All Activity

"Keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down" -First NATO Secretary General. It's funny, but true. Access to our markets was part of the post WW2 deal (that America came up with). Just cause you don't like the deal in retrospect, doesn't mean the Euros were being abusive. Arrogant little shit heads, sure but that's different. Most importantly, it kept them from fighting each other. Implicitly threatening to seize land through military force is finally defending ourselves? That's some interesting logic.

Agreed, though I'll call that a false equivalency. This is us pushing back against an organization of countries that have abused the good graces of the USA and acted as though access to our markets and access to use of our military force is their own personal birthright. During my time in NATO that attitude was common, and rather amusing to point out. Denmark really is too poor to buy blanks for it's military, so they point and say 'bang'. I'd guess the UK, some of the Nordic countries, and possibly now Poland are the only EU countries that could actually defend their own boarders...though Germany is on that path finally...(the history buff in me shutters at that). The US and the reputation of our military has kept the EU's Eastern flank secure for so long that the Europeans have forgotten that fact. Now the are being reminded and their calling foul on what should be called truth. Saying we're stealing our sidekick's lunch money is like saying a battered wife who finally defends herself is committed assault (I imagine something like Ronda Rousey being a battered wife for years and then finally realizing, wait, I can kill this guy...). On a technical level it might technically be true. On the truth level it's not. This is isn't bullying. This is the US finally standing up for itself.

Auditioning for the big job, maybe?

It's not immoral if the plan is to buy it. It may be exploitative negotiations, but as I said before, that's the devil's bargain Europe made when they outsourced their security to the US. I happen to think a big fucking war is coming, so I'm a bit more amenable to efforts to shore up our side of the globe. I am, however, skeptical of Trump's specific strategy in this case for obtaining Greenland. I think his taunting of Canada was a pretty big whiff, so we'll see if it works with Europe. I would consider any arrangement where the US "owns" any part(s) of Greenland to be used 100% at our discretion as a big win. I think the best case scenario, and perhaps most likely, is that the "compromise" ends up being the sale of specific small, strategic, uninhabited parts of Greenland to the U.S. and mineral/resource agreements with Denmark for the rest of the land. We get what we need with none of the headache of another random population that is and isn't American. Trump is 80. There's no universe where his prowess and people skills are what they used to be, and it's showing. I think he's still on the mark for the "what" of his foreign policy, but the "how" is struggling.

Well right now the house is on fire and I need to decide which one to save first...

Its about financial security. We've all heard it over-and-over that America subsidizes the security of Europe, so much so that we blow off its impacts as insignificant... they are not. The primary reason these countries are able to maintain welfare states is because we do this. The primary reason America is in significant debt is because we have subsidized so much of the world (defense and otherwise), and asked almost nothing in return. This is a core Christian value, not sustainable in a national policy context. It is no small thing. Every time someone highlights something another country has better, its drawing on this reality. Greenland is an extension of this conflict. Its important to position against China/Russia in the artic, but we can't subsidize European defense again without potential upside, there is no potential upside on offer from Europe right now. They want the US protection and all the resources.

What a game! I certainly didn't have Indiana going 16-0 on my bingo card this season, but it's hard to not like Coach Cignetti and what he and his boys have done this season. Hats of to Miami on a strong season, they man handled my Buckeyes and earned their right at the national Championship game via a hard fought schedule. College Football may be a bit jacked up right now, but I thought this was a pretty awesome season to watch.

Threatening to beat up your playground sidekick to get his lunch money is slightly better than actually beating him up. The entire Greenland thing is asinine (in addition to being immoral) not one of the justifications makes any sense. Much like narco boats, they are all sophistry. This, like Venezuela is about Monroe doctrine.

Epic slugfest...Indiana was the better team and they deserve this end to their magical season. Mendoza was lights out on the TD run. Proud of the Canes and their run, they beat ND, FSU, UF, Ohio State, A&M and Ole Miss to get to the show.

You said "children." So that means you have more than one? And I'm sure you love each one in their own way. They're very similar, but one's a little shorter than the other? They're different, but both very special to you, and there's no way you could choose one over the other and having multiple enriches your life. I know I could never choose just one. Child, that is. Of course.

They’re already buying them.

Just throwing my hat in the ring for anybody applying in future years who might get CSO instead of Pilot, because I was in that spot a few years back. If you’re not 1000% sure you want to be a pilot, I would definitely take a UCT slot. I’m glad I did. For those who end up liking pilotage, we’ve got airframes where you get plenty of stick time in a small cockpit (F-15, OA-1K). For those who end up not liking pilotage, we’ve got airframes for that (RC-135, EA-37B, AC-130). New CSO’s have unique opportunities that pilots don’t get straight out of undergrad, so if you like airpower but don’t feel like you need to be the bus driver, you’ll probably love being a CSO.

MP5 or MP5K? Either will be a clone, but I am having more trouble with this decision than I had naming my children. Either will be suppressed.

26-05 drop, decent variety for a smaller class: 3x F-15E 2x RQ-170 1x LC-130 (Guard) 1x C-130 (Guard) 1x EA-37B 1x HC-130 1x B-1B

RQ-170

Does anyone here actually believe that Trump is going to try and get the US to invade Greenland? If he does do you really think we'd actually do it? This is political theater. We reminded the world that the western hemisphere is ours. Now he's trying (poorly) to remind NATO that they really need us and we don't need them.

A bit more than 10 years ago a team was down by more than 10 to come back and win it all… Let’s see what Mario says in the locker room and how they come out.

Was out of town starting on Friday so just got home. Under Projected Training on my CDB I used to have MFS from back when I did it as an RPA pilot. Just checked and I am no longer showing anything under Projected Training, hopefully it's a sign they cleared it out to load something new.

Per OSINT, executions have stopped (hangings) but they did beat one dissident to death.

So Germany really needed Poland, Japan really needed Manchuria, North Korea really needed the south, North Vietnam really needed South Vietnam, Argentina really needed the Falklands, the USSR really needed Afghanistan, Iraq really needed Kuwait, and Russia really needed Ukraine. We were with the defenders in every single instance. The only people excited about the US shaking down a NATO ally are Russia, China, NK and Iran. This will not end well for the Republicans.

So like 20000 have been killed. More than in Gaza but there’s no protesters? I don’t understand?

Greenland doesn’t need shit. This is fucking ridiculous.

Is trump trying to get Denmark or nato to buy more f35s?

The funny thing is every tail flash and litho I have is somewhere in the crawlspace. The bar from Korea 16 years ago though, that shit is non-negotiable!

One of the primary impetuses for Greenland is arctic competition due to a more accessible northern trade route along with rare earths and hydrocarbons becoming accessible as ice melts.