GWiz

No problem friend... No resistance needed... American "culture" is all smoke and mirrors and can therefore never hurt me... Also, I ain't gonna spare anyone here nutin... I may be a "newbie" HERE but I ain't new to some "exchanges" with you yanks (speaking of that I LIKE yanking chains) having been "seasoned" on the Hannity Forum for some 6 years ('00 - '06, the Bush years pre and post 9/11 and two wars), that's a LIBERAL Canuck "battling" American Right Wing extremists on Hannity, and WINNING every battle... So my yank friend have at me by all means... Just never say I didn't warn you (just as a blackbelt Karate Master must warn his "foes" I must warn all here about my abilities and my one finger that conveys the message)...

You posted: --- Like dropping "crowbars" from orbit having just enough electronics to waggle some ailerons for steering and lock onto a tank for a target. The kinetic energy of a 5kg "crowbar" dropped from orbit would obliterate any tank it hit! A swarm of them could demolish an entire battlefield. Cheap, too! Who needs bombs and bomber airplanes to take out manufacturing or military sites? Just drop a bucket of gravel from that same Earth orbit. Not at all hard to aim - we've been doing that sort of simple ballistics since the days of cannon, maybe even catapults! Want to take out an enemy's observation satellites? Fire a shotgun shell in a retrograde orbit. By the time it has circled around the back way you have a fair size cloud of pellets that will shred any satellite to pieces. Is anyone thinking what would happen if China built a manned base on the moon, along with a mass driver to hurl rocks back at its enemies? How could we defend against it? Form a committee to decide if its a federal or a provincial matter? Those writers came up with a whole pile of such ideas! All quite workable and relatively cheap. They all depended on having hardware in space, to take advantage of the gravity well. It seems very strange that no country has developed that capability, or at least is not talking about it! --- Sorry Bill, still don't "buy" it... You may want to watch what happened to a Space Shuttle a few years back that was DESIGNED to reenter earths atmosphere because a tile came off... A sad day that was and it makes my point better than anything else regarding your "scifi" scenarios... Come on Bill, you're better than this... Is that a Jack Danials bottle I see you holding? If a NUKE went off who'd care? AND exactly how would manned F-35s with fried fly-by-wire and avionics be better? Well, my friend, I'm no "tech", far from it... I never had a "horse and buggy"... My first car was a '57 chevy BelAir two door hard top that I bought with my own money when I was 16... I did however buy my son a Radio Shack TRS 80 COMPUTER to learn "basic" on instead of a Compact 64 gamer like other kids had... He's now the "tech" in my family after graduating from DeVry Institute of Technology with a Computer Engineering degree and earning good money because of that decision I made back in 1980 when he was 10... I'm also a past Menzies member with a tested IQ of 148 and high score of 162 in critical thinking, so I don't think I qualify for the slot you'd like to put me in... Incidently, those "personal jet packs" have been around for quite a while now, just ask Sean Connery (as the original 007) about them... "Not only do you sound like a horse and buggy man who doesn't think cars will catch on, you sound like one who lives in a small town and doesn't realize people have been driving them for 20 years!" What do YOU see in your mirror Bill?

Sorry, gotta disagree with you here, at the rate the US has been printing money with no backing for it any other country would have an almost worthless currency... Actually so would the states, but the US's creditors, in particular China, don't want to "pull the plug" and lose their hold on the US economy... When you spend 4 Trillion and only take in 2 Trillion it's just a matter of time before the collapse happens... You might want to start learning Mandarin, eh... Incidently, the US banks know this, that's why they're converting credit into hard assets like property - to cash on hand even if it's only pennies on the dollar... Foreclosing on property that's only worth 10% of what's owed on it, and not even trying to collect what you can only makes sense if you are divesting credit into cash on hand... America, ergo the world, is in financial trouble, it'll be worse, probably by a lot, than the '08 downfall...

And your point is? The truth seems to bother you... My tested IQ is 148, I'm smart enough, been around long enough, and know enough... What's your excuse for some of the silly things you post again? Cool, it must hurt you to make any concessions to us Canucks, do I detect some ENVY here? Oh please, an American talking about "culture", simply unheard of, you wouldn't know the meaning of the word except as something in a petrie dish...

My friend, please don't take offense, but what you are describing is a Corporate controlled dictatorship and very, very, close to the fascist doctrin for power... Ain't no Government smaller or militaristic, no need for social programs etc., great GDP, ya gotta work your ass off to eat, and cheap because only a few at the top get all the "benefits", which IS what's hapenning in America TODAY... Good call... Only one problem with it... Can't and won't work... Not because of "we the people", as you say, they're too dumb to realize what's being done to them and still vote "republican", but rather because America, along with a lot of other countries, will be BANKRUPT and cease to exist as viable entities leaving China, India, Brazil and sundry smaller nations with the spoils... As for Obama, he got and is bamboosled, much like many Democrats were, including Hillary Clinton et al regarding the Iraq war and WMDs, except it was regarding the $700 Billion bailout and "crisis" of the banks by Bush/Cheney just prior to them leaving office... Fooled 'em twice, shame on them (meaning Obama, McCain, Clinton, and the rest that "swallowed" that crap hook, line and sinker)... I'd need a new thread and more time to go into why I AGREE with much of what you say... Especially what's happening TODAY starting with RR and fommented by 20 years of republican power since then... "Appeasement", in any form, even domestically, has NEVER worked on Americans, they simply don't understand the concept, which is why I can't understand Obama, who I think is basically a "nice guy" with a good heart that CARES about America and Americans and even has some really good ideas, trying to APPEASE Republicans... You're RIGHT, it'll NEVER work...

Obama does, and he matters...

The thing is a couple of Mil that was misspent to keep our country unified really doesn't bother me a whole lot looking at the "big picture" of government waste... Bottom line on that was that we're still one country, so it worked... As for my nose, although disjointed, was "coming around", but then Moroney happened and sold Canada out to his shamrock buddy Reagan, much like Dief did actually, with a one way trade agreement that lets the US tell us what Canada sells it's gas and oil for, and a whole lot more that strictly favours the US, not to mention the GST, airbus, etc., etc., so you can figure out the rest on my thoughts about those free spending so called "Conservatives"... And now along comes Harper, completing the "Con tri-fecta", the most "free spending" of the 3, with his wasteful spending of 2 years of record surpluses AND the "rainy day fund" Martin and the Liberals had built up, cutting taxes including 2% off the GST (which I hate but Canada came to depend on because it was part of Canada's balanced budgets and surpluses strategy to pay down the national debt and prepare for exactly what happened when the recession hit, which I really liked), then BANG - $64 Billion deficit, Billion Dollar G8/G20 (it cost S. Korea less than 100 Mil. the following year), and the subject of this thread, untendered, another "sell out" that Canada can't afford right now, not to mention the most secretive and corrupt Canadian Gov. of my lifetime... Get the picture of why I feel the way I do about the Cons.? Not really, what's needed is "touch" and a HUMAN "pilot" to control it and make the decisions... They've got that... My friend, you wouldn't stand a chance, even against some young-uns I know, they'd blow the best manned aircraft out of the sky before the pilot knew what hit him/her... Have you heard about the ELECTRIC car? How about an ELECTRIC hypersonic strikefighter? No noise, no heat signature, no cieling, virtually invisible... Not only very possible, but probably on someones drawing board, I hope it's a "friendly"... Why does Canada need stealth? Who we gonna attack that can compete with an "older" CF-18 with a good pilot, nevermind any of a dozen or so more modern fighters? Iran, Korea, Somalia? I'm not a handy-man, just the guy that sends handy-men out to do the job and do it right, with my vote... They have to supply their own tools, that way I don't have to spend money on tools I'd never use... Sorry, Wild Bill, you lost me here... I'm stricly a realist... I won't go into why trying to drop things from space is idiotic and scientifically impossible... EMPs and Nukes? Lets keep it real...

There you go... Just a couple of us "old farts" stinking up this forum, eh... Gotta love it!!!

No argument, pretty much what I said... Yup, I remember... I miss it... Do you remember America before Japan, and to a lesser extent Canada and a lot of other nations, started buy up the USofA?

Who's Heather Mallick and why does she matter? Nooo, most Canuks actually DO know more about the states and US politics than a goodly number of Americans... It's a "smarts" thing, not a google or television thing... Just ask Sarah Palin something, almost anything, about the USA to confirm that fact... Don't you mean a nation of states with their own interests rather than a nation state? Hmmm, you're using neighbour instead of neighbor now, which of course we certainly are, perhaps you've spent too much time on here?

Well, actually we could, albeit with great expense to our economy to start building new refineries... For our own use though no problem... Please, please, tell Quebec that and end their "seperation" tendencies once and for all... Yup, not the first time, we Canuks with a little help from the Brits kicked you ass the last time as I remember... Ahhh yes, that old love/hate relationship never ends, eh... Actually you are both wrong and right... You do produce a little more oil than Canada when you include the supply from Alaska, but that oil happens to get to you through Canada, soooo. taps it is... We also have more reserves of oil AND gas than you do... Canada IS your largest non-domestic oil supplier, and certainly the most stable oil supplier outside the US with Mexico running a close second... It's too bad you guys south of us are such gluttons for oil that the 3 North American "suppliers" of your oil needs aren't enough... It'd sure make things a whole lot simpler in the world if it were...

btw - I think you're right, after all, isn't the customer always right? Thank for your patronage...

Glad you "winked" or I might have been offended by that...

Sorry, last time I checked Seattle was in the States, since I'm a "newbie" here no foul intended, you still had a good post, and what I stated applies regardless...

Since this part is in response to my post let me say that, that is where the "change" in mission occurs... It's changing from doing that "basic training" to accompanying Afghan troops on their initial field missions, which after what Canada has already contributed in blood and treasure fighting way above it's weight class in Khandahar Province may be a bit much for us Canadians to take should, as is fairly likely, more Canadian blood be spilled in Afghanistan post the mission change... No one can ever say Canada didn't do it's part for and in Afghanistan no matter what happens in the future... Obama even acknowledged that quite correctly in his Peter Mansbridge interview...

Well and civilly said my American brother... We've got your back... As Canada has always had... Including on 9/11 and during the first strikes on the ground in Afghanistan with our JTFII forces... Even in Iraq Canada had your back all the way through as the 4th largest contribution (including all the "willing", just a little more quietly) in that conflict... What unites our two countries is far more important to both our nations than those things that divide us... The fact is we need each other in more ways than 95% of the people realize in both our countries...

Finally someone with a good head on their shoulders that I can discuss this subject with... Thanks... The Avro Arrow and "Dief the Chief" scrapping, not just cancelling but scrapping, the Arrow project in favour of the useless Bomarck missiles because, as he was told by his puppet masters the Americans, "this type of aircraft is obsolete and it's missiles that are the future, we'll GIVE you all the missiles and technology surrounding them you'll need" is even today one of the worst decisions ever made by a Canadian Prime minister... We wouldn't be buying Aircraft today, we be selling them, had this fiasco never occured... No Conservative vote ever from me just because of that... Agreed in principle, however the rate of current technology changes is mind blowing... Even 10 years ago an unmanned Predator Drone bombing a target within measurements of a few feet or yards was the stuff of science fiction, now it's proven reality and used without a second thought in both Afghanistan and Pakistan... As I indicated above, yes, I do think we are at that level of technology and capability... The massive canadarm on the ISS can hold a small wrench and tighten a nut while it's also able to gently manipulate a huge and delicate solar array without damaging the most sensitive instruments and materials imaginable... Remember, we're talking 50 years of changes where today a civilian blackberry or I-pad has superior capabailities to a '60s DOD super computer taking up hundreds of feet of floor space... Another thing is that by eliminating human suport systems, as you alude to, you might be talking 3 or more unmanned fighters engaging that F-35 rather than one... That changes the odds considerably in favor of the superior numbers... Here I have to disagree with you... I think the technology exists today and in all likelihood is well into it's testing stage, so I'm thinking more like 10 years to production and application rather than 40-50 years as you state... That's within the projected life span of the CF-18s perhaps augmented by some new Super Hornets to replace the oldest, first order, of our planes... I even think right now it's the economics and political will to "change over" to unmanned equipment for land, sea AND air, rather than technology issues that's keeping the new available unmanned fighting machines under wraps... Except of course when/if needed, ie - hundreds of ARMED, assault, Predetor Drone aircraft, unheard of at the beginning of the Afghan and Iraq wars, heck, even the unmanned observation drones were a totally NEW concept for in theater use, so you have to admit that the speed of change and developement in this area of operations is more rapid than anything we've seen since the developments in technology during WWII, and even those pale in comparison to todays rate of changes in technology... New technology, like computer systems etc. rolls out in weeks and months now rather than years... China is in the space race, whodda thunk it, eh... Exactly, but I don't know if you meant it in the way I'm taking that... As I said, I believe it does... Perhaps, but as I've stated earlier, it's not that Canada would be defenseless IF that were ever the case... The US Navy still likes it's F-18s and has in fact just ordered more Super Hornets, and no F-35s saying they aren't suitable for the US Navy, do they know something we don't? Ain't that the truth...

Sorry, based on the media's attention to "Ms. Palin" I didn't realize America had any "standards"... I know Sarah Palin "matters", at least to some of you on the far right, my only question was why she does... That question was answered... Since we up here in Canada spend a lot more time in your country, ie-Snow Birds and bargain shoppers, than you yanks spend time and cash up here in the cold country it's hardly surprising that Canadians know, or care, a whole lot more about you than you know, or care, about us, that's simple geography... Having followed US politics since Kennedy, and prior to the 2000 election, I actually thought you guys had the better political system, you know, elected and relevant senate, choose the leader of your country directly, stuff like that... The 2000 elections showed up every flaw with your system of government and it sure made me, and most Canadians, aware of how lucky we in Canada are with what we have up here... Since I don't have an "inferiority complex" like admittedly many Canadians do but rather a superiority complex vis-a-vie the US of A you admitting that most "Americans" don't know or care about Canada and what happens here is hardly surprising to me... Nor does it matter to me one bit... The ignorance of "Americans" about anything outside their borders is well known... Hell, most Canuks know a whole more about the States than most "Americans" do, including their politics... Ahhh, I see, however, it's not "my monarchy", Canada is an independant nation... You kicked the Brits ass, not Canada's... Anyway, your war for indendance doesn't match up with what you said in your earlier post about that being how your country was founded which is why I thought you were referring to the post civil war carpetbaggers which matches up with what you said in that post perfectly... Good, I'm a straight shooter too, so we should get along just fine... I don't "want", nor particularily care, other than what affects me as a US property owner or as a good neighbour and a Canadian what the US does... btw - the term "American" when referring to yourselves is a bit confusing since anyone and everyone residing in North, Central, or South America are all Americans, eh...

dre said it best! Thanks again, you made my day... btw - Do you know how much of your "national debt" is OWNED by Canada from all those trade surpluses from years past? Look it up some time...

ROTFLOL!!!!

Best post I've seen so far on this thread... Sadly, the whole truth of this entire matter is that it's very likely any new manned stealth/superiority/strikefighter like the F-35 will be surpassed by unmanned airframes controlled by "pilots" hundreds to thousands of miles away in a secure environment before any delivery of them actually occures... Ergo, we're committing to buying aircraft that will be obsolete upon delivery and Canada will be unable at that time to purchase the new tech airframes because of this untendered commitment... The bottom line in all of this is that the relative capability of an airframe has very little to do with the purchase and a whole lot more to do with politics and creating the right atmosphere, ie - jobs, in targetted ridings by the Gov. of the day... No different than the CF-18 purchase that shunned Winnipeg/Manitoba, the best place for the "job" of servicing them, in favour of Quebec... However this time around the costs and stakes are a whole lot higher considering the current state of the worlds economies and resulting turmoil...

I guess my post was a little long for you to actually read it... I'd answer your post, but since I'd be wasting my time with someone who is as clearly brainwashed by the NDP as you, I won't bother... Good on you if you actually vote, even if you waste it, whomever you vote for, way too many Canadians don't vote at all... Keep right on voting for the NDP and electing federal Conservatives... As ye sow, so shall ye reap... btw, I've never voted for Kevin, he's not in my riding, I just helped him defeat the NDP candidate in a strong NDP riding previously held by Judy Wishy-washy lies...

When Canada's Defense minister tells the former Govenor of California that his state is next to BC, omitting Oregon and Washington state off the US map, calling it a Palin moment was being kind... Luckily 'ol Gov/Ter-minator set dear Petey strait on the matter... FYI, the "Training of Afghanistan troops" is all done in Kabul, currently by countries like Germany that don't want to get into the real fighting, although some German troops have been killed even in Kabul... What has changed, arbitrarily by the Harper Gov. at this point, is that when the "combat mission" in Khandahar province, where most of Canada's military deaths have occured, ends in 2012, a "training mission behind the wire" in Kabul would be Canada's role in Afghanistan post 2012... That's what is now being changed... Canada has been punching, way, way beyond it's weight class for years now and Canadians have paid way too high a price for that in both blood and money... Enough already, bring ALL the troops home... Canada has already done more with less, based on population and military capability, than any other NATO(+) nation in Afghanistan...

Are you too young to remember? LOL - He didn't "rip off" a German Gun Dealer, he ripped off Canada... Are you too blind to understand what he was really paid for? It was the Airbus deal, pure and simple, and while he was still PM, but you won't get that "verdict" under a Harper Government... Unfortunately Morony hasn't paid back the 2 Million dollars he swindled the Canadian tax payer out of with his lies that were proven as lies in the inquiry... So there you have your answer, oh, and he also remembered to pay his taxes (years after he owed them), although on a much smaller amount than he actually got from Shreiber, just prior to the inquiry... But all that pales compared to selling us out to the States via his "Free Trade" agreement with the US and his shamrock brother Ronald Reagan... Yup, the best prime minister the United States ever had... :angry:

When you fall you don't necessarily "collapse", eh... Life is actually GREAT... I'm just looking into buying a couple of dirt cheap condo units in Florida to rent out and make some money with... Keep up the good work down there... Thanks to Bush/Cheney and the American "right" we up here in Canukistan are appreciating where we live a whole lot more... No worries my friend, I've got all the love I'll ever need...