Detroit News:

"Porsche AG said it has received "overwhelming" orders in Germany for the revamped 911 sports car two days before the 88,000-euro ($119,000) model goes on sale in Europe."

http://www.detnews.com/article/20111201/AUTO01/112010439/1361/Porsche-has--overwhelming--orders-for-$119-000-revamped-911

(Of course a country that doesn't waste their resources on a military can have great schools and turn out great engineers which in turn create great products like Porsche - and great design philosophy like minimalistic Bauhaus)

 

Gee, last time I checked, spending on national defense is provided for in the Constitution, unlike all the myriad other wasteful, inefficient, and ineffective wealth transfer programs and massive bureaucracies into which our private porperty, and that of unborn generations, are poured into.

When nanny-government promises you cradle to grave benefits, why bother to undertake the hard work to become an automobile engineer?

A tit for tat........now please keep politics off these threads.

 

Relax Hippo - it was more an appreciation of German design and education. An admiration for their education system as a whole. Wish we spent our trillions in that fashion. Love all their industrial design and from Bosch appliances to german cars. I am a fan.

 

yeah, but the downside is that we germans now have to pay for all others in europe, who cannot keep up with their economy.

P.S. some say, we should have better said NO to the Euro but continuing the Deutsch-Mark would have resulted in unaffordable prices for the rest of the world.

 

Same likes for me. Sorry. These Marxists coming out of the woodwork here have me on edge.

 

I feel ya.

 

I could tell - trust me - conservative here. My only social agenda is that we should pump billions into schools (your children and mine) and let our new UBER-educated future leaders run a proper country. Not healthcare, not GM bailouts, not BS. That massive infrastructure bailout should have been evenly distributed throughout our kids schools.

Cheers. On that note I need to pick a 991 color and it's driving me bananas.

 

mexico blue!

 

I just finished listening to John Corzine(ex goldman ceo,us senator,and NJ governor) tell me he doesn't know where 1.2 billion USD went. I know when my bank charges me an extra 5.00 fee and this "smart" guy doesn't know where 1.2 billion went? I'm going back to the car configurator. It's my happy place.

 

If only it or Riviera blue was offered I'd have it on my build. Beautiful colors.

 

Moderators, please delete this comment if you think others will find it offensive or flame provoking. I've tried to not take sides or be inflammatory.

Not sure why but your statement rattled around in my head for a bit, EricP. So, I did some quick research and found that data concerning the actual percentage of GDP spent on education in the U.S. (and other countries) varies wildly by source (who woulda thunk it, huh?). However, the sources I could find that compared G-8 countries and their spending by category agreed that the U.S. spends a higher percentage of GDP than other G-8 countries, Germany included. Needless to say, this was a small sampling and I did not exhaust all evenues of research, just a quick look.

For example, from page V of the summary contained within the Nation Center for Education Statistics' "Comparative Indicators of Education in the United States and Other G-8 Countries":

"Considering education expenditure at all levels combined, the United States spent a higher percentage of its GDP on education (7 percent) than did any of the other G-8 countries (indicator 16)."

Additional information about expenditures can be found on page 45 of this report. This is not to say that we don't spend too much money on military efforts or that we spend too much on education. Merely that we spend more than most other countries on education as a whole. One needs also to keep in mind that this report came out of the U.S.

In all, there doesn't seem to be a lack of funds going into the educational system in the U.S., at least from a comparative standpoint. This would indicate to me that the way the funds are being used is the next logical place to look if one believes that the education in the U.S. isn't up to par.

Interestingly enough, several studies found that some countries you would not think spent as much on education were in fact spending far more than others. Mexico, for instance was consistently highlighted as one country that spent far more than most on education; as much as 17% of GDP according to one source.

OK, I'm going to put my research beenie away now and go back to thinking about an exhaust and ECU tune for my car.

Cheers,

Mike

 

"Mexico" and "GDP" in the same sentence... education never had a chance. You can't deposit percentages in the bank, and the use of them in comparisons such as this aren't compelling. At all. -my 2 cents

 

I'm glad you posted this - no offense at all and good info. First on the Mexico thing - they might spend a larger percentage of their GDP on education but their GDP (while I don't feel like researching it) is not huge. GDP/GNP doesn't include foreign aid.

On the US thing - You're right - they way the money is spent is probably the leak - because there are schools in my inner city with 35-40 kids per class. Proven ideal teacher/student ratios are 11:1. But there was a huge bailout recently and I don't know about your city, but we have about 20 "bridge to nowhere" projects going on. "Dig a hole and fill it up for a paycheck". Why didn't this go to education? Schools are really good at spending $ frugally (once it actually gets to the hands of the school). They are used to watering it down and spreading it around. Imagine what $200B would do for the US school system. That still leave $500B for the "other" projects.

I feel we are a wealthy enough country that our k-12 institutions should rival the science and technological centers of M.I.T. - and our arts programs in K-12 rival that of Julliard. I don't know why it's not. I'm not a proponent of a socialist welfare state - Heck I think the postal system should go away or be stripped to the bone.

But education is paramount. Ask the public about health care and welfare/bailouts and you'll get polarizing points of view. ASK ANYONE, liberal or conservative minded if they want the best possible schools for their children and they will all be in agreement.

Imagine what our country would be like 20 years from now if starting tomorrow every child, yours and mine, went through a school like the Tiger Woods Learning Center or MIT. FULLY FUNDED.

Ok, cheers. I gotta pick a color by tomorrow or lose a month on my car build date. Grrr..

 

We'll put a perfectly good labrador dog down if nobody claims it and it sits in the dumb friends league for longer than a month without adoption. But once Corzine's done lying to Congress he get's to live?

Why can't we put him down?

 

Of course they have overwhelming orders. The car is and has always been awesome. The sales process has become easier over the years. I will also know with one hundred percent certainty that when I take delivery I will own a Porsche. I will probably lose 10 percent a year for the first few years but the sound of the engine will produce a smile like no other. I guess I could leave the money in the bank or stock market and trust the politicians to have my best interest at heart. I'LL TAKE THE PORSCHE!!!!