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US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

ukrainetoday.org

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Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#451
post #15
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Especially F-35 where lack of American support means total brick. Hey, at least Ukraine can use their S-300 systems and Sukhois against their maker.

This is top of mind for all European countries that bought the F-35. They are painfully aware of this. So is the US defense industry which will notice softening sales kicking in a few years down the line as European countries are less inclined to buy US arms. This was predictable though. The markets have already rewarded those who saw this coming.

Europe does not produce a 5th gen fighter. By the time they get one out, the big three will have 6th gen fighters.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#452
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Especially F-35 where lack of American support means total brick. Hey, at least Ukraine can use their S-300 systems and Sukhois against their maker.

I don’t know how much it’s worth but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning... : “On 27 May 2006, President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that "Both governments agree that the UK will have the ability to successfully operate, upgrade, employ, and maintain the Joint Strike Fighter such that the UK retains operational sovereignty over the aircraft." In December 2006, an ag…

If you can't make every part of the plane it's not really yours.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#453

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always thought that the American Empire would be dismantled when it elected a leftist steeped in anti-imperialist ideology who wanted to better the world. Nope, turns out that the American Empire is being dismantled by something else entirely. A subset of the populace that feels jealous of those with more and scared of social change, reacting to try to hurt their fellow country men? A megalomaniac leader who is som…

The myth of how much harm "leftists" can do/are doing in the US is probably what got you all here. It's another McCarthyist boogeyman, and it's not even being sold well -- a lot of the marketing's just outright lies, and people are eating that up.

The US is so far right, that being against segregation, is now considered a far left 'woke' idea.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#454

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The best explanation I've heard is that this (almost) half of the US population doesn't care if it hurts a bit, as long as it hurts the other half of the US population more.

No, that's not it. I'm writing this from rural America in deep Trump territory, and people here are already struggling and have been for years. From their perspective they've been left out of the benefits of the global economy—the big cities and the coasts might be better off, but the middle of the country wants to go back to when they had opportunities and jobs for working class Americans. They're almost certainly w…

All my employees are Trump supporters and Trump got 75% of the vote in my county.

They want the 70s-80s economy back, but they don't want to support unions.

They think they deserve to receive government benefits. But others are moochers, and they don't deserve it.

They think Trump is deporting criminal / drug cartel illegal immigrants.

My state is red (State houses & governor have been conservatives for the last 30 years). Yet they blame all the issues on democrates. When my state signed the carry law, they thought Biden was the one who signed the law.

If you are in the deep trump territory, listen to conservative/religious radio stations. You will know how much hate they are spreading against liberal, trans, gays, and immigrants.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#455

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always thought that the American Empire would be dismantled when it elected a leftist steeped in anti-imperialist ideology who wanted to better the world. Nope, turns out that the American Empire is being dismantled by something else entirely. A subset of the populace that feels jealous of those with more and scared of social change, reacting to try to hurt their fellow country men? A megalomaniac leader who is som…

I really hope this realization makes you reconsider your distrust of "leftists steeped in anti-imperialist ideology", and whatever ideology you carry.

See also: “tax is theft.”

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#456

Right now every buyer of American kit is feverishly evaluating non-US alternatives. Seriously, America, this is like Brexit but 1000x. A voluntary decision, taken with gusto, to chop off arms and legs and ears and fingers and whatnot, cut off the deadwood, be light and free, a lone vessel on the ocean of prosperity, free of the burden of the stupid foreigners who are the sole reason why everything was going wrong.

Ukraine wasn’t a buyer. They were given those F16s. Be careful when something is given for “free”.

Wasn't US' F16s.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#458
Could there be an orchestrated effort by volunteers to replace what the Americans were doing or does this rely on intelligence insight the Americans have?

In country if 40 Million desperate people as educated as the Ukrainians there should be quite the talent pool to try to hack this.

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#459
post #448
post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Does the US have total control? They sure have wide influence, but influence is different from control. The power to take something diminishes when you use it.

Yes. When the rubber meets the road, they have total control because what is anybody going to do about it?

Re: US Ends Support For Ukrainian F-16s

#460

Time for us in Europe to man up.

I'm sceptical. Recent movements in Germany point into the opposite direction or rather a continuation of wishful thinking. Yes, a lot of debt-funded defence investment is coming. They also promised some investment in "infrastructure". At the same time the debt increase will delay reforms that are overdue for 20 years and longer. There were already calls that, now, with all brakes off, we can increase rather than curb…

Germany has slightly higher productivity per hour worked than the US. There's a productivity gap between the US and European economies as a whole (which is a relatively recent phenomenon dating back to around 2005), but Germany is quite productive.
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