busdriver

Obviously we're not going to agree. But I appreciate the level headed responses. As to Moldova, I don't think that arrangement suffices if we're sticking to using the realist lens to analyze this. I don't think that at all works for regional hegemony. If Russia were a relatively democratic/honest participant in the global order, then I'd think different. But an oligarchy/autocracy/whatever, nope. I would think Moldova is next up after Ukraine actually. Low probability at this point, but following the realist logic...

I would say the only example of an acceptable relationship is Belarus. A puppet. It would take active actions by the West to ensure that position for Ukraine. Mearshimer blames the US for this war.

I'll try this another way. What relationship between Russia and Ukraine do you think would have been acceptable enough to not result in a war? Also, yes people are actually saying America is at fault.

My point is that anything less than a vasal state in Ukraine would have always been more than Russia could tolerate. NATO expansion is irrelevant.

The vein of thought saying "America provoked this war and is at fault" crowd has a major case of main character syndrome. They can't see any geopolitical actor other than the US having agency. Then they'll point to Mearsheimer, who agrees with the point above. The weird part is that his own treatise (The Tragedy of Great Power Politics) would point you to the opposite conclusion. If objective 1 of any great power is to seek regional hegemony and prevent others from doing the same (method of assuring survival by preventing effective rivals), by his theory Russia was always going to become belligerent again as is seeks hegemony. I guess a populist moment was always going to be based on emotion. Probably the same before the rise of the progressive era.

Same logic : We need to allow the tyrant to have what he wants so he doesn't destroy his own society. ETA: my impression is this was sarcasm. If serious, shrewd real-politic.

While ideologically, I like all the weird libertarian tax stuff; I think it's all picking at the edges of a pipe dream. The population is getting older. We will likely need to cut/reform spending and increase taxes. Of course that is political suicide. So it will only happen after fiscal insolvency. No one on this board should be planning on social security.

Yeah, but you gotta deploy the masses if you want to knock back the queep monster. The queep monster is a pussy at heart, it fears combat and hardship.

That data set has nothing to do with how progressive a tax system is. The countries the left likes all have less progressive tax systems. Everyone pays a crap load.

Everyone's acceptance of ops at DCA. The FAA approved stupid procedures, and everyone else accepted and flew them for decades.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion.

Libertarian fever dream: this will be the thing that spurs the legislative branch into taking power back from the executive!

Which is my point. The heli charts list the routes in MSL.

150' over water is essentially IMC. I'd rather fly with goggles and look under as required in a city. Did it all the time in Vegas. This is all intellectual masturbation. The procedures are stupid, and purely a result of not wanting to tell people they can't have everything they want.

And flying without NVGs at <200' over a river would be a good idea?

Has a peace for our time sort of rhyme to it. Not enough deterrence in it.

No one should be interested in the things I'm not interested in anymore.

I don't think anyone knows, unless it's in the comm. More than likely it's just an accidental altitude deviation. Keep in mind, they're flying over a river at night (extremely limited visual reference for height), trying to shack an altitude with very little margin for error. And then being asked to look for traffic and visually separate from it. These procedures are no-step stupid.

Quoted for truth. From blues is the normal office uniform, to everyone is a warrior in BDUs, to blues Mondays. Masters, no master, masters, no masters. Uniform inspections, OREs/ORIs, etc. etc. etc. A wise man once said, "learn to notch" and focus on the actually important shit.

for anyone that is remotely competitive, go here: Practiscore Click on "matches" at the top. This is the website that almost every competition shooting sport in the US uses to schedule and advertise. Find a close IDPA or USPSA match and sign up. Bring whatever gun and holster you have (no shoulder holster though). Make sure you have at least 2, better 3 mag pouches. Just buy whatever uncle mikes crap at the local gun store, they suck but you'll figure out what you want later. Show up and tell them you're brand new. Enjoy trying to reload those magazine after your first stage.

CH, have you considered an AR in 9mm? When USPSA added a pistol caliber carbine division some years back, people were screwing around with all sorts of stuff. Basically everyone now shoots an AR feeding from Glock mags. JP rifles even makes a roller delayed version if you want.

Because people have their heads up their asses. There is no need for a conspiracy, this accident isn't hard to figure out.

100ft of discrepancy can get eaten up real quick with instrument error, location of static ports on airframes, and a sneeze. Keep in mind, it isn't just an NVGs limit peripheral vision thing. Airframe parts block lines of sight. In this case the "A pillars" and windscreen framing on both aircraft. The procedures around DC are stupid.

The procedures in that area are stupid.

This is back when MTV Unplugged was a big thing. This one always struck me. If you have a nice set of headphones or fancy speakers with a nice soundstage, the full length intro on streaming services is worth it over the youtube. The applause and microphone placement really makes it feel like you're on stage with the band.