[allthecybers]

> The impression I got visiting the US in general (NY, Seattle, San Fran, LA), is that it all seems quite ran down, full of inequality and social problems, and lacking soul, mainly from being so consumerist.

Having lived in at least two of the cities listed above I can confirm.

Thinking about this point, some of the most valuable US based companies make gadgets and consumer items for us to play with, or services to entertain or glue us to our screens… Apple, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon (Alexa, etc).

While I can’t seem to live without my iPhone I wonder if our innovation is somewhat misdirected. Where is high-speed rail, broadly adopted forms of alternative energy, new feats of engineering in bridges and infrastructure, ambitious national projects that improve the lives of citizens and bring a higher standard of living not just to coastal cities?

Its worrying, but I wonder if we are here now, where will the US be in 20 years? No doubt the US will be still generating significant shareholder value but have a widening social inequality, crumbled infrastructure and disappearing coastal geography.

[eternalban]

The most run down "empire", ever.

Possibly we're the first instance of an 'Overlay Empire', with its magnificent gleaming Imperial City hidden somewhere in the clouds ..

[magduf]

>Where is high-speed rail, broadly adopted forms of alternative energy, new feats of engineering in bridges and infrastructure, ambitious national projects that improve the lives of citizens and bring a higher standard of living not just to coastal cities?

It's in other countries. Western Europe and Japan and China have high-speed rail, with the most extensive network in Japan. Germany has an incredible amount of solar energy capacity installed, despite being pretty far north. Japan has the world's longest suspension bridge. etc. etc.