-35?!? Alas, that's a topic for a different day.
I can garantee your tourisme is suffering, even if the average american might think we all love you guys.
If our tourism is "suffering", it's because of your cratering economy.
Secondly, what gave you the idea that we think you love us? Don't you remember "Freedom Fries" and "Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys"? The level of our apathy and slight disdain between the US and EU is not a secret.
Most americans will be quite happy with just seeing the Grand Canyon and Hawaii, once in their lifetime, in clear contrast with Europeans that make it one of their biggest achievements stepping on each continent and seeing a bit of each of the now 27 countries in the EU.
As a US citizen who has only been to Germany, Turkey, and Canada (yes, not much traveling, but some), many "Americans" don't care to travel outside of the US, and of those who would like to many simply cannot afford it.
At least most of us can name more than half the EU states. Can't imagine Americans being able to name more than 10 of theirs.
I hope you're not serious. This is second grade material, along with the capitals of each state.
A bit of reading on USians and passports/travel.
I guess I just don't understand the average European outrage at the US when it is their own politicians selling them out. We didn't cave, your politicians did.
I'd actually encourage a tit for tat retaliation against the US for two reasons 1) Make people in the US wake up and realize that this is going on (though most wouldn't care), and 2) push the US and EU further apart, which is long overdue.