Was America ever great?

@whowasthatmaskedman I’d put our half century (1945-1995) up against any other empires best half century .ottomans , Roman’s , Persians , Brit’s , Mongols. I’d say we bested them .

@AthrillatheHunt I couldnt argue with that progress from the infernal combustion engine to Moon landings alone is worth it..😷

@AthrillatheHunt

But you're forgetting, or perhaps you didn't know, that it was German engineering that put the USA on the moon, not American engineering and it was German engineering that built the A-bomb for the USA, not American engineering. Americans became the ultimate benefactors of German engineering, but it wasn't American minds that put the USA on the map, just sayin'... 🤷🏼‍♀

@swirlie You are absolutely correct...However, General Yamamoto did not warn Japan of the brilliance of Americas scientists to deter them from going to war. He warned the Japanese leadership of the awesomeness of Americas industrial might. America was never a great innovator. The engine that powered the P51 Mustang was a Rolls Royce Merlin built under licence by Packard. The German tanks had to face groups of Sherman tanks, not just one at a time.Its the side that can replace losses and keep coming that truimphs in the end..During WW2 America was a safe haven for resuppy of everything from food to men to ships and planes, while German and Japan were bombed to a standstill in terms of production of anything..😷

@whowasthatmaskedman
Off the top of my head, I cannot think of a single thing the USA was the primary innovator of, looking back as far as about 1940, can you?

@swirlie What America has been great at is advances in mass production. Like Fords Assembly line. And those things go back as least as far as the civil war with the weapons manufactire. (I believe it was Springfield Armoury, but could be wrong) In WW2 America built Liberty ships at an unbelievable pace to supply europe. Not great ships, not fast ships. But more ships than could be stopped.
And I think there is something that shouldnt be forgotten. Standardized mass production made America a world leader. Not the superior engineering of germany or scientific advances. And those same techniques made Japanese manufacturing great with TQM manufacturing and JIT inventory control. That same set of advances is being reimagined over and over to make (insert nation here) great again. Because it isnt about who makes the best. Its about who can make more, faster and cheaper and keep those advances going. Thats what won America WW2.😷

@swirlie to the victor go the spoils. History is written by the victor .

@whowasthatmaskedman

If production line innovation is what enabled more, faster and cheaper to be achieved, in addition to having the ability to keep those advances going domestically to serve America's war effort, all of which has left you with the impression that America single-handedly won WWII, then why did America lose the Vietnam war ..and why did America lose the war in Afghanistan as well if more, faster and cheaper is what you think gave America it's intellectual prowess during WWII?

@swirlie Great question. And the answer is simple. Look at how (mostly) America ended the war in Europe and Japan. By using the full force of their military might to pound the industry, the cities and the people into the ground. I wont argue whether that was morally right, but that is how it happened. In every war sincem Americans have attempted to engage their superior military in assimetrical warefare against an inferior military.. And the other side has responded with Guerilla tactics and won, because they had the support of the locals. The Americans were seen as invaders..Why on earth America ever went into Afghanistan is beyond me..😷

@AthrillatheHunt And is therefor 'bunk'?

@whowasthatmaskedman
The reason the USA lost their war with North Vietnam was because the US military was incompetent at jungle warfare, no matter how much military hardware the US threw at the North Vietnamese.

The reason the USA lost their war with Afghanistan was because the US military proved itself to be incompetent at mountain warfare as well, particularly against a seemingly invisible enemy who lived in caves and carried 50 year old rifles, but who also carried cellphones and had internet capability within the mountain ranges of Afghanistan. There are vast areas of rural American flatlands throughout the American midwest TODAY which STILL do not have internet access nor cellphone service.

The reason WWII ended in part, was because of the added benefit of American-made hardware which eventually appeared on the scene, but WWII was also brought to a close just as you've previously stated, "from the support of the locals" ...whom most civilized Nations of the free world still refer to as "The Allied Forces of World War II" which you somehow forgot to mention in your equation.

@swirlie I think that is what I said. American military might became useless in the jungle and without local support. It is a fact America has the power to "win" any war it starts withing 30 minutes by simply turning the country into radioactive glass. ( Lets not pretend they would never do it..) Where the support of the locals is in play there is intelligence gathering, sabotage and resistence. This was apparent all over europe in WW2. Once it was not , the fighting got much harder in Germany itself, even though the German war machine was alread on its knees and starved of supplies of everything. In Korea is was a proxy war between (mostly) the US and the chinese. And that ended in a draw.. Your point on Americas lack of cell phone and internet is well made, if not in point. A nation as densely populated and rich should have pretty much a full coverage there..If the government was effective, it would. 😷