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I was refering to the "afraid of conflict" and occasional tone.
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What about it? It's true. As pragmatists, they are not going to put themselves at risk unnecessarily. That is why they are afraid of confrontation.
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But I don't know how much they're opposed to conflict when it would be profitable.
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There is no profit that would be worth committing suicide over. And confronting us directly is the equivilent of suicide. They will not confront us unless we threaten them directly. Which of course we would never do, because (contrary to popular belief) we dont wage wars of aggression. Russia is a democracy, and therefore sovereign, and the US will always respect that IMO. Military threat or no.
By contrast, an idealist WOULD commit suicide over a moral issue. So a threat from an idealist should be taken seriously, if they have the means to carry it out.
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Also Israel is helping fund F-35 development so that's a little different.
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Why? How much of the technology is Israeli? Its an example of the US selling technology to allies.
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And it's more conventional than our F-22's and B-2's which aren't going anywhere for some time.
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The F-35 is a true stealth fighter...more stealthy than the F-117, and
far more manuverable than the F-16 or F-15 (and, for that matter, the F-22). It has all our latest electronics, AESA radar, and VTOL capability.
No, it doesnt have the payload/ceiling of the B2 or F-22. But it is
definitely in the same league with them technologically. And is superior to any non-American fighter in the world. Yes, I think it counts as top-shelf American technology.