A superpower hardly needs to be perfect, it just needs to be good at being a superpower - science level, industry production, human resources, military, ie the stuff that China is catching up fast with or is gone already.

Quality of life, human rights and democratic institutions are nice but not vital to superpower status. They are vital for sucess lasting more than two generations though so there is hope in that.

Trump naturally wants to be loved but he can't let that happen. In his heart everyone wants him for his money. He believes he can buy love and that's exactly the kind of love that keeps him unsatisfied without a clue as to why. Catch 22. Trapped behind his own wall. This is the reason why he needs so much attention. But, it never fills that void.

Yeah, my sentiments exactly. I wonder if they tried for days to catch a real homeless person sleeping there before they finally brought in an actor.

your contention that ONLY personal profit drives invention or innovation.

I'm afraid I've never argued that, I can lead by agreeing whole heartedly that such a contention is false.

I merely pointed out that in a video about how 'capitalism didn't create the iphone', the authors own examples of innovations that lead to the iphone are all 100% from within an economy based on capitalism. My very first post stated clearly that it's not a purely capitalist system, but that it is noteworthy that not a one of the examples chosen by the author making his point came from a socialist country.

Can you offer a comparative American/Russian timeline of computer innovations
Well, I could actually. If you want to deny the fact that Russia basically halted their computer R&D multiple times in the 70s, 80s and 90s in place of just stealing American advances because they were so far behind I can cite examples for you...

And for some unknown to you reason China is beating the ever loving pants off America lately.
1. Factually, no they are not. The fastest network gear, CPU and GPU tech are all base on American research and innovation. America is still hands down leading the field in all categories but manufacturing cost, but that isn't for reasons of technological advancement but instead a 'different approach' to environmental and labour regulations.
2. Within the 5G space you alluded to earlier, there is an additional answer. Their 5G isn't 'better' but rather 'cheaper' for reasons stated in 1. The existence of their 'own' 5G tech though isnt' because Huawei's own R&D was caught up so fast through their own innovation. Instead if you look into the history of network companies, Canadian giant Nortel was giving Cisco a solid run for it's money for a time, until they utterly collapsed because of massive corporate espionage stealing almost all of their tech and under cutting them on price. China's just using the same playbook as Russia to catch up.

Russia beat America into space

Well, if you want to go down that road the conclusion is that fascism is the key to technological advancement, as America and Russia were largely just pitting the scientists they each captured from the Nazis against one another.

Once again though, my point has never been that only capitalism can result in innovation. Instead, I made the vastly more modest proposal that personal profit from inventions is beneficial to innovation. I further observed that the video author's own examples support that observation, and in that contradict his own conclusion.

Ohhhhhhh yeaaaaaah.... nice catch.

newtboy's on point again, thanks.

Using bcglorf's logic, it is TAXATION that invented the internet. Name me a country (capitalist/communist/socialist or otherwise) that doesn't tax its people, bcglorf. Makes no sense to me. The video's intent is about defining the "who" invented the (early) internet, it's about credit where it's due, not blindly attributing everything to the almighty "capitalism". The video is saying IS IT NOT IT (capitalism).

I wouldn't say the inventors didn't take advantage of its research, it's just that for them it's not (only) about profit. The military benefits with precision-guided missiles, drones & satellites, universities got their connected & online classrooms.

China is ALREADY doing R&D on 6G (https://www.techradar.com/news/china-has-already-kicked-off-its-6g-research)... "capitalism" better catch up, bcglorf!

What MUST be said though, is that the world really should thank the USA to open the tech & infrastructure up to the public (including the world) to make the world a more connected place (even with its many social warts and all).

Sure, the world has had fire since it's been a planet, but if I told you in 1979 that in the next 5 years both the world's funniest comedian and most popular pop star would survive catching themselves on fire, that's still a miraculously accurate prediction.

Chicken restaurant chain releases new chicken sandwich, runs out, and causes multiple riots was hardly foreseeable, imo....at least not the first time. I kind of expected it for the reboot, granted.

When your heart dies, the music will catch you.

I find this hard to believe.

I've seen a lot of videos of people catching on video a close-up lightning strike (like in their backyard) and there's always an enormous, deafening explosion sound when the lightning hits, and you also see it.

In this video there's just a flash in the sky and the two blokes seemingly just lay down with a bellyache.

Seems like something you might catch me sifting The Monkees tv show was my absolute jam as a kid. https://videosift.com/video/The-Monkees-Im-A-Believer
I do however love the German version they use in the JoJo trailer. The David Bowie "Heroes" song also seems amazing in German. https://youtu.be/nb6Gbi1MpoE

The wheel catch at 2:55 seems impossible
*quality

Catch everyone who doesn't have a gas can and lighter in their hands. Anyone dumb enough to unambiguously look like an arsonist in a burning building gets a Darwin award posthumously.

Then why ignore the one asking for help to give to one who just looks like they need help? That's not trust, it's judgement. Maybe they're just dirty, not homeless or needy.

Edit: My point is most people don't help homeless or needy people because they think there's a good chance they're going to use the money for something they don't support or that they're not really needy (some panhandlers in SF have reportedly pulled six figure incomes, I knew of one at Stanford that drove to work panhandling in a nice Mercedes.) If you can take the time to buy them a meal of their choosing or what they need in a store, you have control and helped more...on top of treating them like a human being, not a problem or eyesore. Those wanting cash, not help, will refuse.
Yes, I understand it's asking more of people.

1) I'm not opposed to suicide. If life makes you unhappy, I don't insist you suffer through it. People who judge themselves unworthy of life fall into that category.

2) I've been at it for 45 years+-. It has nothing to do with strength, it's about a compulsion to work towards fairness, knowing it won't ever be reached, at least in my lifetime. I'm strong enough to never condone or excuse clear racism as long as I draw breath.

3) ? You would catch the arsonists before the home owner and their children and not lay blame at their feet. I would let the arsonist burn, locking them inside the house they ignited after saving the family. He's the one with the gas can and lighter if you can't identify who is who.
Calling out wholly inappropriate behavior/speech is never a waste of time. Gaining the trust of racists at the expense of their victims and society as a whole is worse than a waste of time, it's supporting racism.

4) My point. Let them get it, while not allowing your gift to be stolen or misused for harm or other things they get judged harshly for. No judgement, no opportunity for misuse, not just throwing money at a problem, helping a person.

1) Everyone makes mistakes. When the error of their ways is exposed they may change or they may put a gun to their head. Only they can judge themselves.

2) Keep denouncing as long as you can. You will need to know how strong you were.

3) Nipping it in the bud every single time will be a waste of time. When the house is on fire and people are jumping, you need to be there to catch them just as they will be there to catch you.

4) No need to judge. Give as little or as much as you like without terms or conditions. They know better than you what they need.

I remember fireflies in PA. I used to catch them, but they all died overnight.