Neo Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 You sound like Neville Chamberlain in the 1930's. As for the biggest threat right now, I would say it is China. But you can not discount madmen getting elected into office and just taking office and making a big mess of things. Thats what happend in Germany in the 30s and to Russia in the 20s. And there is no predicting that. No I don't. Our boys are dying everyday on the ground from IED's. We need to focus on technology that has real world usefulness, not one that upsets and alarms our friends into action against us. If anything, China has a lot more to fear from the US than the other way around. We are the aggressor bullying weaker nations to use our democratic system, telling China how to set their own currency to favor us, demeaning them through human rights reports, constantly flying spy planes and other spy vessels just outside their border. This laser weapon is just another bit of that stupidness that makes the world less safe than before and breeds new enemies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Not in the short term i feel .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCorinthian Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 No I don't. Our boys are dying everyday on the ground from IED's. We need to focus on technology that has real world usefulness, not one that upsets and alarms our friends into action against us. This laser weapon is just another bit of that stupidness that makes the world less safe than before and breeds new enemies. Being in Iraq right now I do agree on defeating IEDs is / should be a main priority. And our new trucks do an amazing job at it. In fact, no one riding one has died in an IED hit yet. No if they will just send me a few more of them! Unfortunately, do to their very low teck, almost zero moving part make up, they are tough to work around. However I disagree that we should not also look at the future, high teck defense from a certified nation state. Remember it was Churchill that worried that his troops "...would have no one to fight because the world was too civilized." (Badly paraphrased) He said that in 1912 or so, just before WWI. My point is you can't not predict the future, only prepare for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun_Kong Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 ... But you can not discount madmen getting elected into office and just taking office and making a big mess of things. Thats what happend in Germany in the 30s and to Russia in the 20s. ... Don't forget the US in 2000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packy Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 If you were guarding a plane with a ten feet long 20 inch diameter "Gift" to Russia, then see that plane taxi, go into Afterburner knowing if it takes off it cannot land with it on, and if it takes off you have four minutes until the retaliating STARTS, you wouldn't think it was a soft and cushy job. Or if you were given orders shoot to kill the third night on duty in Europe. NO job in the military is soft or cushy if you do the job right. I earned my full $78.00 every month.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 $78 a month? You must be older than I am. I think I got something like $107 as an E-1 (before deductions). p.s. A friend is a retired fighter pilot. He told me about the USAF "suicide assignment" he commanded -- low level, under the radar, full speed one way missions to hit the Russkies with nukes. One of his pilots cracked under the pressure and killed himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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