[ianc]

I think a lot of the perceived differences are really cultural.

The German educational system is far more rigorous than the American. When a German engineer graduates, he has learned and retained far more than an American one. And yes, I did get a BSME 15 years ago.

Additionally, in Germany there is a tradition of craftsmanship and pride in good work. This is being somewhat diluted today (and hence the declining quality), but it's a far cry from the United States. The poster who said Americans are fat, dumb and lazy is, to a certain extent, correct. Americans don't really care about anything but themselves, and making a quick buck. People in our culture don't care about society as a whole, only about how they themselves can get ahead by whatever means necessary, and the quicker the better. Contrast this with Japanese culture, and the difference is quite apparent.

You see examples of this every day. Look at the whole SUV craze. All Americans want is to look cool, no matter how stupid a vehicle we drive. Ford and GM realize this, and are willing to capitalize on it, producing huge profit margins on them. Did it ever occur to them that cheap gas was not going to last and they had better make some contingency plans? Nope. Just keep raking in the cash while they can. Look at them now.

Did we stop to think that R&D work on hybrids might pay off and devote some resources to that? Nope, why bother. Let's just pay obscene salaries to our auto execs and keep cranking out the crap.

When the ****e hit the fan at the pump, there we were with our pants down while the Japanese just smiled.

Until we learn to think ahead and worry about more than ourselves, we're doomed to failure.

ianc