pick@sdsu.UUCP (Dan Pick) (04/19/89)
Today's announcement that CDC is getting out of the supercomputer business, and last week's announcement by NEC of its release of the SX-X, raise a lot of questions about the US ability to remain competitive in supercomputer technology. Is anyone else out there concerned about the state of the US industry in relation to the Japanese? It seems to me that we're potentially witnessing a repeat of the semiconductor and television industry disasters, whereby we "hollow" out our own industries only to see them overtaken by Japanese manufacturers. This situation cuts across a broad range of issues: the current lack of interest of students in science and mathematics, trade practices and policies in the US and Japan, American management practices that stress short-term gains over product quality and customer service, and a budget deficit that creates an enormous drag on productivity. When are we going to pull ourselves together and start moving ahead, instead of quitting before the race even starts? Dan Pick | USENET: pick@sdsu.ucsd.edu Dept. of Mathematical Sciences | San Diego State University |
eugene@eos.UUCP (Eugene Miya) (04/19/89)
In article <3714@sdsu.UUCP> pick@sdsu.UUCP (Dan Pick) writes: >Today's announcement that CDC is getting out of the >supercomputer business, and last week's announcement >by NEC of its release of the SX-X, raise a lot of questions >about the US ability to remain competitive in >supercomputer technology. Is anyone else out there >concerned about the state of the US industry >in relation to the Japanese? Why, what do you care? Why and how do you want to compete? >It seems to me that we're potentially witnessing >a repeat of the semiconductor and television industry >disasters, whereby we "hollow" out our own industries >only to see them overtaken by Japanese manufacturers. >This situation cuts across a broad range of issues: >the current lack of interest of students in science >and mathematics, trade practices and policies in >the US and Japan, American management practices that >stress short-term gains over product quality and >customer service, and a budget deficit that creates >an enormous drag on productivity. If Americans want a quick buck, cheap products, shoddy service, so long as its all shared equally, why should we care? What disaster? Are you more (or less) concern about steel mills and ship yards? You know planned obsolence: a method for keeping employment up. JOBS. Got start someplace. If students want MTV and don't want math, isn't that their CHOICE? If they want to study rock music, or get MBAs, or be lawyers, astrologists, preachers, isn't that their CHOICE? [*Choice: a word in a Tom Robbins book] Aren't Japanese students all nerds? Didn't they make some remarks about our ethnic diversity? (Negative sense) Isn't it a society which where people all lose their individuality? Are they seeking to find creativity? After all wasn't it in the US of A where warmer temperature superconductors and now cool fusion came? It's this the land of Apples and H-P, the AMERICAN enterpeneur? Aren't they just going to copy us and "steal" our ideas? Aren't we the protector of the free world? The hero for whom all defense is dependent upon? The policemen of free speech, civil rights, and human rights? Or do some of our ideas blow up in our faces: political problems, environmental problems, social and economic problems? Or perhaps, we could put some of that force (i mean defense) to use and assign people to jobs, education, to defeat the menace. Those who take from our ideas. Why maybe we could subjugate people into an economic double standard? >When are we going to pull ourselves together and >start moving ahead, instead of quitting before the >race even starts? Perhaps never. Are you prepared for this possibility? (Some Germans didn't.) Do you rally around THE Flag? Do you not have faith in the Puritan work ethic? Or does this have too many religious implications? Or have all the Puritans disappeared? Are are the Puritans so prudish that they are a poor role model? How much do you really know about CDC or NEC? Should we bail them out? PERHAPS the solution does not lie in competition? Perhaps a future lies in cooperation? Perhaps, OUR time is over? Perhaps.... Naw..... ;) Tune in next week for another episode of Theodoric of York, Medevil cynic.... Longish signature follows "Type 'n' now" Another gross generalization from --eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@aurora.arc.nasa.gov resident CYNIC at the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers: "You trust the `reply' command with all those different mailers out there?" "If my mail does not reach you, please accept my apology." {ncar,decwrl,hplabs,uunet}!ames!eugene Live free or die.
limonce@pilot.njin.net (Tom Limoncelli) (04/19/89)
In article <3714@sdsu.UUCP> pick@sdsu.UUCP (Dan Pick) writes: > supercomputer technology. Is anyone else out there > concerned about the state of the US industry > in relation to the Japanese? Are you *completely clueless*? Look who we just elected? Obviously, the sad answer is no. We don't care. We just want to fight a war on drugs in white suburbia when the real drug problem is in the ghetto. We want to be told we're going to pay less taxes even when we know that they have to be raised. We want a vice-president that is so stupid that it makes our schools look good. Yeah, that's the solution! We'll save money on our schools by making sure that our role models are stupid... so people will grow up thinking that they don't need an education. The funniest two quotes in 1988: "Facts are stupid things" -- Clueless Ronnie R. "I want to become The Educational President" -- "Lie Through My Teeth" Bush > Dan Pick | USENET: pick@sdsu.ucsd.edu > Dept. of Mathematical Sciences | > San Diego State University | Tom -- Tom Limoncelli -- tlimonce@drunivac.Bitnet -- limonce@pilot.njin.net Drew University -- Madison, NJ -- 201-408-5389 Standard Disclaim er.
eugene@eos.UUCP (Eugene Miya) (04/22/89)
I have been having some very interesting private discussion
with people in both Asia and Europe.
While attention seems to be focused on Japan, the other people also
express concern with both West Germany and Korea (and Singapore).
Both wondered why no concern there, so I inject these two nations
into the discussion while removing sci.edu from the newsgroups line.
Longish signature follows "Type 'n' now"
Another gross generalization from
--eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@aurora.arc.nasa.gov
resident cynic at the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers:
"You trust the `reply' command with all those different mailers out there?"
"If my mail does not reach you, please accept my apology."
{ncar,decwrl,hplabs,uunet}!ames!eugene
Live free or die.