Ed,

I am inclined to agree with Peter on this one. There are a few ways
that we can try our best to protect the technology, but of course
people will come up with variations to that technology and any real
permanent protection will be futile. This is a concern, but only
because of the initial investment. The end result would be independent
access to greater sources of energy. Imagine being free from the use
and expense of oil to a great degree!

Further, judging from the size of the project needed to accomplish
this, it would take years for anyone to come up with duplicate
technologies and near as much investment.

This is really just my case for what the next "engine of growth"
should be. I dont think we could see any greater gains from any other
industry. But I am not selfish, I will take anything, ok?

In regards to the factories in China. I know, I visit every year. You
are absolutely correct about the modern equipment in many facilities.
The USA mould industry is all but wiped out. Not just because the
Southern Chinese do it chepaer, but they also have more advanced
equipment. This is mirrored all over the country in many industries.

But we have to keep thinking positive, while realizing the negative.
We need better research, better funding in the right places. Better
focus. Bush proposed a $1 billion investment in new energy technology.
It is a drop in the bucket. Oilmen were laughing all the way to the
bank, ****ing in their pants. $1 billion is a joke. We need continuous
investment and research on a similar level as the manhattan project.
There is nothing we cant do, if we set our minds to it.

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message .net...
"bg" wrote in message
om...


But the best way for us to "break out" of this cycle is to innovate.
we did it with IT in the 90's. Now we just need to find that next
engine of growth and innovate. I would nominate energy as being the
best all around possibility, with the greatest potential. Cheap energy
independence would affect every single industry in the country and the
world. Only we would be the masters of a a new technology. The
possibilities are limitless.

And what if another IT doesn't come along? And why would we have an
exclusive on new energy technology?

Technology has become a commodity on world markets. IT may be the last big
example in which one county had an edge. The reason we had an edge in IT for
so long is that Europe made a big mistake, protecting their emerging IT
market with quotas. And Japan made another mistake, with "industrial
planning," putting huge government support behind particular chip
technologies, which quickly became obsolete.

China and India have learned from those mistakes of others and are not
likely to make them again.

One US tool company manager who traveled to China early this year was struck
by seeing more advanced EDMs and molding presses on plant floors than the
ones that are used by US industry. The linear-motor Sodicks and long rows of
German presses knocked him out. The Chinese can implement new technology
fast enough to make your head spin. And U.S. companies that invest there
tend to put in better technology than that which they have in their North
American plants. Shanghai-GM's new engine line, which is now starting to
make the complete engines for the 2004 Chevy Equinox SUV (to be installed in
Canada, and then shipped to the US), probably is the most advanced engine
manufacturing line in the world.

It's hard to imagine an innovation on which we would have an exclusive for
very long.