09 Apr 21
@earl-of-trumps saidIt's just unreal to me that politicians would think this literal 'debacle' is a good use of tax dollars but roads, bridges, energy grid upgrades are not. Where are the fracking fiscal conservatives who used to prioritize basic infrastructure projects and would campaign against wasteful spending like this all day long? They used to exist, right?
@wildgrass
"Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller called it a “piece of s..t.” "
😆 Miller does have a way with words, eh?
09 Apr 21
@wildgrass -
Where are the fracking fiscal conservatives
Hey, man... I'm here, doing my share.
Me thinks me people sleep a lot. 😴
09 Apr 21
2 edits
@wildgrass saidI'll try my best here.
It's just unreal to me that politicians would think this literal 'debacle' is a good use of tax dollars but roads, bridges, energy grid upgrades are not. Where are the fracking fiscal conservatives who used to prioritize basic infrastructure projects and would campaign against wasteful spending like this all day long? They used to exist, right?
Suppose you want to buy a BMW and you are given whatever it costs to buy it. You see one going for $100K,
and you like the color. Then you see another, the same car, only $60K but you do not like the color.
So you buy the expensive vehicle to get what you want, not caring the cost because YOU AIN'T PAYING FOR IT.
Further Stated: The Salesman is your nephew and he has a deal to kick some of the excess profit back to you.
Ever notice all the big-wig generals in any branch of the service are RICH?
13 Apr 21
@earl-of-trumps saidCounterpoint: if you didn't have the money to buy the most expensive car, even if it wasn't your money, you wouldn't buy it.
I'll try my best here.
Suppose you want to buy a BMW and you are given whatever it costs to buy it. You see one going for $100K,
and you like the color. Then you see another, the same car, only $60K but you do not like the color.
So you buy the expensive vehicle to get what you want, not caring the cost because YOU AIN'T PAYING FOR IT.
Further Stated: The S ...[text shortened]... s profit back to you.
Ever notice all the big-wig generals in any branch of the service are RICH?
Cut the pentagon budget and see what happens. Key words: Prioritize, cut the fat, focus on value.
13 Apr 21
@wildgrass saidObviously they do not have good "value", we agree with that (cost/enemy taken out)
Counterpoint: if you didn't have the money to buy the most expensive car, even if it wasn't your money, you wouldn't buy it.
Cut the pentagon budget and see what happens. Key words: Prioritize, cut the fat, focus on value.
But we can also see that the Pentagon does in fact have the money or the F-35 would not exist.
And where is the congress on all of this. they do have an oversight committee and the intel committees to keep the congress informed.
Don't look at me, man. All I can say is, the F-35 has been deployed.
16 Apr 21
@earl-of-trumps saidlol. I've got lots more to write about it. Remember when Dateline used to do that "Fleecing of America" segment every week?
just bumping a good thread.
I really like this article from the Nation a few years ago. It correctly called the obsession with the insane F-35 program as an "addiction". I seem to remember that Trump supported ending the F-35 program while he was running for office, but then not surprising reversed his tune once in office. This article also does a good job of lining all the "jobs" the F-35 is supposed to do and then identifying another tool we already have that does that job better. A golden toilet in the sky.
Also, Earl, this quote seems to echo some of your sentiments nicely:
I’m old enough to remember Senator William Proxmire and his “Golden Fleece” awards. Nearly half a century ago, in what now seems like an alternate American universe, he had the temerity to regularly criticize major defense contractors when they fleeced Americans out of billions of dollars for wasteful weaponry. Today, that sort of principled outspokenness is rare indeed in the halls of Congress and rarer still in the White House. With both Congress and the president lining up to sell F-35s, what are ordinary Americans to do?
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/f35-fighter-jet-pentagon/
16 Apr 21
@athousandyoung saidI didn't watch the video but I assume it was about how cool stealth is. It is, definitely, cool. But does it work if the enemy has already hacked into the computers?
[youtube More Binkov on Stealth]XHmETdirunE[/youtube]
16 Apr 21
@wildgrass saidGood one, WG, and yes, I remember Proxmire very well.
lol. I've got lots more to write about it. Remember when Dateline used to do that "Fleecing of America" segment every week?
I really like this article from the Nation a few years ago. It correctly called the obsession with the insane F-35 program as an "addiction". I seem to remember that Trump supported ending the F-35 program while he was running for office, but then ...[text shortened]... dinary Americans to do?[/quote]
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/f35-fighter-jet-pentagon/
19 Apr 21
@earl-of-trumps saidAn ancient relic compared to Mitch McConnell's warchest.
Good one, WG, and yes, I remember Proxmire very well.
He refused to spend any significant money to win re-election. 'I think fully two-thirds of the senators could get re-elected without spending a penny," he declared. He financed his own campaigns. Usually his campaign budget was well under $200 and some of that money went for postage to return money his constituents had donated to him.
19 Apr 21
@wildgrass saidYes stealth is independent of the computers.
I didn't watch the video but I assume it was about how cool stealth is. It is, definitely, cool. But does it work if the enemy has already hacked into the computers?