Communist Audis!

[Huw Powell]

> Russian "tourists"
> used to walk around at Boeing assembly plants with extra-sticky soles on
> their shoes to capture metal fragments to bring back home and analyze.

If you believe that, I can get you the clear deed on a really nice 
bridge.  The part about an aeorspace company leaving sensitive scrap 
around in "tourist" walkways, that is...

> But America's lead in engineering, materials science, and manufacturing is
> disappearing. 

I think that's part of why we drive these German cars.

> That's been the result of a coordinated effort to knock it
> down in the past 30 years. 

You mean, to catch up.  The question is, is "America" (or, "the West"? 
The "non-terrorists"?  The "good guys"?) doing what it can to keep that 
lead?  I think every country (village, city-state, etc.) that ever 
existed has wanted to vault itself past its competitors (a/k/a enemies 
at times) by any means possible.

> We've done this in favor of "progressive" social
> programs and in my view it has been disastrous.

You get a political penalty flag on that play, losing 15 yards and 
possession of the ball.

One reason some of it has happened is China's willingness to provide, 
um, "cheap" labor to make things to the USA and others specs.  To say 
nothing of free factories & tooling - to spec, of course.

What VAG did with those dies (etc.) was not part of come international 
conspiracy to eliminate American technological dominance - they did it 
to make money.

All that matters here on this list, really, is the curiosity factor of 
the cars (still?) being made there, and whether it can possibly be a 
source of properly made parts that are NLA through Germany.

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi

http://www.humanthoughts.org/