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by joenot443 1094 days ago
What conflict are you thinking of exactly when you reference F-35s being "mostly used to destroy low income housing of government undesirables"? I have no doubt the US military using fighter jets to mow down their own civilians would be well reported, so I'm sure there are lots of sources for the incident you're referencing.

Please be as specific as possible, I'd be surprised if you'd be ignorant enough to make such an accusatory comment if you didn't have an example ready to go.
2 comments
m0llusk 1094 days ago
Strictly speaking it is true that the F-35 is an air superiority fighter. At a more general level it is only a component of a larger war machine. Air superiority is typically asserted as part of a planned force projection. Civilian mobility and assets are commonly lost during military operations. None of this has much application to urban land use policy either way.
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hotpotamus 1094 days ago
> Strictly speaking it is true that the F-35 is an air superiority fighter.

I wonder, does it have more kills in the air or on the ground?

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dmbche 1094 days ago
Probably more ground - but that's not the point. The f-35 is built to be good in all conditions, have long range and carry quite a lot of ordonance, all the while being quite stealthy. It's a do-it-all plane.(80-120M usd)

The f16 is made to stay close to airbases and defend against intrusions. Kinda cheap - relatively.(60 M usd)

The f22 is the peak stealth air superiority fighter. It's made to go anywhere and murder anything. Much, much more expensive. Does not carry that much ordonance.(150M usd)

F18A are made to be do it alls on carriers.(66 M usd)

(I'd love to be corrected if i'm wrong)

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hotpotamus 1094 days ago
> but that's not the point

There's a saying in systems engineering that comes to mind: "the purpose of a system is what it does".

It's why I've only become more and more convinced that we should leave the rest of the world alone.

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joenot443 1093 days ago
Kraut has a video which explains why the position "US should leave the rest of the world alone" is a pretty elementary one which doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhXFgKEkwbU

I'd be curious for your thoughts.

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hotpotamus 1094 days ago
Where did I say anything about "their own civilians"?
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joenot443 1094 days ago
So what are you referring to then? No need to be evasive - just point out the conflict you had in mind. Like I said, it'd be ignorant to make the suggestion without some kind of example, so I'm giving you the floor for an explanation. Remember, your statement was that F-35s are mostly used for mowing down the housing of undesirables, all you need to do is explain where you got that idea from.
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hotpotamus 1094 days ago
I'm referring to the experience of a lifetime - they load these things with bombs, but the examples of them falling on those with high-income individuals is vanishingly rare. To be honest, I wasn't referring to the F-35 all that specifically, it just seems to happen when you give governments bombs and planes; they aren't about to let them sit idle.
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joenot443 1093 days ago
Excellent, it sounds like you're learning then. The F-35 is, as it were, not a machine designed to mow down civilian buildings.
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