A few years ago, the city of Paris hosted an international conference for engineers from around the world. On the second day of the conference, the engineers were informed that the coast of Japan had been hit be a massive tsunami.
While eating their lunch, the engineers listened intently to the radio broadcasts coming in and learned the President of the United States had made a decision to deploy two US aircraft carriers to Japan.
Immediately, many of the European engineers began to chuckle. Finally, one French engineer said, "How dumb is that? The President of the United States is sending two aircraft carriers to Japan. What does he intend to do, bomb the Japanese during this natural disaster?"
An engineer from the Boeing corporation who was attending this conference and seated at an adjoining table heard this comment and leaned over toward the table of European engineers and said, "All American aircraft carriers have three hospitals on board which can treat up to five hundred people per day. They are all nuclear powered so they can supply unlimited emergency electrical power to facilities on shore. Each ship has three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 6,000 people three meals a day for up to 90 days without the need to resupply."
Immediately, many of the European engineers began to chuckle. Finally, one French engineer said, "How dumb is that? The President of the United States is sending two aircraft carriers to Japan. What does he intend to do, bomb the Japanese during this natural disaster?"
An engineer from the Boeing corporation who was attending this conference and seated at an adjoining table heard this comment and leaned over toward the table of European engineers and said, "All American aircraft carriers have three hospitals on board which can treat up to five hundred people per day. They are all nuclear powered so they can supply unlimited emergency electrical power to facilities on shore. Each ship has three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 6,000 people three meals a day for up to 90 days without the need to resupply."
He then went on to say that every carrier is equipped with a sophisticated desalination system that can produce over 40,000 gallons of fresh water a day from seawater. He also pointed out that all US carriers sail from port with a minimum of six helicopters on board and noted that these helicopters can fly injured citizens back to the ship for medical attention or can transport victims to higher grounds if necessary.
When he finished, he looked at the table of European engineers who scoffed at how dumb it was for the Americans to deploy two aircraft carriers into a natural disaster area then ended by saying, "America has eleven such ships; just how many similar ships do your countries have?"
The European engineers just sat silent and laughed no more.
The European engineers just sat silent and laughed no more.
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