Top Gear - Nissan GT-R vs Shinkansen (Bullet Train)

[endless111]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwej_a5FHeU

[LaRondo]

Nice travel report. The Japanese are so far ahead, America will hardly catch up with it. No matter what way of transportation you will choose.

Part 4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=thMTJnfPB7E

[Gurkha]

Due to many external factors its easier to implement high tech in a small homogenous country like Japan or Germany than US.

[LaRondo]

If there is a will, there is a way ... something like that.

I reckon I know what external factors you are reffering to.

There is also the point of necessity, which is about to hit the spot in the US. Without and option to back out, the way is only forward.

Plus, the mentality of conducting arguments through gunpoint will become more and more unpopular around the globe. Rapidly. At least among civilized nations (to which, I suppose the US & Israel counts itself)

It is documented that, particularly Japan and Germany has developed an advantage in almost every field that counts nowadays, because the WWII destruction turned out to be a headstart during the halftime of the last century, while the US is still riding the Muenchhausen gig of "Who has the biggest bomb", instead of putting their widely proclaimed superiority to where the mouth is and to where it really counts.

In other words those countries as mentioned know better than to waste their resources on external factors.
They apply whatever they have on internal factors and are doing quite well by doing so.

[Gurkha]

You will see the popularity of mass rapid transportation on lines of the Bullet trains in US when people begin to leave their vehicles at home due to high fuel cost and take to public transportation. Problem in US is its vast size, kind of deters all these so called projects.

[MTI]

There are cultural differences and certainly "a price" to pay for all things. Merely saying that the Japanese, Germans or other nations are "ahead" or "advanced" should also examine the social and cultural choices that led them to that position.

[LaRondo]

I understand the difference in size, yet, they got a 300 million occupancy.

I've been Coast 2 Coast with my own wheels 3x, I got a good idea of the dimensions.

If you can build the most breath taking skyscrapers, you can develop a horizontal system as well, can't you?

I understand there are issues, for ex. here in earthquake country, to secure a reliable track for a bullet train, but I am convinced it can be done.
They improved Mullhollands water delivery system, after many years of broken aquaducts, because of the constant motion of the surface crust.

Things can be done, it depends on the focus. They fly into outaspace on a routine schedule, but they can't run a fast train network across their own soil???

Eh!? What's up with that

They can put 2 billion $$$ into 1 bomber plane to fly nonstop from here to the ME and back, but can't do better than the obsolete Greyhounds on wornout interstates???

[LaRondo]

Originally Posted by MTI

There are cultural differences and certainly "a price" to pay for all things. Merely saying that the Japanese, Germans or other nations are "ahead" or "advanced" should also examine the social and cultural choices that led them to that position.

and what would that be, socially and culturally?

Edit:
I don't want to be too quick, pulling the teeth. There is one word in your quote that I regard above all. Choices.

[MTI]

Americans are culturally and socially different from the Japanese and Germans in so many ways it's difficult to start. Our viewpoints, perspective and social structure over the years have come closer to each other, but from such diverse starting points, it would be folly to say that we'll all be the same soon.

[300SD81]

I'm getting pretty close to that high-tech gauge panel in my 1981


(Those are not actual sensor inputs, just numbers I plugged in to test the display)

Will have the CarPC installed as soon as some more parts come in... Will also feature GPS nav, internet access and a fully functional Windows XP/Vista installation (haven't decided yet). Going to mount the screen in the sun visor, I never use the mirror anyway...

[LaRondo]

I agree and I disagree. We are not that different after all and we are certainly about to find that out. Now the question becomes, 'How quickly can we learn and act accordingly?'

Time is not going to wait on us.

We are not that different, we merely do things differently.
Yes, we have customs and traditions, which in the recent past, are more than ever openly exchanged.

It's a terrible drawback to say: "Oh, we are so different, we can't do it"

Fact is, America needs a Century of remodeling. From the ground up.