Agiel Posted November 1, 2016 Author Posted November 1, 2016 (edited) A German pal sent me a picture of a Typhoon in a special livery connecting Richtofen and Hartmann: I'd like to have seen something referencing Marseille. That guy was a fighter pilot's fighter pilot: Schröer reports that Marseille was often in breach of military discipline. Consequently Marseille was ordered to stay on base while his class mates were on weekend leave. Quite frequently Marseille ignored this and left Schröer a note: "Went out! Please take my chores." On one occasion, while performing a slow circuit, Marseille broke away and performed an imaginary weaving dogfight. He was reprimanded by his commanding officer, Hauptmann Mueller-Rohrmoser, and taken off flying duties and his promotion to Gefreiter postponed. Soon after, during a cross-country flight, he landed on a quiet stretch of Autobahn (between Magdeburg and Braunschweig) and ran behind a tree to relieve himself. Some farmers came to enquire if he needed assistance, but by the time they arrived Marseille was on his way, and they were blown back by his slipstream. Infuriated, the farmers reported the matter and Marseille was again suspended from flying. Those he graduated with had been made full officers by early 1940, while Marseille's indiscipline left him with the rank of Oberfähnrich at the end of 1941. Edited November 1, 2016 by Agiel Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Raithe Posted November 3, 2016 Posted November 3, 2016 "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum."
ShadySands Posted November 8, 2016 Posted November 8, 2016 Nato puts 300,000 ground troops on 'high alert' as tensions with Russia mount Free games updated 3/4/21
Agiel Posted November 9, 2016 Author Posted November 9, 2016 (edited) Something that might prove handy for some for the next 4-8 years, if we make it that far of course: http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/ Edited November 9, 2016 by Agiel 1 Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Raithe Posted November 11, 2016 Posted November 11, 2016 2 "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum."
Agiel Posted November 11, 2016 Author Posted November 11, 2016 (edited) Edited November 11, 2016 by Agiel Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Raithe Posted November 11, 2016 Posted November 11, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH3-Gt7mgyM "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum."
Sarex Posted November 12, 2016 Posted November 12, 2016 http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23846/china-anti-stealth-radars-detect-f-22/ "because they filled mommy with enough mythic power to become a demi-god" - KP
Agiel Posted November 12, 2016 Author Posted November 12, 2016 Tiny bit late, but still moving nonetheless: Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Agiel Posted November 15, 2016 Author Posted November 15, 2016 Jeffrey Lewis of Arms Control Wonk had a pretty epic tweet storm regarding Trump's incoherent East Asia proliferation/non-proliferation policy: https://twitter.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/798158687533613057 Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Raithe Posted November 18, 2016 Posted November 18, 2016 "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum."
Agiel Posted December 11, 2016 Author Posted December 11, 2016 Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Agiel Posted December 20, 2016 Author Posted December 20, 2016 (edited) Richard Aboulafia summing up this year. Note that this does include some civil aviation talk that many will find a snooze. Most of these emphases are Aboulafia's, but there's one that's mine. Try your hand at guessing which one it is: Dear Fellow Brexit, Turkey Coup, Mideast Horror, and, oh, right…US Election…Survivors,Last year’s December letter presented the companies and aircraft that experienced a strange mix of very good and very bad fortune in 2015. This year was a lot less ambiguous; so, I’m going back to my winners and losers year-end letter format. In keeping with one theme of the year, I will divide these into “Yuge!” and “Sad!”: Yuge! #1: Boeing Military Aircraft. An amazing year. Qatar become a new F-15 customer with 36 firm orders and possibly 36 more. The Super Hornet got 28 orders from Kuwait, while Canada decided to order 18. Canada will still consider the F-35 for the remainder of its fighter requirement, but since the RCAF probably won’t operate two fighter types, this could mean 47 more Super Hornets. It also looks like the Navy has the desire and budget to keep buying 10-15 Super Hornets annually, probably through FY 2020 at least. The P-8 is in great shape too, with a UK order for nine, while Norway announced plans to order five. The KC-46 largely stayed out of the headlines, which, by the standards of this program, is a respectable accomplishment. Only downside: the final C-17 delivery, in February.Yuge! #2: Defense Markets in General. They’re going up worldwide, particularly as old alliances fragment, tensions increase, and fear prevails. Global spending rose in 2016, for the second straight year (2015 saw the first worldwide increase since 2011). And the Trump administration promises great things for defense. The only downside: having to suffer through the occasional Trump tweet, aimed at pandering to the base and convincing them that he’s not just going to throw tens of billions of dollars at defense contractors (which he will). Investors will acclimatize to these tweets once they realize the upward trajectory of defense company share prices. The US’s allies are spending more too, as they fear abandonment by the US and its Putin-friendly president and his national security advisor. Despite weak economic outlooks, resource-rich states are prioritizing defense too.Yuge! #3: A321neo. Through November, it has 1,376 orders versus around 250-350 737MAX9s (Boeing doesn’t break them out). Turns out, the 321neo is a great 757 replacement, and just a great plane, period. This puts Airbus in the Middle-of-Market driver’s seat, putting the burden on Boeing to do an all-new jet in this space. Boeing is also contemplating a 737MAX10 with Rube Goldberg-esque landing gear.Sad! #1: The Twin Aisle Market (and jets). After a remarkable 15.7% annual growth rate from 2011-2015, output has plateaued. Until 2012, no twin aisle had been built at rates of 100 planes per year. Since then, we’ve seen both the A330 and 787 rise above that level, and the 777 peaked at 99, and the A350XWB will exceed 100 in a few years too. But overcapacity, particularly in the Mideast, has led to a serious orders drop this year. Earlier this month Boeing announced a second 777 rate cut in 2017 (from seven to five per month). Looking at orders, there will be further 777 rate cuts in 2018 and 2019. The company also deferred plans to go to 14 787s per month. Meanwhile, Airbus’s A330neo order book seems to have stalled out. Which leads us to…Sad! #2: The A380. I’ve always been the most pessimistic forecaster on Airbus’s WhaleJet, yet reality has consistently proven me too optimistic. Teal’s forecast calls for the last delivery in 2019; reading the tea leaves and looking at the numbers, this too may be overly optimistic.Sad! #3: Large Civil Rotorcraft. Weak oil prices have led to multiple operator bankruptcies, leading to surplus helos and minimal demand. Civil S-92, AW139/189, and Super Puma deliveries look set to fall by 40% in 2016, unless we have a miraculous fourth quarter. Unless we see a recovery, there could be a lot of pain among the producers – Airbus’s H175 is off to a slow start, while Bell’s 525 looks set to arrive at an inauspicious moment.Not everything was black and white. A brief list of 2016’s noteworthy planes in the middle: 1. 787. Performing well, but the order book does not support any further rate hikes, and the current rate may be unsustainable beyond 2019. Recurring costs finally turned cash positive, but only after about 500 deliveries. That leaves 800 jets in the accounting block to pay back $29 billion in deferred costs, or $36 million per jet. That does not sound achievable.2. F-16. This record-setting program may close in late 2017, the first Western export fighter line to close since Tornado died in 1997. But it’s in a strong position in India, a possible 100+ fighter order. If Trump changes the US’s China policy, a Taiwan sale is possible too.3. Scorpion. Still no launch order. But in 2016 Textron announced plans to build a batch on spec. That’s right – military aircraft white tails are now a thing. Boeing’s C-17 white tails were easily sold, but it had a large user base. This is another story completely.4. CSeries. Tiny numbers delivered, and concerns about Bombardier’s financial wherewithal to do the ramp, particularly due to large business jet market weakness. Still waiting for more Canadian government assistance. But the plane itself looks excellent.5. F-35. Solid orders, sluggish deliveries, generally positive performance. As predicted in my last month’s letter, it got a Trump tweet, again best ignored. More seriously, in November DoD unilaterally imposed a Lot 9 LRIP contract, after failing to reach agreement on price. LockMart may need to re-think both price expectations and government relations on this.So, that’s 2016 in aircraft. The big theme: the military side looks great, while the civil markets have either peaked or are falling. That depressing reality sums up the world. And it’s virtually certain that both trends will accelerate over the next four years.Finally, I would like to note the passing of my old friend John Newhouse, earlier this month. The Sporty Game, published in 1982, remains the single best book about the aviation industry. I got to know him as he began writing Boeing Versus Airbus, published in 2007 and also essential. But just about everything John wrote during his career, which began in the 1950s, is superb (particularly War and Peace in the Nuclear Age). My thoughts are with his wife and family.December Aircraft Binder updates include the F/A-18, AW109/119/169, CH-47, Tucano, AH-64, and FalconJet reports. Please note: we’re still running a bit late with these due to a new publication system; my apologies for that. And all the best for the holidays.Yours, ‘Til 2017 Brings Us Something Less Horrible,Richard Aboulafia Edited December 20, 2016 by Agiel Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Wrath of Dagon Posted December 21, 2016 Posted December 21, 2016 Last flight of the Phantom: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/12/the_final_flight_for_the_f4_phantom_set_for_next_week.html "Moral indignation is a standard strategy for endowing the idiot with dignity." Marshall McLuhan
Gfted1 Posted December 22, 2016 Posted December 22, 2016 Multi-mission SM-6 missile intercepted ballistic target for the second time. 1 "I'm your biggest fan, Ill follow you until you love me, Papa"
Agiel Posted December 23, 2016 Author Posted December 23, 2016 To addend to that, here's an excellent 18-part series on the development of the Standard Missile and Aegis Combat System: http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/u-s-navy-missile-defense-the-transition-from-guns-to-missiles/ Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Agiel Posted January 8, 2017 Author Posted January 8, 2017 Mattis Backs F-35 Stealth Fighter Criticized by Trump Called this on the Credible Defense reddit. Still, I have to imagine Trump's thought process of deciding that a Superbug used by the Navy would be adequate for _Air Force_ requirements: "Quality means everything, just like the name 'Trump!' Look at that name 'Superhornet'! It's from the 'Super-,' you know. It says that it's great and means 'quality'! Only the greatest, the best for our Air Force!" Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Gromnir Posted January 8, 2017 Posted January 8, 2017 Mattis Backs F-35 Stealth Fighter Criticized by Trump Called this on the Credible Defense reddit. Still, I have to imagine Trump's thought process of deciding that a Superbug used by the Navy would be adequate for _Air Force_ requirements: "Quality means everything, just like the name 'Trump!' Look at that name 'Superhornet'! It's from the 'Super-,' you know. It says that it's great and means 'quality'! Only the greatest, the best for our Air Force!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW_hGOFukMQ HA! Good Fun! 1 "If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."Justice Louis Brandeis, Concurring, Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927) "Im indifferent to almost any murder as long as it doesn't affect me or mine."--Gfted1 (September 30, 2019)
Gfted1 Posted January 12, 2017 Posted January 12, 2017 DOD successfully tests terrifying swarm of 104 micro-drones. 1 "I'm your biggest fan, Ill follow you until you love me, Papa"
Agiel Posted January 13, 2017 Author Posted January 13, 2017 (edited) Mattis strikes sharp contrast to Trump on F-35, nuclear weapons Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense supports Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme, the NATO alliance and restrained use of nuclear weapons during his confirmation hearing, marking a stark departure from the president-elect. Retired US Marine Corps General James Mattis’ stance on those issues would have been unremarkable with any other incoming administration. Yet in light of Trump’s Twitter attacks on the defense aviation industry and his coziness with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mattis’ boilerplate comments took on a fresh relevance. During his 12 January Senate confirmation hearing, Mattis struck a calm, measured tone. Where recent senate confirmation hearings of Trump’s nominees experienced repeated interruptions from protesters and heated questioning from senators, Mattis’ hearing saw little contention. If confirmed, Mattis could form a counterweight to Trump in the Pentagon. While Trump has targeted the F-35 programme numerous times on the campaign and on Twitter since his election, Mattis praised the fighter and called it critical to allies’ capability. Not only will the F-35 magnify the capability of other US aircraft, the fighter will create the total strength of several foreign air forces, he says. When asked about Trump’s tendency to tweet about defense aviation programmes, Mattis demurred. “It’s not my role to comment on his statements other than to say he is serious about getting the best bang for the dollar and that’s where I find common ground with him,” Mattis says. “I see his statements on certain defense programmes showing his serious side of keeping these programmes under control.” In written statements, Mattis told senators he would support the nuclear-capable F-35 and bomber programme. Further, the retired general backed dual-capable F-35s for NATO and supported the deployment of the B-61 weapon system. In August, Trump reportedly asked about the US nuclear arsenal: “If we have them, why can’t we use them?” In contrast, Mattis took a more measured approach to the employment of nuclear weapons. “I consider the [nuclear] deterrent to be critical because we don’t ever want those weapons used,” he says. As the US military examines a recapitalisation of its entire nuclear triad, Mattis told senators he would support a “manned” bomber indicating he could thwart previous attempts to create an unmanned bomber. In September, the US Air Force’s head of Global Strike Command said the bomber could be unmanned in the future, but maintained the service is not planning any unmanned designs today. While Mattis vouched for the bomber, intercontinental ballistic missile and submarine elements of the triad recapitalisation, he deferred senators’ questions on the Long Range Standoff weapon. “I need to look at that one,” he says. “It makes sense, but I need to look at it in respect to its deterrent capability.” Over the course of his campaign, Trump railed against NATO allies whom he said did not contribute enough funding. In a typical confirmation hearing, a potential defense secretary’s support of NATO would not constitute news. But Mattis’ support of NATO and cautious tone over cooperating with Russia struck a different chord. “I would see us maintaining strongest possible relationship with NATO,” he says. “If we didn’t have NATO today we would need to create it.” Have to hope Mattis can make like a mushroom and bloom wherever he's planted. If Trump's management style is anything to go by, Mattis could be in for a rough ride. Edited January 13, 2017 by Agiel Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Gfted1 Posted January 20, 2017 Posted January 20, 2017 U.S. Army Chooses Sig Sauer P320 For Its New Service Pistol. "I'm your biggest fan, Ill follow you until you love me, Papa"
Agiel Posted January 28, 2017 Author Posted January 28, 2017 Years from now we're going to be seeing books written about how quickly Trump's honeymoon with Mattis and the Pentagon fell apart over everything from procurement to NATO. This kind of clash of personalities, fundamental disconnect of priorities, and total cluelessness on foreign policy on the part of Trump for whatever reason gives me some vibes of John Diefenbaker's Ministry and his Cuban Missile Crisis and Bomarc debacles. Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Gromnir Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 saw this first at the washington post, but not everybody has a digital subscription. philistines. anywho http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/f-35-a-great-plane-now-thanks-to-president-trump-1791824958 more alternate facts. HA! Good Fun! 2 "If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."Justice Louis Brandeis, Concurring, Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927) "Im indifferent to almost any murder as long as it doesn't affect me or mine."--Gfted1 (September 30, 2019)
Agiel Posted February 1, 2017 Author Posted February 1, 2017 (edited) Correct. Trump could also have optionally had said "Because of me the sun will rise tomorrow morning." Following was from an Aviation Week article (which too is behind a paywall, but I'll just post a small excerpt): President-elect Trump’s ongoing pledge to reduce the cost of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter by stoking competition using the F/A-18 is an empty promise, outgoing Navy Secretary Ray Mabus says. “This may be the easiest promise anybody’s ever made. It was going to happen anyway.” The program is expected to transition soon from low-rate initial production into full production, which typically leads to a lower per-aircraft price. “Those prices ought to drop down . . . just as a factor of increasing production,” Mabus says. From that you can get a reasonable idea of what words were exchanged between Trump and the Lockheed Martin rep a week or so back: "My voters can't be bothered to work out that more experience with the manufacturing process to reduce scrap and waste and economies of scale will bring down costs as sure as it will rain in London, but just let me have this and I'll never twitter-shame you again and I'll make sure the defence budget will go up, which will be great for your bottom line." Unfortunately at the moment I can't be arsed to translate that into Trump's typical word-salad. Edited February 1, 2017 by Agiel Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Gorth Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 Correct. Trump could also have optionally had said "Because of me the sun will rise tomorrow morning."Not trying to turn this into a politics thread, but he would probably also claim the credit for daylight savings “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
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