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No. But you can change course without going full retard. If you want to attack the debt you cut spending in a meaningful way like they were *kindof* trying to do with the doge stuff.. and leave trade policy tf alone. We are not getting ripped off by Vietnam because we have a trade deficit with them. We are a rich country. They are a poor country. They make stuff for super cheap. We then buy that stuff for super cheap and have more money left over for other things. It is a win-win. Trump is under this insane misimpression that voluntary trade is a zero-sum game where there has to be a winner and a loser. And somehow since the word "deficit" sounds bad, we are the loser?? As others have pointed out, you have a trade deficit with your local grocery store, or your dry cleaner, or literally every service you pay for ever. So are you being ripped off when you voluntarily engage in a market transaction to buy something that someone else made? Not to mention we're tariffing countries who we have a trade surplus with... please make it make sense I think tariffs are almost always stupid, but I would be slightly more willing to take this ride if it seemed like there was any semblance of a coherent plan. The reason the market is tanking is because there is no plan and we've been in a constant state of will-he-won't-he for the the last two months. If we actually want to "bring manufacturing back to the US" businesses need some stability and predictability before they go sink millions and billions into new domestic production capacity. But they can't do that when the president is flip-flopping on his own policies and creating random new carve outs and exemptions on an hourly basis. Because who knows, trump could use these tariffs to get some concessions from a few countries and then dump the policy entirely in a few months.. well inside the turn circle of setting up a new production line. In summary: -you can address the debt without dumpstering world trade -trade deficits are not us being ripped off -blanket tariffs are bad and dumb -the market wants stability, not constant whiplash -if there is a plan, fucking communicate it

No time in a Pilatus but impressed with their planes (pc-12) that I’ve seen, flown with. My advocacy for them and specifically the PC-21 is just based on casual internet research in this thread but it does seem like Pilatus has cracked the code with the PC-21 being a possible, maybe one platform replacement for the T-6 / other mil trainers. I would prefer it to be a Phase 2 trainer for the US military, but if the money men demanded only 1 mil trainer (cancelling existing and forthcoming trainers) then I think it could achieve what is needed to produce a mil trained pilot. I think a good 125 hour syllabus in a PC-21, with a good 125 hour in GA training aircraft (single and multi engine) could produce a well rounded aviator. Still would want a third trainer but the end result could probably be met with 250 hours in those planes. I may have just drunk the Pilatus kool aid but I think they make a good plane(s).

Maybe some day, those shouting the loudest about what will and what will not work, will actually fix the economic situation we're in. But from where I'm sitting, they've done nothing but 3x our national debt in the last three decades.

This is one of the most epic economic self-owns in history. I've never seen the right and left so united against anything, but when you propose possibly the most retarded economic plan ever, I guess that's what happens. I'm so glad we're tariffing Vietnam into oblivion to bring back all those quality t-shirt sweatshop manufacturing jobs. Just happy I'm a long way from retirement and can use it as an opportunity to buy the dip.

Anyone else still waiting?

Quite frankly, idk either. But doing what we have been doing clearly wasn't working. So do we just keep doing that? My guess is they hope it will bring people to the table. Big gamble, then again, maybe it pays off big. Time will tell, but I'm not going to cry wolf because the market hits the same level we were in last summer. I say that as someone who isn't all that fond of 47. Maybe just cut it off, that seems to have become popular over the last few years.

I just don’t see how starting a worldwide trade war that tanks our markets and makes virtually every product more expensive fixes our debt problem. And the republicans just passed a continuing resolution that failed to cut spending in any meaningful way so I have a hard time believing this is some all-aspect strategy to attack the national debt. I will grant that trumps tariff plan is at least different. But so is shooting yourself in the dick.

https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/defense/news/21282366/air-force-personnel-remembers-fb-111a-crash-50-years-later @bfargin your FB111 low pass story led me to this. Guess they repaired that bird with another one that had a dual engine failure. Called it the Frankenvark and it never would fly straight…

I assume everyone complaining about tariffs are just fine with all of the tariffs everyone else puts on our exported stuff. The basic problem is there are structural problems with the economy but one of the very few tools Trump has to try to fix it are tariffs. The rest is up to Congress, but regardless of which party controls Congress, nothing gets done (except for some more rigging the game in favor of the elites). We need to make energy cheaper, pare back the massive, massive overregulation, reform our education system, etc. but none of that is going to happen because Congress is lazy, it's all against the interests of the Dems, and the GOP in Congress lacks any semblance of balls. Also, we can't negotiate our way out of the trade war because the State Dept is basically worthless. When they negotiate anything, they negotiate for what's in the best interest of the State Dept, not the country. Look at the disastrous free trade agreement we have with South Korea. Let's face it, none of the reforms needed are going to happen and we will eventually have an economic collapse due to government overspending and the structural issues with the economy. But we'll argue and fight over irrelevant social issues all day long (to distract us from the real problems). On top of that, our main enemy, China, is eating our lunch and we can't carry out effective countermeasures because half of the country envies and admires the CCP's system. Our only hope is that China's demographic issues and their economic issues catch up with them before they can really put the screws to us.

We will see how well this post ages. There will be a lot happening between now and then. For the elderly or those about to retire, I’m sure the markets are extremely stressful right now. For me, I feel a strange sense of peace now. Not because I trust this administration more than another, but because I’ve watched all the various internet and media driven hysterical narratives just fall apart year after year. Our society is completely divided culturally. On one side there is reality and on the other there is an emotionally driven, hyperbolic, hateful and easily manipulated side. A side that allows itself to continue to be manipulated. That goes for both sides of the aisle. The economy will be just fine. I’m betting it will actually be much better in the end. It’s a really good time to invest in America’s markets.

True, but when were the smartest men going to change course? They've had multiple administrations to do so (including Trump 1.0). Were they just going to keep talking about it, or actually doing something about it? A few more debt ceiling increases? After another 36T in debt? When our economy collapsed under the weight of our own debt? *Insert bench skeleton waiting meme here.* Also, if tariffs don't work, then other countries should have no problem ending them if we agree to end them as well.

It’s not supposed to benefit our national security, he wasn’t a puppet and that’s why Trump fired him.

This isn't a perfect analogy, but here goes: you've got a confirmed date to the ball with the 2nd prettiest girl in town, but the 1st prettiest girl just broke up with her boyfriend and you think you have a chance. You could take the sure thing, or take your chances, possibly ending up with no date to the ball. You're still waiting on OTS dates, and if you need SERE, you're probably looking at 2 years minimum in training with OTS->UPT->SERE->FTU and any other delays in the pipeline. A lot can change in 2 years. My gut says to take the sure thing, crush it, and someday down the road if you want to move and change units, that's not too hard of a stream to ford. If you do want to pursue getting hired on another unit's board, transparency is your friend here. Like Brabus said, have a frank conversation with your SQ/CC and get his opinion.

And now you've got Big Blue letting fighters and heavies record and post on social media their highway ops... The circle is now complete, and there's no such thing as "authorized" morale... Last comment...The Highway Men are highly recommended for drunk music listening when surfing BO.net...

Love the whataboutism, I thought you guys were the party of values except now two wrongs make a right? Curtis, one of our senators held a "virtual townhall" no questions, just a 30-min lecture via zoom then 5-min spots to privately ask him questions which all just happened to be full when signups were released. Mike Lee's phone doesn't even get answered. Nope, not a fan of the lack of press events, not a fan of him running again, not a fan of Harris not going through a primary, not a fan of their lack of a message to resonate with actual people, not a fan with the centralization of electoral and fundraising processes, not a fan of their stupid "political talk" they always start doing, not a fan of them abandoning the states. Next question. Paying for townhall agitators, lol. How's the Qanon posts doing these days? You think all the townhalls have paid agitators? Like there aren't people who're upset with what's happening and the Congress abdicating their responsibility as a co-equal part of the gov't. We had one here for Blake Moore, and two down in SLC. No paid agitators, just pissed off people. My area the large employers are the Base, IRS, BLM/Interior. CDC on base just closed due to funding cuts, the probationary job cuts, IRS had the return to work order (that failed and they've stopped), AF DOD employees are taking a cut to locality pay on top of the hiring freeze and promotions being halted. That's on top of them all being told their lazy leeches. But I guess "someone" has got to pay people to show up at townhalls and be upset? Most logical of you. That Kansas senator who went out into the boonies to do his meet-and-greet, yea those looked like a lot of "paid agitators" as well. But if it makes you feel better to imagine a deep "Soros funded anti-townhall army" go ahead. I know nothing will convince you otherwise anyway. Besides, people are just acting the same way your God-King has showed us to act since 2016. Why should we be civil and respectful if that consideration is never returned? Next. Acting like Sleepy Joe didn't have injunctions against him as well. No other president has tried to magnify executive power in our history, no shit there's going to be a lot of injunctions. That's cause and effect and the whole point of having a judiciary that isn't beholden to the executive: to determine if what they do is legal...looks like a lot of it isn't, or if it is it needs to be proven and not taken at face value.

Finally received my dates at 0729 this morning; dates are coming for those who haven't received them, stand fast.

And now, the rest of the story. The deported father from Maryland was convicted of being a MS-13 gang member in 2019. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2025/04/02/the-fine-print-on-deportations-matters-n2654819

If you attended UPT at Columbus AFB, you drove down Simlar Blvd. named after the same MGen George Simlar in the article. He had a history of doing an aileron roll when departing one command for his next command. Well, he was leaving Randolph in a T-38 and buffooned his aileron roll killing himself and his aide. For a gross display of poor airmanship, you too can get a street named after you... But only if you are a general.

And that was just one TDY. Fucking. Legend.

No. Our FM says for the MAX, "This procedure provides an alternate engine start procedures in an effort to avoid a potential EGT exceedance when OAT is 40C/104F or greater."

Sorry bro, after the C19 lies the democrats never acknowledged or apologized for they have forever become the party of institutionalized deceit with full MSM support. Quite rich to see these articles and claims now; where was this journalistic fervor 6 months ago when our president was brainless and his staff using an auto-pen to issue EOs and pardons?

This is what I voted for

I've mentored a LOT of people through the years...some still on this very forum. The video below is a GREAT story about how one interaction can change someone's life and getting to see it come full circle Screw all the BS politics discussions...chase your dreams, work hard and be a good dude/dudette.