The airplane thing is a bit off. The requirements of a bomber haven’t changed in more than 50 years.
It’s not like the US doesn’t have the ability to use drones.
They’re different tools for different jobs. Drones are currently most useful for asymmetrical fighting. If you’re trying to blow up a piece of infrastructure a bomber is more efficient if you have the ability to field one.
It’s criticizing using a jackhammer when electric box cutters exist. There are places you wouldn’t use either if given the choice.
They’re plenty of places in the US working on m battery technology as well. Car companies keep working to make existing product lines more efficient, in no small part because the people in charge of the government just decided to make it harder for people to use different vehicles and get off gasoline.
Battery research isn’t just car companies.
A cultural sense of momentum around a state of affairs that’s lasted several generations is one thing, but it’s not like we’re all running around in the 1800s.
I honestly think it’s kinda sweet how it worked to be honest.
People showed up, gave their kid postage, and told the clerk they were mailing them. Clerk was confused for a minute, and then conceded that there was nothing technically forbidden about that. Kid hops on the scale, postage is correct, and the kid waits behind the counter until the trip to train, where they ride with the operator.
Basically people gently gaming the system and the people involved saying “you’re technically correct” and then looking after a random child.
They only stopped it because they decided you can’t operate a train and keep a kid safe at the same time, and weight is not a great way to price childcare.