Leaderboard

Concur! Sadly, in a world where people are too lazy to even type out the words "too long, didn't read", very few will take up the charge of self education, though your recommendations are spot on. The laziness of an America that would rather debate their opinions rather than learn facts, analyze them, and put their opinions to the test...possibly even changing them...this is one of the root causes of our problem. If cowards went out into the world and discover that their situation isn't really as bad as they thought, they wouldn't go on murderous rampages. Alas, we live in a world where it's all about 'me', and when that world all about 'me' turns depressing, it's everyone else's fault, so I'll kill as many of them as I can before I go out in a blaze of glory...which often actually ends in a tragic homicide/suicide. You want to change this world right now? Parent your kids. Seriously. If fathers in America simply stood up and fathered their children, events like this wouldn't happen. I'm not saying it's easy. It isn't. But nothing worth doing ever is. Here's a challenge: If you are a father, put the device down, and engage with the those hearts and minds you created...they're watching everything you do and don't do, and they'll respond in kind. Teach them your beliefs. Give them a foundation on which to stand when the world turns ugly, and they'll be able to stand. Raise men and women, not teenagers who never grew up. ...standing by for the TL, DR response.

Holy shit, Hacker. And all this time, the only reading I thought you did were P-51 flight manuals, beer labels, and steamy romance novels. Look at the big brain on his shoulders!

The Federalist Papers are mandatory reading for anyone who wishes to have any serious conversation about Constitutional issues with respect to what the Founders really intended. Folks should also dig deeper into the philosophy aspect of the Founders mindset by reading stuff like Locke's Two Treatises on Government (the second one being the relevant one). Although it was published well after the Founders did their thing, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty is great foundational reading, too.

Much better in my opinion. “Quiet professionals” seemed way too attention whore-ish.

Well, you did a great job completely invalidating your arguments here. Go read Federalist Paper No. 78.

But the first law school in the US didn't start teaching until 1780. Some were lawyers, but they were self-taught or apprenticed at best. And the concept of judicial review didn't come from the founding fathers, it came from the Supreme Court in 1803 (Marbury v. Madison).

Yeah...actually you are. There are plenty of legally owned fighter aircraft that are capable of employing ordnance, and explosives may be legally owned as destructive devices under the NFA.

VFA-31 just released one of the best cruise videos I’ve seen.

I agree and disagree. Yes, we want the best at what they do to be our leaders, but I think we are missing a step. Just because someone is good at what they do doesn't mean they will be a good leader. Frankly, I think this is part of the reason why we are in this mess. From my observations we have ended up three types of leaders in the Air Force. 1. Those who suck in the jet but knew how to play the game and checked the right boxes. These types are often group or wing execs when they hit their promotion board. 2. Highly competent and tactical aviators who look good on paper. However, sometimes these types are arrogant and are climbing the ladder. These are the ones who throw their people under the bus to get where they want to go. These are often the toxic leaders. 3. Competent and tactical aviators and leaders who get it right. In my experience these are the ones I want to follow, but they are becoming more and more rare. Part of the reason why I punched is because of the leaders. I got really sick of having commanders that thought that their sh!t didn't stink.

Meh. The salt stings.