Gregory Pratt Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 Bill Maher told Bill Bradley on his latest show, "I don't think America has the gravitas to achieve anything big anymore." Bradley says, "I couldn't disagree with you more." "When's the last time America did something big?" "We put a man on the moon!" "THAT WAS FORTY YEARS AGO!" "Well, environmental law, civil rights..." "Come on, that was forty years ago." So I ask, twofold: When's the last time, in your opinion, that the US achieved something huge and major? When we won the Cold War? 2. Do you buy into what Maher said? He also asked Sheryl Crow what she thinks would happen if Americans were told, "You could solve Global Warming if you stopped using your TV controls. I think they'd say, "f*** it" and use it." Disagree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearSox Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 Brought down Sadam... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 What big things need to be done? You can't just say we're not accomplishing big things if you can't come up with things we're not doing. I can think of one...energy independence. And I'm not sure it's that we don't have the gravitas to take care of that...it's that a lot of people who have a lot of money don't want it to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrunkBomber Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 The US could go on TV and bash everything that we dont agree with and act like they know everything and are the end all cure all to everything. Wait...Bill Maher already does that...i dont know, I guess we'll have to think of something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Pratt Posted April 15, 2007 Author Share Posted April 15, 2007 QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 12:47 AM) What big things need to be done? You can't just say we're not accomplishing big things if you can't come up with things we're not doing. I can think of one...energy independence. And I'm not sure it's that we don't have the gravitas to take care of that...it's that a lot of people who have a lot of money don't want it to happen. Health care still hasn't been done. We haven't truly won a War and finished off the opponent since WWII. Unless we're counting the Cold War. Energy independence. Global Warming. It's an interesting thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_genius Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 (edited) how about:Computer technology advances/the internet /communications advances/engineering breakthroughs. those are all pretty major QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 11:31 AM) We haven't truly won a War and finished off the opponent since WWII. Unless we're counting the Cold War. Well, winning wars and killing people isn't neccesarily a sign of progress. Edited April 16, 2007 by mr_genius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 QUOTE(mr_genius @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 03:12 PM) how about:Computer technology advances/the internet /communications advances/engineer breakthroughs. You can probably add the human genome project and associated DNA work to that list as a major accomplishment. Progress decoding the basics of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_genius Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 (edited) QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 05:44 PM) You can probably add the human genome project and associated DNA work to that list as a major accomplishment. Progress decoding the basics of life. definately, those are huge scientific advances in which a lot of the research was done in the United States. Edited April 16, 2007 by mr_genius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Pratt Posted April 16, 2007 Author Share Posted April 16, 2007 Good points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeSox Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Isn't most medical research done here, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 I was going to mention technology and the internet. On a personal note, titanium. Helped my golf game and my backpacking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 QUOTE(mr_genius @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 03:52 PM) definately, those are huge scientific advances in which a lot of the research was done in the United States. The reason why Maher didn't immediately come up with that one, IMO, is that the work still isn't finished. We've got the first step; recording the sequence. Now we're on to, if I understand things correctly, trying to figure out how all of those codes fit in with the protein sequences that give rise to life. We have barely begun to scratch the surface of what that knowledge can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 10:36 PM) The reason why Maher didn't immediately come up with that one, IMO, is that the work still isn't finished. Or because he wanted to make a point. A point that would resonate with someone who thinks Sheryl Crow's opinion has any particular importance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 07:48 PM) Or because he wanted to make a point. A point that would resonate with someone who thinks Sheryl Crow's opinion has any particular importance. Well, probably true, but I would say that in 1966, if people were asked about the last big accomplishment by America, almost no one would have said the space program, despite the fact that they were less than 1000 days from the greatest triumph of that program. Until something big comes out of a gigantic project, it's hard to project what it could do. Having a bunch of letters on a computer doesn't necessarily mean much to most people. But very soon, it could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_genius Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Apr 15, 2007 -> 09:48 PM) Or because he wanted to make a point. A point that would resonate with someone who thinks Sheryl Crow's opinion has any particular importance. yea, thats more likely. Maher was just talking out of his a** again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 What about The Clapper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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