jauntywundrkind
15 hours ago
Cancelling development programs for quite advanced programs like the E-7A and F/A-XX at the last mile just makes me think, maybe these guys really are playing for the other team. Not just with regards to Ukraine, but just broadly trying to sabotage the US and broader allied interests.
E-7A in particular seems like such a crucial system. We're going to be stuck using prehistoric mechanically steered radar (E-2D Hawkeye)? Until some hypothetical space based system can magically do the entire job? Defense today is about being able to out see the opponent, and the "leaders" are plunging us backwards into the dark in this fight.
Maybe we didn't actually buy the F/A-XX, but man, development costs were expected to be $75m remaining. We should have at least brought the design to buildable state! We probably should have build 3-8. To learn, to find out the merit and limits.
But we definitely need an airborne eyes & ears, and without E-7A, well, the war fighters that Pete so vociferously pumps up are going to be shooting in the dark.
jauntywundrkind
13 hours ago
So many other examples of turning a blind eye to our biggest threats:
Actively shutting down investigations into the all but total compromise of US communication networks, Salt Typhoon. https://www.techdirt.com/2025/06/20/salt-typhoon-hack-keeps-... https://www.techdirt.com/2025/02/20/donald-trump-is-turning-...
Cutting DHS intelligence funding 75% https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/dhs-intelligence-arm-to-cut...
Giving quarter to the enemy is what these people appear to be doing. They are leaving this nation defenseless. And based off the budget congress just passed they appear to be funding a new war within the US, one filled with sick horror and inhumanity.
jauntywundrkind
11 hours ago
And the civilian National Security Council—the apparatus to share intelligence with the executive—is in utter miserable shambles, with the chief executive basically disinterested in hearing intel briefings & most of the experts driven out. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/02/trumps-nat...
exceptione
12 hours ago
> They are leaving this nation defenseless
There is a shortage of courageous people. Military analysts and generals have sounded the alarm about serious gaps in capability, but they are all __retired__. The maga slogan is apparently just enough for media and public. The US doesn't build ships and is lacking the industrial capacity to sustain a prolonged war.
The Biden program's to onshore certain industries seemed to work, but those programs have been thrown in the toilet. The tariff scams have scared people to invest and expand production in the US.
It is one more example of how the concept "nation" or "common good" is meaningless for the 0,01%. You burn the village for personal profit. When the host dies they move to the next victim to parasite on, and so on.
Autocracies can't sustain themself, they will eventually collapse because without freedom sustainable and efficient productivity is not possible in the long term. It is why the Putin clan needs to parasite on other countries (Transnistria, Georgia, Ukraine etc). And this is why the Republicans are talking about annexing other countries.