f16wolfpack
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Posts posted by f16wolfpack
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Yeah, though not a perfect system. Those baskets aren't very stable- especially if the tanker is in a turn. But I get what you're saying. If we had our way every tanker would be as easy as getting gas from a 5 wet Super Hornet.
It just surprises me that the AF would look at getting rid of an asset that is in fairly high demand. There are never enough tankers. I guess the AF really is broke.
Uhh...America is broke.
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I nominate SEA to be the next MARLO at the nearest CAOC for a year.
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I think the Air Force finally got it right. Here, here...to the PJs and Combat Rescue. You guys are the shit.
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Undoubtedly, PJs and CSAR units are some of the unsung heroes in Afghanistan. I hope they do get additional helicopters out of this series. It's good to see the Air Force and DoD finally endorsing one of these shows. I also hope it lives up to its hype.
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7 December 1941
Yep. That was the date we learned somebody else's "Air Force" was better than ours. Unfortunately, it took a few years to catch back up. Like I said, we would rather sit back and be reactive. That's what we do best.
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Eloquently stated. But the Marines message is simply more blunt, and much stronger, especially when they keep stating it to Congress: "If we don't get XXXX, Marines die."
Too bad we have spent the past decades as a service trying to come up with an identity and corporate message to match, rather than focusing on the obvious truth: "If the AF doesn't get XXXX, Marines will also die. So will a lot of the Army's soldiers."
We would rather sit back and be reactive. That's what we do best.
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I definitely agree that our future choices have to be different than our current ones... especially as America's demographics shift towards an aging population. At some point, there will be a higher risk premium on American debt. The thing is, that hasn't happened yet. Not even close. T-bill rates have been in a decline since 2007 (the chart in your link shows that). Now, rates are rock-bottom lows and have been flat since 2009. Even with the American credit downgrade...T-bill rates and hence the Fed Funds Rate didn't much move. Why? I think the answer is that investors believe we're still a low-risk investment.
Like I said before, I think we are a less risky investment now, relatively speaking, based on the fact others are more risky (i.e. the EU). However, let's not kid ourselves. The rate is deceptively low for another important reason. Since 2009, the Federal Reserve has been printing money to buy treasury bills and bonds at unprecedented rates, to the tune of over $2.3 trillion (see today's article: http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/story/2012-08-30/ben-bernanke-speech-jackson-hole/57470268/1).
Unfortunately, it is difficult to translate this approach to entities outside the government, which obviously has the ability to print its own money. The closest example I can come up with is comparing this to a Fortune 500 company. This would be like Coca-Cola purchasing its products off the shelves of convenient stores in order to keep its sales abnormally high. In the long run, it is not sustainable. It is a ploy to prevent us from sliding back further into another recession, but at what cost to the future?
Sure, debt is cheaper today, deceptively cheaper as I've pointed out. Does that mean we should continue to finance projects, proposals, and policies with debt in the hopes of bailing ourselves out of a hole we dug for ourselves in the first place? I think it is a very risky proposition. In fact, isn't this also similar to financing a second home in order to turn a profit on your investment since financing is easier to obtain? That didn't work out so well in 2007 and 2008 for some Californians buying homes in Vegas and Phoenix. If we fund projects today that are not sustainable in the long term because of the costs required to maintain them and the potential for costs to increase, should we continue to go into debt because its cheaper or easier to obtain financing now versus later? That's assuming heavy risk for a very low return in my opinion. I don't believe it is sustainable either.
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I think one of the reasons our debt is high is because debt remains a viable policy option. As long as the return on T-bills remains at or below the inflation rate, then the real interest on that debt is essentially nil.
Again, this policy can probably stand in the short term, but the reason the credit downgrade was such a big deal is the fact it could lead to higher rates in the long term. Investors (individuals and other governments) want a decent return on their investment when they buy our debt through treasury bills (T-bills). If they are assuming a greater risk, they will demand a larger return. This larger return equates to higher interests rates. The Federal Reserve adjusts these rates based on the demand for the investment. As the demand drops, the interest rate must be increased in order to continue funding "soverign debt." That's where our government and public will suffer.
If investors demand a higher rate for assuming greater risks, the Federal Reserve will be "forced" to raise rates. This will make it more difficult to continue the current policy, because it will cost the government too much in interest payments down the road. This rate increase will also make it more difficult for you and me to obtain financing through bank loans, because most bank loans base their rates on what the Fed sets. Attached is a good article that explains this a bit better than I did. http://www.elliottwave.com/freeupdates/archives/2012/08/30/When-Will-the-Fed-Raise-Interest-Rates-When-the-Market-Says-So.aspx
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Yeah, a nation can just print more money and take everybody down with inflation instead of a single household failing.
Good point. If you have the time, look up Zimbawawe. This is how sovereign debt can take down a country one dollar at a time.
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One of the only reasons we have been able to avoid a debt crisis in the US is because there are other nations around the world with bigger debt problems (i.e. Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Japan). The dollar and US treasury bills are still more solid than most other currencies or investments around the world. Do not expect this to always be the case. Printing more money can only carry us so far. Unless the economy rebounds quickly, additional revenue is generated, or spending is drastically cut, we are in for a rude awakening. Debt is debt and at some point, the piper has to be paid. To think otherwise is very naive and unsubstantiated.
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Give the man 90 days, and then bitch all you want. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
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I never said he wasn't smart or didn't contribute a lot. But at the end of the day, if my family hates me...I have failed!
Social D, I'm with you. I hate the fact Boyd put his endeavors before his blood, but I am grateful for what he did. It is a shame the Air Force essentially disowned him. It says a lot that most of his research, studies, and writings are with the Marines. It is not suprising though.
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Good point. Radical visionaries are the ones still studied in history books. Those that carry on the norm are a dime a dozen. "Do you want to do something or be somebody?" That's the sheer genius in Boyd.
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By antics, do you mean having your kids hate you, because all you care about is work?
You can include this as one of many of Boyd's faults. He's not the only one that has bought into this notion though. I have known enough folks in the Air Force that have learned this lesson the hard way. On the other hand, you cannot discount his contributions to the military in general. As someone who spoke to Boyd on a regular basis once said, "With genius comes all of the other characteristics you can imagine." He was driven by an inherent desire to prove to people his worth. This was an attribute as well as a detriment.
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It is a shame more people don't look past John Boyd's antics and study his genius.
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I choose food stamps.
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I would just like to imagine a theater with half the audience carrying concealed and being well-trained with their weapons of choice. It would have been a completely different ending. That dude would not have survived.
On another note Buddy Spike, you chastising guys for speculating on their reaction is no better than their speculation. No one knows what they would do in that situation until they are in it. The fact is the guy was vulnerable. Multiple witnesses said he had time to reload. I am also not aware of any bullet proof gas masks, although I have considered testing one after breathing through it bored to tears under a desk. My guess is that anyone fighting back would have had a slightly better chance than running for the exits.
I think it was in the mid-1990s when a similar idiot walk down Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, NC wielding a rifle. The guy picked off two students and a cop. In a nearby restaurant was a separated Marine bartender about to start his shift. He ran towards the shooter, hid where he could still see him, and waited for him to reload. Once he started to reload, the Marine pounced on his opportunity, tackled him, and saved countless lives.
I have already determined that if I'm in this situation, I'm charging forward smartly. I think my chances are better than running in the opposite direction. What will I do for real, who the hell knows?
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I am a firm believer (sts) that someone carrying a concealed weapon in Aurora could have saved a life or two. I'm sure you've seen the video of the 70 year old that turned and fired on two armed robbers in Ocala, FL. If you haven't, you should google it. Those two dudes turned from badasses to scaredy-cats in a matter of seconds. Having the ability to shoot back is a game changer and a deterrent for future nut jobs. There is no other answer in my opinion to save lives in these situations. The roving police patrols cannot be everywhere at once. The cops responded in a matter of minutes, but it still wasn't fast enough to save those killed or injured.
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What's wrong with the Air Force?
in General Discussion
Posted
I am still perplexed, 14 years later...