U.S Bases and the industries supporting them have likely become significant parts of the local Japanese Economy. Pieces of the economy they likely can’t afford to loose at the moment. In modern day it’s Anime Weebs in the service buying merch and porn. Soldiers and their families doing tourism. Support staff for the Bases. Not to mention supplies and equipment sourced domestically. So it’s likely helping loosen the purse strings some.
Though it goes without saying that of the two. They’ve been the better Allies than the rest of our current crop of ‘Allies’.
Historically speaking Democratic and Republican movements have all revolved around ruthless suppression of opposition that didn’t fall into the bounds of what was considered acceptable Classical liberal/Republican politics.
The Socialists/Left aren’t unique in that regard. Ironically they’re probably the most honest about it. I’d imagine because the suppression of socialist and communist movements is still relatively fresh in the historical record. We forget that part of our history at our peril. Our forefathers though were rather thorough in setting about their work. So it’s a problem we never needed to really confront or be reminded of. It’s also part of why the mainstream Right-Wing today largely doesn’t consist of any of the ideologies and beliefs that were considered ‘Right-Wing’ at the time the terms Left-Wing and Right-Wing entered the Western political lexicon.
Also why our history books in schools tend to provide absolutely Black and White views regarding anything outside of the bounds of enlightenment political theory and philosophy. Instead of the nuances of reality and fuzziness of actual Historical events.
It’s a race to see who develops the AI terminators first. And both us and the Chinese will be trying to throw blocks in each others path.
We’ve been trying to choke off their ability to develop hardware. They’ve been targeting our ability for software.
I mean at this point. Both sides of the political spectrum are liable to immediately jump to everything being a conspiracy or false flag against their preferred political, economic, and philosophic points and positions.
The left tends to believe official statements on events when it makes the right, or a largely ideological right-wing point look bad. The right tends to believe official statements on events when it makes the left, or a largely ideologically left-wing point look bad. Otherwise the assumption is conspiracy. Hell we’re advancing into the realm where both sides are coming up with conspiracy’s about their opposite numbers conspiracy accusations.
We’re already well into everything economic being a ‘No True Scotsman fallacy.’ Where glaring flaws and oversights of one side or the other’s preferred economic systems aren’t really reflective of oversights inherent to that system and are instead the fault of something or someone else.
Even if we got the 100% unvarnished Truth on everything. I doubt at this point that significant portions of the population will believe it. If it doesn’t affirm their sides preferred political, philosophic, and economic positions.
I wouldn’t want to work at that Gun Store right now. The next few weeks are likely going to be inspections, awkward questions with Federal Agents and people who totally aren’t undercover Feds lurking around the building and pretending to be customers
When it starts affecting bottom lines for a prolonged period. Not to mention starts drawing the wrong kind of attention. It’s when you start seeing people start getting firm lines in the sand about what stupidity they’ll tolerate
Welcome back 1970
Metro is reporting he was armed with a shotgun. If it was an odd type like a Bullpup. It likely wouldn’t resemble the layman’s idea of a gun at first glance.
Though if he stuck a bunch of Tacticool Mall Ninja shit on it. It might also go a long way in confusing witnesses who might be unfamiliar and expecting something more generic.
It’s a Hotel. There’s side entrances and loading docks. All it would take is a distracted guard or two at a loading dock or side door. Not to mention there would have been legions of staff and crates of food and equipment moving in and out for days in the lead up to the dinner.
Holy shit.
Civilian infrastructure, welfare programs of one sort or another, cultural projects, corruption, fronts to launder money back domestically etc. The list goes on.
Not to mention deliberate efforts by U.S intelligence services and strategic planners to shift European priorities. Given it was the Cold War and Soviet Citizens idea of the West was shaped by Western Europe. So investing heavily into cultural projects, infrastructure, and assorted things that made the West seem superior was considered a priority. Versus Military expenditures. As the U.S Defense umbrella was considered a given. No thought was given by anyone to what happens when the Defense umbrella is no longer considered a given.
Not to mention the cultural shift into essentially the polar opposite of the Europe of the early 20th century. Given WW1 and WW2 plus the demise of the colonial Empires leaving long running scars on the European psyche
“When conditions allow” is the subtle admission that a dozen countries can’t scrape together enough functioning warships to contest a Shipping Lane vital to their own security and energy needs.
The same could have been said of Battleships in their heyday. I would hazard a guess its main defense much like its forebears would be its accompanying escorts. There likely is a significant possibility of undisclosed systems as well.
As these are more than likely going to serve as flagships for Non-Carrier Naval Squadrons in the U.S order of battle. As well as seriously up-gunning carrier battle groups as well. So they are hardly going to be hunting submarines alone.
These are also only the first in the ‘Golden Fleet’ initiative. So it stands to reason we’ll see the announcements of new classes of vessels meant to serve alongside them.
Only the Iowa Class and Canceled Montana class would have been heavier tonnage wise.
And if the specs on the Weapons systems are right. It’ll be the biggest and most heavily armed son of a bitch afloat outside of a carrier with a full air-wing.
While its primary armament is going to be a metric ass load of missiles. x128 Mk 41 cells. An undisclosed number of Nuclear capable Cruise Missile tubes. x12 Hypersonic Missile tubes.
Its primary guns will be 1 Rail Gun. With a secondary battery of x2 5 inch guns. There will also be a battery of x2 DEW systems. Final type not agreed upon yet. Along with space to upgrade the DEWs to even heavier variants once available.
It’s Defensive battery will be x4 25mm chain guns. x4 ODIN lasers and a battery of 2 SAM CWIS systems. As well as 2 Anti-Drone systems. Type not-disclosed.
It’ll also have a flight deck with 2 hangers and the ability to support VTOL capable craft. Officially just V-22s and the new Helicopter concepts. Though F-35s are also VTOL capable. So there’s every chance of these things being modified to potentially service F-35s as well.
And for the kicker. The Navy will potentially seek to acquire up to 25 of these behemoths. These aren’t just up gunned escorts for carriers. These things are going to be heading task forces on their own.
According to preliminary plans. Its main gun will be a Rail Gun. Supplemented With 2 of the 5 inch guns currently in use on destroyers. As well as 4 25mm chain guns. There’s also supposedly going to be 2 main DEW systems with space to upgrade to large ones once available. As 4 smaller DEW systems as part of its secondary battery.
As well as 2 as of yet undisclosed Anti-Drone systems.
Its main weapon systems however will be Missile based. Cruise Missiles with potential Nuclear Capabilities. A battery of up to 12 hypersonic Missile Tubes. 128 Mark 41 Missile Cells. Not to mention 2 SAM CWIS launchers.
Not to mention multiple confirmed Flight Deck for Helicopters and VTOL transports. Though given the fact that F-35s are also VTOL capable. It’d potentially be able to carry F-35s in a pinch.
Speculating is also that it would include 2 Laser batteries. Though it’s unclear which systems would be mounted. If it comes in at 39,000 tons on the high end. It’ll be the heaviest thing we’ve floated since we launched the Iowas. And the biggest and most heavily armed son of a bitch in any nations arsenal.
Only the Iowas and the canceled Montana Class would have been heavier tonnage wise. And initial Navy Plans are for up to 25 of these behemoths.
Edit note: Left off weapons systems in my initial post.
The legions of former Bureaucrats and NGO drones are learning what everyone else has had to experience for years. Oh darn.
Ironically both the dysfunctional nature and construction of U.S Government. Local, State, Federal etc. Not to mention the near religious devotion some regard Money and market forces. Along with the lack of an earthly authority with a final say on the matter.
There’s a whole shitload of money to be made in being able to figure out environmental control. Extending Growing seasons, greening deserts etc. Not to mention any other reasons or incentives said proponents may have.
The Federal Government hasn’t passed regulations on it. The State Governments are all over the place. Most generally not regulating it.
Outside someone getting Divinely smited from on high. There’s nothing strictly making it illegal in most of the country.
There’s not going to be full employment. Current predominate Economic theories rely on their being a certain percentage of unemployment. Full employment isn’t considered desirable. Much like how zero inflation is also not considered desirable economics wise.
And at the moment. A significant percentage of people want a total ban on immigration. Including the legal kind and especially the work programs. Considering how heavily Corporations have abused them to avoid hiring Americans.
https://x.com/jamesokeefeiii/status/2047695433766416595?s=46
She’s the one revoked the prohibition and restored his 2A rights according to James.
A different judge is apparently the one who granted the restraining order as best I can tell. Though that part isn’t entirely clear. It also seems like a prohibition on firearms ownership is just a general rule when it comes to restraining orders under Florida Law. So it seems like it may have also just been bureaucratic adherence to policy. Rather than something the courts imposed specifically on James.
Someone took out a restraining order. One of the policies in Florida Law as part of restraining orders is the person that is the subject of the order has a prohibition on the possession of firearms.
As to The Who. Well he’s made no shortage of enemies and has an extensive list of folks him and or his journalists have embarrassed or feuded with. Though in this case it’s an ex-project veritas board member he’s been having long-running issues with. Matthew Tyrmand
Brief History. A Whitehouse Maintenance Guy/Carpenter got permission to install hives in 2009 as part of a Hobby. It quickly evolved into a tradition for the White House.
The Honey is frequently used by Whitehouse chefs in meals prepared there. Given as diplomatic gifts and donated to local food pantries. They get well over 200 lbs of honey a year. The recent hive additions are supposed to take it closer to 230lbs reliably. Though it could get up to 250lbs in the event of an exceptionally good year.
Essentially the gist of it. Further compounding the difficulty is the only real plausible solution, at the moment at least, to put the kibosh on the mass importation of foreigners. Is Robotics and AI.
The problems and public resistance with it are all well known and documented at this point.
And if we put a halt to all immigration tomorrow and began mass deportation of everyone who shouldn’t be here.
It becomes the fact there will be an utter lack of Americans to fill all the positions that will need filled. Especially because so many of them don’t pay worth a damn.
And for a variety of reasons and problems, including both political, economic, and philosophical ones. We’re unlikely to spike the birthrates to the necessary degree. To alleviate the need for AI and Robotics supplementing the workforce. In part because the solutions to the birthrate problems are liable to be difficult and uncomfortable both to acknowledge exist, let alone even make the effort to attempt to solve.
It’s almost like affirming the delusions of the mentally unstable doesn’t suddenly make them sane.
It’s certainly not like we didn’t have centuries worth of experience with Asylums to tell us that already.
Militarily they’re near impotent. The Domestic situation is increasingly unstable due to the diversity. And Parliament has recently succeeded in gutting their Special Forces contingent by allowing the prosecutions of SAS members. Financially their influence has been fading quickly with the U.Ks larger fortunes.
The U.K and it’s rock collection is largely dependent on remaining in the U.S good graces.