Thread

1. shoobiedoo · 1789687401 · focus · HN ↗

   This article calls it a "quiet emergency" but even as a foreigner living in Japan there are alarm bells everywhere. And the government buying 150 F35's is just a slap in the face when there's a massive chunk of the population that is, very quickly, going to need extra care.

   I looked into becoming a care aid myself as I'm tired of office culture in Japan and have some experience in that field. I was shocked to see that they start at less than 10USD, and working your way up takes years, decades even.

   Continuing to kick this can down the road is going to be an absolute disaster.

   1. stickfigure · 1789690944 · focus · HN ↗

      > buying 150 F35's

      Your immediate neighbor is going on an imperialist streak right now, and Xi says he wants the fireworks to start in his lifetime. I don't know if F35s are the right answer for Japan, but Xi isn't that young. Get ready however you can.

      1. echelon · 1789692672 · focus · HN ↗

         The F-35s are for the children and grandchildren. It's to safeguard their future.

         Democracy is important and it isn't free.

         1. noree · 1789693488 · focus · HN ↗

            If the Japanese are looking for technology to protect themselves against a heavily armed imperial force they should be mass producing Shaheds instead of paying tributes to the US MIC.

            1. hattmall · 1789696969 · focus · HN ↗

               Shahed drone's are not serious weapons of war. Japan could easily produce millions of them if needed. The drones are good for antagonizing and terrorising a civilian population. A few F35s and bomber squads could reliably deplete and destroy the entire Iranian drone stock and manufacturing capacity if there was the desire and higher tolerance for civilian casualties.

               In other words if Japan were in a position where they were willing to use drones to indiscriminately attack soft targets an F-35 would be about a trillion times more effective.

               1. mysecretaccount · 1789699027 · focus · HN ↗

                  > The drones are good for antagonizing and terrorising [sic] a civilian population. A few F35s and bomber squads could reliably deplete and destroy the entire Iranian drone stock and manufacturing capacity if there was the desire and higher tolerance for civilian casualties.

                  Absolutely incorrect.

                  - The purpose of these drones is to establish deterrence.

                  - US is not capable of reaching every inch of Iranian airspace with F-35s unless it is willing to accept a significant casualty rate among pilots.

                  - Even if they could, the US has not been able to decimate Iran's drone stockpile even in the areas it can ~safely reach.

                  The age of the fighter jet is over.

                  1. stickfigure · 1789705668 · focus · HN ↗

                     Because of stealth jets, the US is capable of destroying every single power plant in the country, with all the horrible human cost you would expect. Exactly like Putin has been trying to do in Ukraine. Except, they could actually do it.

                     Trump and Hegseth may be bumbling idiots but so far they have been showing restraint. The jets seem to be pretty effective at making big holes in the ground, I wouldn't call their demise just yet.

                     1. mysecretaccount · 1789713899 · focus · HN ↗

                        The US and Russia can destroy every power plant in their respective opposing countries with I(C/R)BMs, but this would involve breaking taboos of which even their respective leaders are fearful.

                        The fighter jet is not capable of destroying every power plant in Iran without risking pilot casualties, an endeavor for which the US lacks political capital. The drone has no such issue. A rational nation would have shifted primary investment into medium-range drones many yesterdays ago.

                        1. stickfigure · 1789748683 · focus · HN ↗

                           > Russia can destroy every power plant in their respective opposing countries with I(C/R)BMs

                           I don't think this is true. Sure if you count nuclear weapons, but that's not on the table.

                           Russia has already used IRBMs. Even Putin tacitly admitted they failed to hit their targets. It's entirely likely that Russian ICBMs simply do not have the accuracy required to strike something as small as a power plant with a conventional payload.

                           Even China is building stealth jets and aircraft carriers. The people making these decisions know more about their capabilities than you or me.

                           Shipping through Hormuz is already up to about half prewar levels. I don't think Iran's strategy is working very well for them.

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