Posted on 03/29/2014 7:15:05 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
I wouldn’t downplay Reagan’s ‘peace through strength’ dynamic, but I’d also look at China as increasingly pulling strings on the continent.
It’s actually a fairly easy explanation. You have ONE tin-pot despot who wants some toys, for gawd-know-whatever-reason, and immediately all the neighboring countries feel that have to get some also..
C'mon now. You don't really expect those those tinhorn despots to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars to fight AIDS we send them to fight AIDS do you?
They won’t maintain them. It takes discipline and money to maintain a weapon system. Africans don’t have a surplus of those.
You need a fighter jet for all the thugs with hyenas.
Unlike the United States, these African countries see the world for what it really is, uncivilized, and those who don’t do what’s necessary to survive in an uncivilized world will not survive, nor do they deserve to survive.
There are plenty of spare aircraft parts in Africa. All they have to do is take what they need from the wrecks surrounding every airstrip.
They all watched “Black Hawk Down” and wanted to get in on the action, this time with modern battle gear.
“C’mon now. You don’t really expect those those tinhorn despots to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars to fight AIDS we send them to fight AIDS do you?”
Your comment was my first thought.
GMTA
Because the difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.
In mineral rich African nations, the presidents for life and their people enjoy watching fighter tournaments.
The tribesmen of these mineral rich nations have a variety of popular contests centered around these fighters.
All of these contests involve a chieftain in full regalia sitting in the cockpit while opposing teams of tribesmen push these fighters out onto fields and like medieval jousting tournaments push them towards each other while drums beat and throngs of frenzied onlookers cheer.
Once contact has been made between the fighters, the contest may pause to determine which tribe's team caused greater damage to the other fighter, or the teams just continue pushing until one of the fighters is pushed backwards at which point victory is declared.
Sometimes, multiple tribes are involved in contests, in which tribesmen from multiple tribes simultaneously push their fighters together in a contest resembling an automotive "smash up derby".
Spare parts contracts for these fighters are reported to be very lucrative.
I was roughly ten in the 1960’s when I read some US government official had said, “China will never develop the bomb because it’s not in their interest to do so.” I was stunned by the utter stupidity of the statement. Within months China had exploded a nuke. It’s not up to outsiders to decide what is in someone else’s interest. Each person sees their own interest and takes appropriate actions. If the neighbor has the ability to bomb and strafe you, you’d best develop the same capability fast if only to keep him honest and peaceful. My poster would read, “Peace through being able to kick the snot out of any potential contender.”
they want to Join In on the Destruction Of Israel?
We should get in on the action. Limited range. Maintenance? Take the $$$ and let them kill each other.
“We should get in on the action. Limited range. Maintenance? Take the $$$ and let them kill each other.”
American equipment is outrageously priced. Russian equipment is not only cheaper, but you can buy spares from anyplace. American equipment spares depend on each successive president saying okay. Sometimes you do something they don’t like, like pass an anti-gay law, and you get no more spares. With no spares your plane is just a pretty decoration.
Because if you don’t feed a jet for 3 months at a time, it doesn’t complain. People on the other hand? Pesky things for a socialist dictator.
I bet there will be good money for out of work US vets in flying these things.
We can’t have Armageddon without enough weapons and people.
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