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In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 01:31:30 PM EST
The F-35 is a cool toy, but... The price tag aint worth it. Not that I'm not biased as I get approximately 5 eurocents of pure profit for every Gripen sold. ;)

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid (arvid.hallen at gmail.com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 01:54:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Nice to know that, whatever the stte of the economy, our lords and masters will continue to prioritise stupid pointless toys like that.

And BruceMcF thinks the US are gonna claw back their military empire in the next couple of decades. The delusions needed to maintain such a military simply cannot be journeyed to when starting from reality.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 01:56:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Isn't it those toys that the UK is buying to fly from the new carriers?

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 02:00:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yes, but the F-35 program is in rather deep shit so the Brits are talking about getting modified Eurofighters for the carriers instead.

In my opinion the most reasonable solution for the Brits would be to choose Rafales for the carriers as there is already a carrier version of Rafale.

But Rafale, the indignity! ;-D

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid (arvid.hallen at gmail.com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 02:16:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 05:58:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
LOL.  LOTD.  "Well, you can't get even one olympic sized swimming pool into a helicopter."

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
by Crazy Horse on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 06:09:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The best was the what is it for segment...

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 06:21:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yes, but we can't use the planes outside of Britain.

Or "Yes, we could use the Harriers.  Yes, from '69.  Well, we could use them against anyone who doesn't have an air force."

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 06:25:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Pure genius!

Who are the two humorists?

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 06:11:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
John Bird and John Fortune, theyve been doing these fictional interviews since 1999 as part of a satirical TV series. Their financial ones this year have been particularly cutting.

(and the hour long Iraq war special they did on the eve of the Invasion is always woth a Watch

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 06:20:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
John Bird and John Fortune
aka "The Long Johns"
aka "The Two Johns"
in some places.
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 06:20:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Probably {depressed sigh}

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 02:17:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Pointless? No, this is what Marx called the "superstructure"! We can't just spend money on the necessities of life, we need some cool stuff too. Like opera and theater. And fighter planes.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid (arvid.hallen at gmail.com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 02:24:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I propose we dedicate our 'cool stuff' money to stuff that isn't made to kill with. Something useful would be a bonus.
by someone (s0me1smail(a)gmail(d)com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 04:02:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ah, but we just said it shouldn't be useful stuff! ;)

Furthermore, fighter planes are not made to kill, not anymore than kitchen knives. Sure they can kill - but that's not what they're there for.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid (arvid.hallen at gmail.com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 04:05:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
No, fighter planes are weapons: they're for killing with or at least threatening to kill with. Like a sword: no peaceful use.

A kitchen knife is for cooking with: it's a kitchen tool.

Your analogy is broken, unless you can't tell the difference between serving dinner and severing heads.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 04:21:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
what if he's intending to cook the foreigners after they're killed? ;-)

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Oct 13th, 2008 at 04:40:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's hard to imagine a more peaceful tool than a weapon, at least if you're a Swede. Weapons are used for deterrence, to reduce the risk of war, "Peace is our profession" etc.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid (arvid.hallen at gmail.com) on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 11:07:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]
No, no. 'We' (you) said it should not be the 'necessities of life'. The two are different. I would consider what I work on (particle accelerators for high energy physics) to be 'somewhat useful', but definitely not a necessity of life. I.e. cool stuff that's not made to kill, and will add to our knowledge of the universe mostly to satisfy our curiosity.

Planes are weapons. They are made to serve a function in the kill machine, even if fighters are perhaps not the most direct instrument for mass murder.

by someone (s0me1smail(a)gmail(d)com) on Tue Oct 14th, 2008 at 03:46:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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