The Raptor is dead.

[not a zaar]

I seem to recall that while they axed the spending, they still purchased over 100 of these warplanes, so how exactly is the F-22 'dead'? Besides, you don't need a superjet to take out angry dudes living in caves and using cold war era small arms and RPGs, which is all the USA currently seems to be interested in fighting.

 

[Tears of Blood]

I say we take all the money we have left... (Which is in the negatives) and spend it on a few giant bombs to blow up the entire planet.

...

No, just kidding. What we really need to do is get our economy out of the shitter, start cleaning up the world, and then spend our money on space technology. It may be several billion years until the world ends, but we have to get off of the planet someday. That can't happen, though, as long as we are still fighting each other. We need to start loving our fellow man and start looking at the bigger picture.

I may seem like a kook when I say that, but I believe it. Even if it is unbelievably far off, it's never too early to start.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Why don't we just spend less money on giant fighter jets, and more on world peace?

Because peace means massive unemployment, if the military doesn't exist. Point of fact that there's no where near enough standing jobs to accomodate the volume of people that need one, and so we have the military, as a backup for employment and as civil defense.

That said, We need no new planes. Our current group of F14s, F15s, F16s, F22s, F35s, Spitfires, B-2s, Apaches, Abrahms, etc--It's more than enough military hardware to deal with what could go wrong at the moment. The current need is Troops--people on the ground, doing what they're supposed to do during an Occupation, which is stand around, occupying territory. We especially do not need more jets that cost us millions of dollars all around, not when our current pack of planes has seen no more action than a stunt plane at freakin' airshows! By any estimate, that's not exactly a worthwhile investment, there, people.

When shit does hit the fan, the world powers are in a rare position of acceptable unity to stomp on it when it does. With the advent of the nuclear age, and with small little impoverished nations having the ability to launch their weapons about as far as a ball in a mini-golf course, we again see a scenario of nonalignment, just without the cold war setting, where these little big-headed countries will try to manipulate the powers into action.

Until then, we should be looking at reallocation of appropriations, from fighter jets to health care, energy, and education. We have a stockpile of nuclear weapons, most of which could be broken down and converted into fuel for nuclear reactors that could definitely help our current problems.

 

[manaman]

1) America doenst have the money to play Empire anymore - I dont care whether you are right or left, your broke, and your military empire with hundeds of bases all over the world and retarded idea of full spectrum dominance is responsible for more than half your debt and deficit. The American Empire is finished, and we will likely be heading into a more multipolar world.

2) America has lost the war on terror. What good is a radar-invisible plane when your biggest threat (Terrorists) dont know what radar is?! America has city-vaporizing bombs, but their enemies live in caves. America spends trillions on the latest in technological weapons, but they cant defeat an enemy that uses old AKs, rocks, and little girls that strap bombs to their chests and run on crowded buses. Yes, terrorists dont fight fair, but when America has helicopters and nukes, you cant exactly expect them to line up with their muskets, now can you?

3) This trillion dollar oil raid into Iraq had fiasco written over it from the start (and, yes, we told you so), and now that it has alienated America's closest allies, made it hated around the world, resulted in disaster, ballooned the debt, killed thousands of innocent lives, and otherwise pulverized a developing nation. Most of all, it has been a terrorists wet dream - America has given terrorists more recruits than ever before, with extra motivation, while all your resources are bogged down in an unwinnable quagmire.

4) If war ever broke with Russia or China, the F-22 aint gonna make the difference, because you will be blasting one another with so many nukes that fighter jets will be irrelevant.

In short, America's military is obsolete, bloated, and useless in the age of nukes and terror.

Your post is so full of bloat I bet it would float if I threw it in a river.

No point in arguing the validly of what you said. You have no idea if what you said was true or not, you just repeated your favorite anti-America slogans you have been hearing.

 

[Malkavian]

1) America doenst have the money to play Empire anymore - I dont care whether you are right or left, your broke, and your military empire with hundeds of bases all over the world and retarded idea of full spectrum dominance is responsible for more than half your debt and deficit. The American Empire is finished, and we will likely be heading into a more multipolar world.

2) America has lost the war on terror. What good is a radar-invisible plane when your biggest threat (Terrorists) dont know what radar is?! America has city-vaporizing bombs, but their enemies live in caves. America spends trillions on the latest in technological weapons, but they cant defeat an enemy that uses old AKs, rocks, and little girls that strap bombs to their chests and run on crowded buses. Yes, terrorists dont fight fair, but when America has helicopters and nukes, you cant exactly expect them to line up with their muskets, now can you?

3) This trillion dollar oil raid into Iraq had fiasco written over it from the start (and, yes, we told you so), and now that it has alienated America's closest allies, made it hated around the world, resulted in disaster, ballooned the debt, killed thousands of innocent lives, and otherwise pulverized a developing nation. Most of all, it has been a terrorists wet dream - America has given terrorists more recruits than ever before, with extra motivation, while all your resources are bogged down in an unwinnable quagmire.

4) If war ever broke with Russia or China, the F-22 aint gonna make the difference, because you will be blasting one another with so many nukes that fighter jets will be irrelevant.

In short, America's military is obsolete, bloated, and useless in the age of nukes and terror.

Your post is so full of bloat I bet it would float if I threw it in a river.

No point in arguing the validly of what you said. You have no idea if what you said was true or not, you just repeated your favorite anti-America slogans you have been hearing.

While I agree it mostly resembles the typical anti-american slogans you will hear from youth-far-lefties here in Denmark, there is a spark of truth in there.

It cannot be argued that we are heading towards a more multipolar world, but no as much necause USA is in decline, but because EU is becoming more and more unified to act as a single power, and China is on the verge of becoming a superpower(through economics).

While america can't be said to have lost the "war on terror"(and one could argue for ages whether it's lost, won or at a stalemate), it's true that conventional warfare is not the way to respond. I think america(and the world) does a fair job at adapting, though.

The war in Iraq hasn't been the succes one could have hoped, but it's hardly the "pulverization of a developing nation". There's a lot of issues that concerns me though... America basicly destroyed the UN's power in invading, thus destabilizing one of our important worldpolitcal organs. Also, there's a lot of question behind the morality of invading Iraq...

No two countries would ever go to war with nukes.

 

[Amnestic]

$1.75 Billion? Why for that kind of cash we could buy two gundams [http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/01/real-life-gunda/] and still have cash left for some high class booze to party with.

Also, the cost of maintaining a Raptor is slightly ridiculous. What do people need air superiority for anyway these days? Far too expensive.

 

[johnman]

Well either way, I'd just like to be ready for a just-in-case scenario. Afterall, I'd rather have them and not need them, than need them, and not have them.

You're more than ready. How many F-22's you got? 187 you say? They are cancelling 7 more. Well fuck me, you're totally screwed now aren't you? In fact you'd be pretty fucked with only 7 more...I reckon you need at least another couple of hundred, I think you should write to your senator and complain.

7 raptors would make a massive difference. Back in the good old days of the Battle for Britian, Germany would send over 400 planes in a single wave. If around 20 of those were shot down, it was seen as a massive cause for celebration. I know there is much better technology now, but the idea is the same.

 

[KingPiccolOwned]

I find it hilarious that the man who said that spending the defense budget money on the F22 Raptors is the same man who spent more money in 7 months than the total spending of America prior to his election. I think you know who I mean. Also if you actually look at it mathmatically (the logical way) you would know government provided healthcare is bullcrap.

 

[Amnestic]

Also if you actually look at it mathmatically (the logical way) you would know government provided healthcare is bullcrap.

I think a certain number of Europeans and Canadians might take issue with such a viewpoint.

 

[KingPiccolOwned]

Also if you actually look at it mathmatically (the logical way) you would know government provided healthcare is bullcrap.

I think a certain number of Europeans and Canadians might take issue with such a viewpoint.

What, you mean the ones waiting a freaking year for vital surgeries? Or how about the ones who die in line to be seen by the doctors?

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Don't worry America - if you ever ask, we'll protect you from those Su-37s.

*Feels immensely smug*

Spoiler: Warning, may be too awesome for some to handle

On a serious note....what was the exact point of the F-22? It was a stealth, multirole air superiority fighter, and looking at it, you sort of failed. The EU and Russia both have their new superfighters, but....I think it unlikely.

Oh, and the Red Flag event was not held against NATO, it was America vs. America plus Canada. No Typhoons, no SU-37s - hell, no one was flying a Pavania Tornado, for heaven's sake!

 

[Frank_Sinatra_]

Why don't we just spend less money on giant fighter jets, and more on world peace?

Because if you want peace you need war, it's an endless cycle. As long as there are humans and we all have free will we will fight each other. No matter who is in power someone will disagree, get followers, and if the situation gets bad enough they will attack the person they disagree with.

On topic: At least we still have the F-302's [http://stargate.wikia.com/wiki/F-302_fighter-interceptor] right? Oh wait, that's not real... Yep that was a bad decision.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

Don't worry America - if you ever ask, we'll protect you from those Su-37s.

*Feels immensely smug*

Spoiler: Warning, may be too awesome for some to handle

On a serious note....what was the exact point of the F-22? It was a stealth, multirole air superiority fighter, and looking at it, you sort of failed. The EU and Russia both have their new superfighters, but....I think it unlikely.

Oh, and the Red Flag event was not held against NATO, it was America vs. America plus Canada. No Typhoons, no SU-37s - hell, no one was flying a Pavania Tornado, for heaven's sake!

Totally off-topic, but still... That is a brilliant avatar you have there Mr Fondant. Going surfin'?

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Don't worry America - if you ever ask, we'll protect you from those Su-37s.

*Feels immensely smug*

Spoiler: Warning, may be too awesome for some to handle

On a serious note....what was the exact point of the F-22? It was a stealth, multirole air superiority fighter, and looking at it, you sort of failed. The EU and Russia both have their new superfighters, but....I think it unlikely.

Oh, and the Red Flag event was not held against NATO, it was America vs. America plus Canada. No Typhoons, no SU-37s - hell, no one was flying a Pavania Tornado, for heaven's sake!

Totally off-topic, but still... That is a brilliant avatar you have there Mr Fondant. Going surfin'?

This is a Romeo-Foxtrot; Shall we dance?


Yup, I love it. I must admit, I stole the idea from you, but I've always loved Duval's acting style, and in my opinion, Kilgore is one of the finest charecters in the world. His lines are awesome, his delivery his awesome - the 25 minutes he spends on-screen is the purest epitome of awesome ever seen in movies.

 

[TheMatt]

snip

Our current Air Superiority Fighter, the F-15 Eagle, is coming up on 40 years old. That's fucking old. The first F-15s flew when Vietnam was still going on. Granted, no F-15 has ever been lost in an engagement with another plane, we might not have to lose them to an enemy fighter. Just a year and a half ago, the entire F-15 fleet had to be grounded for weeks, because one of the fighters broke apart in mid air [http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123074547]. I wish I was making this up; The plane literally disintegrated around the pilot. The next best jet we have, the F-16 Falcon, is only 5 years younger. We desperately need a replacement for our 1,100 Eagles, and 1,200 Falcons, and 187 F-22s, and 1,000 JSFs are not going to cut it.

Where does the super-hornet fit in here? Thing is practically brand new, no?

 

[Simalacrum]

Why don't we just spend less money on giant fighter jets, and more on world peace?

I couldn't agree more. Infact, I think I agree with you so much I've fallen in love.

Will you marry me?

jokes, obviously

 

[CptCamoPants]

The F-22 is the most expensive, least needed plane in the world. Bring back the F-117, it's a bomber, but it's better for stealth than the F-22. The F-16, F-15, and the cheaper and just as good F-35 can take over for everything else.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

snip

Our current Air Superiority Fighter, the F-15 Eagle, is coming up on 40 years old. That's fucking old. The first F-15s flew when Vietnam was still going on. Granted, no F-15 has ever been lost in an engagement with another plane, we might not have to lose them to an enemy fighter. Just a year and a half ago, the entire F-15 fleet had to be grounded for weeks, because one of the fighters broke apart in mid air [http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123074547]. I wish I was making this up; The plane literally disintegrated around the pilot. The next best jet we have, the F-16 Falcon, is only 5 years younger. We desperately need a replacement for our 1,100 Eagles, and 1,200 Falcons, and 187 F-22s, and 1,000 JSFs are not going to cut it.

Where does the super-hornet fit in here? Thing is practically brand new, no?

Not really. It's about 20 to 30 years old. Decent plane through.