when it comes to tech, why is the us so far behind?

i was looking at http://www.threegmobile.net/gallery/ an i started thinking to my self, WHY ARE WE SO DAMN BEHIND IN EVERYTHING?. i mean when Wap came out here, japan was already blueprinting thier 3g networks and they had imode (keep in mind japans gov't holds 58% of ntt docomo stock so the ends justify the means http://www.nttdocomo.com a network in which mobile handsets can be used for all sorts of ecommerce ( imagine ordering hot canned corn soup from a vending kiosk with your mobile) not to mention an in car navigation system in real time 3d, scalling the entire metropolitain highway system from overpasses to the nearest massage parlor ;)http://www.mci.panasonic.co.jp/aced/...000/index.html (this navi sys was relased in beta in 98) yet the closest we will ever get will be bluetooth, 802.11b, a couple repeaters and a proposed massive owrellian(sp?) database monitoring every transaction made with credit just because little timmy likes pipebombs. and lets not forget about homeland security. **** that where's my gold wafer & simscan. (note: i really had to vent cuz i hate att)

the actual answer is because japan isn't allowed to have an army, so they devote all their funds to technology.

america seems to be somewhat obsessed with their armies, and to be the "best", so that's why western nations are sometimes a little further behind. we tend to make sure that we're well defended against people who hate us because we make sure they know we're well defended.

kinda stupid, i guess. but i'm no politician, so i can't very well change anything.

well i guess thats what happens when you become a world millitary superpower, you have an unwired, un-r4d populus. if we werent so full of our selves maybe parts of the world would'nt hate us so much, which in turn means we would'nt have to arm ourselves out of ph33r? just a personal observation i guess.

I had no idea Japan couldnt have an Army? Didn't we massacre hundreds of thousands of japanese civilians, was that not enough? But to say that they cant defend themselves from attack is obsurd. Politicians suck b4llz.

some time after WW2, i think because of Pearl Harbor, the UN decreed that Japan was not allowed to have an army.

it seems they've been quite peaceful, and filling the world with wonderful gadgets which we westerners could only dream of getting our hands on.

One reason is M$ and you all should learn a bit of history for real watch TV like PBS lots of good stuff there. What is the point of this thread? A kid that has no idea of History nor could ID a map putside a county doing? Why we are behind is because people go to school take out loans their family in other parts all of them aunts uncles brothers sister work hard in other parts of the world put one child through a University. What is wrong is that the value of all this knowledge is reduced to a point and click person, spoon feed by the OS maker. Excuse me kids I'm gonna fart cause like it or not none of this is new you did not invent it, it is not new because you did not know, but old and your young. At least take the time to learn the history of the web before asking such lame questions. One is only behind if they are in a race and the last time I looked the HUMAN RACE spoke of all people, and an equal voice for all. Shakes head..I think WWII was the reason for Japan not having a offensive force..was part of it. History teaches much what a lame thread!

well it seems that they are in a technological Renaissance (or have been going through one) for some time now. ever since their bubble burst a lot has happened. right now they are at the point where we were 11 years ago concerning hacking and what to do about it.

The only thing I can say is that maybe a country can only afford to put x-amount of money into varios sectors of the industry.The main thing I think is to do the most with what you have, the best way you can.The distribution of funds I think get's ditributed according to what is needed most at a specific time.

Japan has all the technology because it is cheap for them to manufacture. We invent it and they say oh look, this looks cool lets build a few billion of these, they sell them for uber cheap prices in Japan and their citizens are happy, then they try to charge us half our year's income to buy one and we say, uh no thanks you can keep it, so we don't have the technology. Also, I'm not sure what the technical raesoning is but like Germany(who really don't have much of an army) We rebuilt some parts of Japan to higher living conditions so that they wouldn't need to wage war any more, they CAN have an army(I think) but choose not to really have one, because they know that if somebody attacks them the UN will come save them (Sad but true). Anyway, ya, thats why Japan has more/better technology than the US, they just make all our useless inventions and hand them out at incredibaly cheap prices then make the profit from them off us westerners.

Japan keeps a small army by choice I think they even have a clause in there constitution to prevent them from attacking other countries. Perhaps anyone who knows a little more about Japan could offer some insight. If Japan decided to build up a more sizable army the U.S would probably give them the thumbs up because then they could sell them weapons. Think mrcoffe12 pinned down why the get all the cool gadgets before we do is because the make the stuff. Also companies like to test products in places like Japan before launching them in north America.

they are allowed to have an army its just limited to what their allowed ie x amount of soldiers x amount of tanks etc i forget the actual numbers google it im sure you will find the numbers
you think the us is behind come to australia some time
rioter

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Originally posted here by mrcoffee12
Japan has all the technology because it is cheap for them to manufacture. We invent it and they say oh look, this looks cool lets build a few billion of these, they sell them for uber cheap prices in Japan and their citizens are happy, then they try to charge us half our year's income to buy one and we say, uh no thanks you can keep it, so we don't have the technology.

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Ok let me get this straight, you invent it, they make it and you don't have the technology ??

Now something in there didn't sound right..

Let's take CD's japanese-dutch invention, DVD's same story.
We already had the WAP imode and other protocols, and also a lot of PC components got perfected in japan/thayland/china.

So saying you invent it and they steal it is a load of bullshit !!

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I had no idea Japan couldnt have an Army?

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After WWII, the Allied powers wrote it into the constitutions of both Germany and Japan because, in the immortal words of Dennis Miller, we haven't really enjoyed any of their previous work and I'm not sure we need to see the new **** right now.

The actual text of Article 9 of the Japanese constitution reads:

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Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. 2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.

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The US has pretty much unilaterally provided for the defense of Japan since the end of the war. And the Japanese haven't complained at all, because that frees up billions of yen that the government uses for industrial subsidies. It's not that we're stupid.... well, maybe we are..... but it isn't totally unreasonable because it allows us to keep a close eye on what's going on over there. You know the old saying, "Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer?"

But I think there's a compelling argument to let the Japanese fend for themselves considering the current state of things. Essentially, we have paid for the technical development of Japan at our own expense. We have helped them and hurt ourselves in one fell swoop. That, my friends, takes talent.

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we tend to make sure that we're well defended against people who hate us because we make sure they know we're well defended

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And if we learned how to mind our own business, maybe two thirds of the world wouldn't hate us, then we wouldn't need to..... oh, never mind.

**** Warning :- the words below represent my opinion, and have not been proof read ***


Not being an expert on US technologies, i'm shooting from the hip, but i'm also using the UK as a model.

I think one of the resons that Japan is so may lightyears ahead of us in almost all sectors, is the attitude to work, education, and society over there. (any Japanese citizens feel free to correct me, this opinion is here to be critiqued)

From almost day one of a childs life, their education is begun, the school system is highly competative, and the pressure on children to succede is immense. this system is also affected by the conformity protocols within their seemingly more traditional society.

Upon entering the world of work, a japanese employee gives 120% (I know I don't usually) a job is largely far more than a 9-5, it's a part of life. alot of salarymen put in stupid hours, and almost all workers are made to feel to be stakeholders.

Japanese companies spend fantastic amounts on R&D, and there seems to be an attention to detail that is staggering (look at the way Nissan cars have come along in leaps and bounds)

Now to apply this to the US, UK, and some other western countries. Here in the UK alot of workers are just not encouraged to give this kind of fervent commitment. Stakeholder is a buzzword that politicians usually bandy around when our pensions are being slashed. Schools are simply under invested almost to the point where they are worse than home tutoring. (and the Govt here thinks that allowing fat cats to make a profit from them will help. (lets learn to spell "morons" today kids)

Add to this the fact that certainly here in the UK, there is just not the commitment to engineering, production, and manufacturing. It seems to me that the basic figures are more important than the substance "never mind the quality feel the width." Our government is happier having 5% unemployment with the other 95% of the population answering telephones for the rest of the world, than 10% unemployment with the other 90% driving the world forward. It's simply a better way to get elected. (And IMHO allows less competent people to be politicians)

I think a good way to illustrate the above points comes compliments of one of my now happily long time Ex school teachers "We encourage the less able children to go into engineering" my father a prffessional robotics engineer came over all "WTF???"

Our national pride is eroded to a degree where I suspect that the average person working on the shop floor at Sony shows more loyalty to the company he works for, than we do to our countries.

I could go on for ever, but maybe this will be some meatfor the debate.

Regards


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now I've decided to proof my B.S, and I note a hell of a lot of missing punctuation, so here it us ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,............................................;;;;;:::::: Use at your leisure.

Thank you problemchild as I was about to type out a very similar response. :)


Oh and you want to know why they are some much more advanced technologically than the US? As bofhandpfy I truly think it has a LOT to do with the approach to learning as a people. Go live over in Japan for a year or so and you will start to think this same way, I know because I have done exactly that. They are much more driven to achieve than the US is, at least in this point in time.



El Diablo

Japan has a defence force that is able to defend the island. We suppliment that force, but by treaty (and by their choice) they do not deploy to foreign lands.

We do joint military excerises with Japan on a regular basis to practice various scenarios involving China, Korea and Russia.

The technology questions is an interesting one. Of of the biggest difference between the us and other countries like Europ and Japan is that fact that we have an infastructure in place and it's got a significant investment from the companies that own these technologies. To bring in new technologies would cause need for these companies to invest capital.

In Japan the government has also made standards and laws pertaining to what technologies should be invested in. The US relies more on markets to determine standards. I think we should take a more proactive approach and do what Europ and Japan has done to ensure we not 10 years behind.

AS i reply to a few of the posts CD's were invented my a person/team who for for philips in southampton uk as far as i know. Also some of japans mobile network was made in the uk and sold to japan.
trials