Negatory

It’s unfortunate, but every person I know that’s “100% disabled” can still get around just fine and could easily work. Don’t you also get tax free or something?

Why? I’m not looking to buy, just wondering

Maybe they could use VR/cameras for the landing task? I’d also be concerned about nonstandard g-forces/kinesthetic effects in the cockpit. When you move the pilot position aft, often you will experience a non-intuitive reduction in g (a sinking feeling) initially when you pitch up (as your tail drops). Makes flying by the seat of your pants a lot more difficult.

Just remember y’all (I know, that’s cultural appropriation), if we’ve learned anything from this thread it’s that “libruls” have bad DNA that predisposes them to rioting (and man buns I guess?), and that when you are figuring out how to deal with someone who has a different opinion than you, you should get your guidance from the rootin tootin time of the civil war. got it

I agree with your argument, but hopefully you realize that the way you wrote it was pretty one-sided. From the more liberal side, the perception of MAGA supporters is that they also are "indoctrinated and fed an information diet from a media owned and barking the propaganda of global corporations who are hell bent on paying everyone not in a corner office as little as possible." It's not just the enemies of Tucker Carlson that are indoctrinated - it's actually his viewers too. I believe that a lot of what is wrong comes from the two-party system. Two-party systems all draw connections between issues that often shouldn't be formed at all, because VERY different people have to vote for the same party as the same entity. Simultaneously, which party you prefer indicates and influences your world view. E.g. Religious fundamentalists, anti-taxes folks, xenophobes, and gun rights activists are as uncomfortable a political marriage as socially progressive CEOs, marxists, and working class folks that feel like they can't get by, but that is totally normalized in the two party American system. And if you want to succeed, you typically have to compromise on a large portion of your values when you actually get to the voting booth in a lesser of two evils sort of way. Democracy is founded on the essential value that societies ought to be run by people who live there. If not only for the sake that Leadership be legitimate. But moreover because every commonly held view, even within small minorities of people, has merit and ought be at least heard through, and in doing so Democracy would in fact function more effectively and effectiently. Thus, representing as many people as possible in government ought be the goal of any democracy. And the US has a hell of a lot more than two political positions across its 360M. And the federal government needs to actually represent as many of its citizens as possibles and its citizens views actual views as much as possible. The struggle of government ought be the natural opposition of these views. But not structurally built in as we see in the 20th century US. I think you can improve American democracy. I personally believe that the solution to this is an improvement to our democratic model: ranked choice voting with a mixed member congress model that allows for multiple groups (similar to NZ, UK, Germany). When there isn't a majority, coalition blocs have to work together to get things done. Additionally, when a party can get 5% of the vote, they may actually get representation, albeit a small amount. As opposed to the winner take all mentality that scares the shit out of people right now and forces polarization. It would encourage voting, enhance your voice, and reduce anxiety about losing everything as it's less likely. The older I get, the more I think that it's constitutional amendment or bust. Whether Trump or Biden wins in 2020, I don't think the country becomes more united in the current system.

Absolutely, include all of the training. There is definitely a perception now that the desire to push dudes through AETC to units could be a contributing factor in these incidents. Heartbreaking 🥃

A toast 🥃

Trying to character assassinate an anonymous person on the internet when you have no idea what they do seems risky, but I’ll allow it. My point is that you can’t just say “deranged ... Marxism” or “socialism” and have everyone clap. If you want to engage on effects of specific policies, I’d be happy to talk. For example, I’m not fond of socialism as a whole system of governance. But I feel like if I told you that I believe that top bracket marginal tax rates should be doubled from 37% because I think that the system in its current incarnation isn’t working as intended, you would call me a socialist. Even though we had 70-91% tax rates from 1950-1980, one of the greatest economic growth periods in US history. The word is meaningless in discourse because it’s thrown around at everything that is even remotely progressive.

@Erthwerm Don’t feel like you can’t have different opinions, and you don’t have to justify your cred before posting. On the Internet, we’re all the same and I personally wish more discourse about things like this happened here and in real life. People nowadays are too damn polarizing trying to win arguments just throwing out words like “tyranny” and “Marxism.”

Baseops, like most military social circles, is an echo chamber of people who have never had their views confronted. You ever sit back and just let the irony that you all live and work in a socialist paradise wash over you? Once you're in, your job is secure (you face no chance of an immediate layoff, and the VAST majority of people can make it to 20-40 years if they want to), your healthcare is paid for, you get an affordable housing allowance based on your status in the system (oh and it changes based on where you are in America), you have a perception that budget doesn't matter (who cares how much that FHP or those TVs costs, just fly it and buy it so we get more money next year), you get basically guaranteed promotions that are based more on timing than on merit, you're handed a ridiculous retirement package that requires no self-involvement or contributions, the worst workers are paid the same as the best, you get paid when a pandemic causes you not to work at all for weeks, you get regular wage increases that keep up with or exceed inflation, you have 30 days of paid leave a year. The military organization keeps hundreds of thousands of people on payroll (in a money bleeding way) just in case they need them, paying them way more than the value we get out of them (the vast majority of the military is a self-licking ice cream cone when we aren't at real war). The military system is the antithesis to self-reliance, meritocracy, accountability, ROI, or profitability. But it sure is nice to be in it right now when the system out there isn't taking care of people.

Was that video a bait? Did you actually watch it?

Yeah, I personally know multiple fighter pilots who have turned with other nations’ aircraft in the last decade. Way more than I ever expected. Thats what happens when the ROE is basically “you stay on this side of the river/point/airfield, they will stay over there. Except sometimes they won’t. But don’t let them not. But don’t do anything about it if they do. Got it??”

F&@$ that. That is all.

No, they really are being organized by one small group. I get that they may capture the beliefs of a portion of America, but it doesn’t change the fact that this didn’t start organically.

I don’t disagree with you but forced quarantine of health individuals has never been constitutionally debated as far as I know. That’s the weird thing about a disease that spreads asymptomatically.

I hate this convo. There is seemingly no move to win. And there isn't even a move to not play. At least we will always have our cush gubment jerbs... Right?

Also relatively easy fix, mask everything but the most recent 3-4 years or so.

Yeah I can sort of see the argument. But in my mind it’s a zero sum solution - money all comes from the same proverbial pot in the end. Would 10k extra for guard/reservists be a better investment for America/the big AF than 10k for active duty pilots? What does the AF need more? With all the new perceived benefits that already exist from being in the guard/reserves, I feel like this would just be more of an incentive to leave active duty. I know for me personally this would only make me want to join the guard more. Unpopular opinion maybe, but we already know that AD can’t compete with stability or homesteading that exists with the guard. If AD offered better pay, maybe that would entice people to stay. Make AD bonuses 45-50k. Currently, the only thing AD beats the guard on is 2BPZ promotions if you are one of the chosen ones. I say this as someone who is definitely joining the guard for family reasons, regardless of money.

Real question. Why should a part timer get the same bonus as someone on AD? Or is this just arguing for rate (pay/day) to be the same?

I recognize your points, but this rhetoric is just the same thing. Only highlighting positive things while whitewashing anything that could be argued to be divisive, illegal, stupid, or ignorant only contributes to this partisanship. I saw a stat that like 85% of Democrats support impeachment and 87% of republicans don’t. The Russians disinformation campaign via Facebook and news outlets to throw us against one another seems to be going swimmingly.

Chuck you have a source on that? Because I haven’t seen or noticed any institutional desire to do that whatsoever. What I’ve seen from the O-7/O-8 level is that they think the system works, as it got them promoted. Personally, I think all of this is kind of pointless until they fix the root cause of talent management woes: forced stratification on OPRs is stupid and a bad way to retain folks in a high talent organization. Yet the Air Force has a hardon for this indicator. And I haven’t heard anyone talk about how to fix that.

Checks in the mail, bro. I’ll bet you a drink that the number one indicator of promotion is still a DP on the PRF, regardless of OPRs. And the Air Force will never get rid of BPZ, it’s the number one indicator of future O-7 potential in this organization.

There was a supplemental reg put out that said no rank on shoulders, just special 2 line name tags. I’ll have to search for it.

I already know this is gonna rub some people the wrong way, but what the heck? Well I think you kinda have to list the campaign rhetoric and talk about it. Wealth inequality is a real thing that has gotten exponentially worse in the last 30 years. Think the last stat I saw was the top 50% lost about $1T, while the top 1% gained $30T. It’s not useful to just call it “socialism” and not discuss any of the merits (even if there are only some). I’m not voting for Bernie, but I can intellectually wrap my mind around some of the bases of his ideas. Many major companies including Amazon paid no taxes in a year we had a good economy. WTF over? Capitalism as it stands, with no other policies, is currently executing one of the biggest transfers of wealth on its own - from workers to the ruling class. What policies will help curb that? Are there any policies that will help protect the rest of Americans that weren’t born into that world? And I’m not talking about the slightly above average airline pilot pulling in close to $500k a year. That’s not the problem - the level of wealth that is the problem I guarantee is incomprehensible to anyone on this forum.

Fair enough I see your point.