sherpa

I'm not going to predict anything, but Iran is behind basically every bit of trouble in the middle east, and is directly responsible for many US deaths. Whether their younger less ideological youth can wrestle control from the ruling regime remains to be seen, but the country has a largely out of control group in their military, the Revolutionary Guard, and is pursuing nuclear weaponry. In my view, the Israelis will not allow that to happen. They don't have the current capability to strike it militarily, but there are other ways, and they are very good at using "other ways." That concerns me greatly, because I think the Iranian regime is close. I will absolutely endorse your view of the Saudis work ethic. When they purchased their F-15's after getting comfortable flying them they came to us for a air combat training week. As an adversary, I flew against them for five days. They were atrocious, and totally disinterested in learning how to fight the thing. The guys I flew against were far more interested in getting to the O Club than in using the airplane properly, and they had some very curious ideas about their place in the world.

And all that is the direct result of an agile, creative, responsive private sector that has been responsible for more human advancement than any in history. It is not the result of our political system, which did cooperate. Almost always better when politics stays out of it, and simply gets out of the way.

Just for historical accuracy, he was not disbarred. He lied under oath before a grand jury. He was suspended from practicing law in Arkansas for five years. He may have been disbarred from practicing before the US Supreme Court, but he resigned rather than face that. He also paid over $850,000 in the Paula Jones case.

I watched this closely for a decade. I can opine, with no reasonable doubt, that the people storming our border from failed governments ae not adding to the issues you suggest.

That serious discussion needs to start with a recognition of the basis of the problem. That basis is failed external governments that lead their citizens to escape. The US border is but a symptom. The cause is failed governments that are more than happy to use the US as a safety valve, and the US taxpayer to bear their internal failure burden.

It wasn't quite that way. If airplanes were responding to communications, and their transponders were working, there was no threat. On the other hand, there was nearly instantaneous profiling done by the two companies involved. Type of airplane, transcon and another factor I'm not going to mention. If a flight was in that three criteria profile it was flagged. That's why I got so much company dispatch com during the event. The air traffic controllers said nothing to me, in fact, the only other transmission I heard was a TWA, (still around at the time) diverting to Sacramento. What I learned subsequent, was that the FAA was concerned because I had gone from mach .8 to mach .83. They don't don't see mach, but they do see groundspeed, and we had gone from about 475 to about 560. It was one of those really unusual days where we had winds from the east, at altitude. So, they saw us turn around and significantly increase airspeed, thus their concern. Still, they never said a word.

And to think it all could have been avoided if the FBI in Washington simply responded to its field office in Minneapolis and read the hard drive of Zacarias Moussaoui, exposed by a retired simulator flight instructor to authorities.

I was a check airman on the 767 for one of the airlines involved. I had a brand new copilot on his first trip in the 767. We had flown from NY to San Francisco the day prior, and this was a 6am departure from San Francisco going back. I had just finished the required PA mentioning to keep seat belts fastened any time in the seats. A message came on the cockpit console printer from our company dispatch stating "Numerous cockpit incursions. Do not allow anyone to enter." I read it and put it aside, A few minutes later I got another one stating numerous cockpit incursions, suggest immediate divert. We were the only airplane on the FAA control frequency as it was really early on the west coast. I told them I was going back to San Francisco and turned the thing around. I was just west of Las Vegas, and since I was a west coast Nay pilot in a former life, I was familiar with all the military bases. I planned to go in Navy Fallon if the door was breached. I got the flight attendants construct a minor barricade to the cockpit using service carts. I got a bunch of really bizarre messages on the return asking me to verify if I was still in command. I knew it was really serious when they asked me to send verification data that was personal. Eventually, I told them we were OK but that I was too busy to respond anymore. Started down over Modesto, and by now the pax had figured out we had turned around and were descending, so I made a PA stating that the airplane was fine, we were returning to San Francisco and they would be informed of an issue once we landed. By now I had learned that we had lost two airplanes. Bay approach cleared me for an approach called the "Quiet Bridge," which is an eastern arrival noise abatement approach to avoid overflying the east bay. The told them I was not going to do that, but that I was going to point the airplane at the the end of runway 28L and land the thing. I also told them that if someone tried to come through the door I was going to put the thing in the Bay and they better come get us. A bit of a pause and the approach controller said that if I out the thing in the Bay they would get us. Came over the San Mateo Bridge, about five miles from landing, and saw about 30 emergency vehicles on the taxiways near the runway. No airplanes. Landed and they all chased us to the gate, and when I parked I saw about ten guys on the ramp with automatic weapons out. Found out after landing that the flight that I had clown almost exclusively for the two years prior to getting the check airman position, the morning Dulles to LA had hit the Pentagon. I knew I'd know the folks flying it, cockpit and cabin, and sure enough. I knew them all. Horrible day. Horrible week. Got home Saturday and went to two memorial services, one for the captain who was buried at Arlington, and one for a husband/wife flight attendant couple that were killed at the Pentagon.

"We have to pass it to see what's in it."

Typical insanity. The military is an apolitical entity and absolutely must remain so. What Congress decides, it decides.

Yep. As well as liar, ignorant and a few others.

When someone accuses someone of something, one should expect a response. You accused me of being a coward, a liar and ignorant. I had not posted anything about myself to that point. I responded by stating that I had over 300 carrier landings in fighters, served as a Topgun graduate adversary instructor. Whether that indicates one is not a "coward" is not my judgement. I responded yesterday when the other knucklehead mentioned my "family," as if it knows anything about that. Don't want people to respond with personal defense, then don't make idiotic personal accusations. You get what you cause.

Oh well. And by the way, just so you remember, I have offered a promise to donate any amount of money to the charity of your choice if I couldn't prove what I said. You never responded. To your second question, I am for tax policy that stimulates growth, with reasonable guidelines, including environmental issues.. I am against tax policy that doesn't stimulate growth, just as I am against energy policy that discourages US sources.

I'm not "triggered." You evidently forgot what you posted, or never knew it at all. Not my issue, as you are not someone I ever pay attention to. For the record, I have three kids. One BS from Christopher Newport. One BS from Virginia Tech. One BS from the University of Virginia with a Masters from the University of Wisconsin. She paid for the masters herself. No debt becasue I was smart enough to handle that, as I am smart enough to plan for my three grandchildren's education. I was fortunate to have the means to do that, but smart enough to see the value at the time. You are a goof, and you embarrass yourself day to day without comment, because like others, nobody cares to point it out.

You are truly a dope, but at least your ignorant post was cleared up, as you now seem to finally understand what you posted, and seemingly forgot. You have no idea about anything about me, my family, or how "brainwashed" I am. You post sophomoric nonsense that I rarely read, and I am completely unconcerned about. Thus, your comments about me are of no concern,

Is this exercise hard for you? I'll help you out. Go up about five posts in this thread. You will see a post that you authored quoting a claim of an accomplishment of "student debt relief." Thankfully, that didn't happen.

Strapping the US taxpayer with paying off agreed to debt, instead of having the party abide by promissory notes is an accomplishment? OK. Let's commit the US taxpayer to pay off all promissory mortgages. Accomplishment?

Her missive makes no sense. The most gifted and beautiful city in the US is in shambles, and she can't craft a logical statement. So glad we left in '90. That aside, it is a near impossibility to ever have her lose an election in that district.

There is simply no help with you guys. The "invasion" was the result of a rogue regime supporting and assisting terrorists who attacked our civilian population. They were warned it was coming if they didn't cease and turn them over. Your logic is akin to blaming the Challenger disaster on Kennedy. The fact is that military decisions are made at the time they need to be made. He screwed this up horribly, just as he screwed up his view of the bib Laden mission. The man was incredibly incompetent a decade ago, and now can barely hold his head up, let alone walk or complete a sentence. "God save the Queen, man."

It doesn't matter what I think about still being there. What matters is that a US President abandoned allies and his own military folks in a disgraceful escape that he was warned about, and lied about, and a bunch of them died unnecessarily It is simply inexcusable. The man is a lying clown, and that is the issue.

Go to the 4:58 mark and find out what people think of this idiotic, grossly mismanaged abandonment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71zuh9I1K7w

And I would add that we have seen losing since 2020. The end of Afghanistan was a disgrace. A total mismanaged debacle that has resulted in a bunch of death to people that trusted us and it continues.

The question I asked was about the Chief of Naval Operations. People do not "rotate in and out of that position," nor the other head of service positions. With knowledge of the single greatest threat posed to the Navy now, and for the next few years, a recommendation was made. That recommendation was discounted and a different candidate was announced by the administration. That is not to say she isn't qualified, it is to say that experts and operators in the loop do not consider her to be the best qualified, which was exactly what farley stated. On the other hand another candidate that seemed to have a trait completely unrelated to competence, the one the administration recommended for FAA Administrator was completely unqualified, exposed as such in Senate confirmation hearings and subsequently withdrew.

So, as a self proclaimed interested and informed individual, would you say that the nominee for Chief of Naval Operations, which is not the candidate that service recommended, is completely void of gender consideration?

Completely unrelated to the Senator's actions, but are you claiming that you have read the bios of over 300 0-6's and above? Are you claiming that you are qualified to judge them as the best candidates for these positions, which was the claim you quoted? It wasn't that they were unqualified, it was that they weren't the best candidates.