Jet Fuel Genius

From Martin Iles, reposted: Having lived in the USA for nearly two years, I've realised something. The USA and the remainder of the Western world are no longer aligned. We all laugh and mock when the Americans say, "Freedom!" because we truly think we're as free as they are. Wrong. We're not. Not even close. The laws, the mindset, and the behaviour, is totally different in this regard. Most of all, the governments are totally different. The USA's convictions around core freedoms are on a scale we do not share. Meanwhile, Donald Trump wins the popular vote, the electoral college, the House, and the Senate... a man who, in every other Western country, is held in open derision, if not contempt. For these and other reasons, we are not the same. Yet the West, including Australia, fully expect to rely on the USA for our very survival. If the world turns bad (which will happen - only a question of time), then the whole West, without America, is toast. So, you may ask - if we're not very aligned ideologically, then it must be that we bring something to the party militarily? Well, no... actually... we don't matter that much militarily. The USA has about 470 ships in its navy, including 11 aircraft carriers, 69 submarines, 75 destroyers... plus 110 new ships in the pipeline. Australia has about 30, including 3 destroyers, 7 frigates and 7 outdated submarines. The UK does a little better, with about 60. Meanwhile, the US has over 14,000 military aircraft. A staggering number. Australia has 252 military aircraft. The UK has 556. The US army has just shy of 1,000,000 uniformed personnel in its military. Australia has about 45,000. The USA spends 3.4% ($968 billion) of its GDP on defence. Australia spends 2% ($36.4 billion). The US spends as much as the next 15 largest military-spending countries (including China) combined. The USA has a fighting culture. The men shoot things (a lot) and hunt things, the veterans get favoured in everything from parking spots to boarding planes. A uniformed young man is thanked in the street a dozen times a day. "Oh, the Americans and their guns!" we say, in our smug way. Yes, they have a warrior culture. We do not. We don't have to, because we're a leech on theirs. How many young British men are willing to fight for their country? Now ask the same regarding young American men. The difference is about as wide as it could be. Militarily, we don't offer squat. Meanwhile, look at the way Australia works against America's interests by loving on China. China made us rich and we stay close. This is a Marxist regime with expansionist aims. Again, you have to spend time in the USA to realise just how vast a gulf there is between us on China. Europe, too. They let China have their way everywhere from Germany to Greenland, all the while importing Islam and sending their own people to court for saying hurty words. Somehow, we have landed the deal of a lifetime with the USA that says, "when the baddies come, you'll save us ok?" Because we can't save ourselves. And we live in peace. But we keep gnawing away at freedoms, keep enabling China, and get flabby and disinterested about our military because Uncle Sam's got it. And, let's be honest, Americans are widely looked down on. To add insult to injury, we don't think that highly of our protectors. So, the USA is finally saying "enough." I am here, I can tell you what the vibe is, and that's it. Trump is doing what people want in this regard. They're over it. And we come across all shocked and hard done by. We behave like people with no self-insight at all. Yes, the global alliance system is all over the place now. From America's perspective, it's about time. And I must say, though I be a proud Australian, I am forced to agree. Something has to change.

@caroljsroth And that's OK.

This is what they took from us…

@therealdbREAL Iran not having nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them, and the possibility of a less hard-line government in control of the country, is in our collective interest.

I’m more obsessed w/Trump selling out MAGA for a disastrous war that serves none of our interests and will ultimately lead to Israel’s destruction as well as ours. It’s gonna be us and Israel against the world. Please stop the winning.

@future42org For the record, I voted against ST3 (and 2, and 1). I want a refund.

"You can't count Tacoma out. That's not right." In 2016, Pierce County voted AGAINST Sound Transit 3, but was taxed anyways after it passed. As a consolation prize, they would get light rail to Tacoma by 2035. Then reality struck a few years ago and they were told light rail was not going to make it to Tacoma until 2041. Now...it is likely Tacoma is not going to get light rail at all. NO REFUNDS (This is what happens when $35 Billion of incompetence is rewarded and promoted to CEO) @JoelMorenoKOMO | @komonews Article: komonews.com/news/local/tac…

@KCCReaganDunn Why are we paying for this? Not only is this a waste of my ridiculously high tax burden, "harm reduction" is a lie.

@FazelHawramy Wow - those look like some seriously fearsome, highly-trained warriors.

Intense IRGC/Basij search in the mountains in southern Iran looking for the second crew of the F-15E Strike Eagle shot down

@CyborgPeds "Hi, I'm a Navy corpsman told to give a 15 mg loading dose of demerol through the PCA pump. I accidentally entered 115 instead."

Introduce yourself AS what almost killed you... "Hi, I’m a T700-GE-401C!”

@JayInslee @GovWesMoore @GovSherrillNJ PSE is increasing rates 30% because of "clean energy". That is not affordable.

It was great meeting over the last few days with @GovWesMoore and @GovSherrillNJ, and talking with them about how states can build a more affordable American economy that’s powered with clean energy.

@DrPhiltill @justinwebwright WELL, ACKSHUALLY....

“Spreading lies.” Bro. I was hoping to help people feel wonderment in how we trust technology as we fly off into the darkness. (BTW, missing the desired point by a little bit can be much worse than missing it by a lot if you had hardware failures such that you can’t correct. E.g., Moon’s gravity can raise the spacecraft’s perigee such that it won’t free-return for hundreds of years.)

The level of trust in the technology by the NASA team is remarkable when you remember that the translunar injection burn must be just right to hit the exact spot where the Moon will be 4 days later, because if not, your spaceship cannot sustain you long enough to get home again.

People who’ve lived their entire lives in Christian-based Western civilization will never appreciate how lucky they are. For most of human history, this is just how it was. The rules you think are rules are actually quite unique. Barbarians roam the globe. We’re blessed.

@RachelTrue There is no reason for the federal government to be involved in day care.

What are our taxes for then? No social services, just war?

Blaming Climate Change

@BillMelugin_ But here's the thing: The people who want to hear the message heard the message and will be convinced that they were victorious. This will change almost nobody's views of Congressional Democrats.

The reason Democrats started what is now the longest shutdown in DHS history is because they were demanding dramatic reforms to the way ICE operates. They now get zero of those reforms after negotiations fell apart in the Senate. None. Dems are claiming victory because Republicans are now agreeing to a DHS funding bill with zero dollars for ICE & CBP and Dems can message to their base that they held the line and didn’t fund Trump’s mass deportation agenda. But ICE & CBP are already pre-funded (not entirely) by the One Big Beautiful Bill, immigration enforcement operations have continued without issue, and Republicans plan to give ICE & CBP even more money in a second reconciliation bill, which will require no Democratic votes in the Senate. So what did this DHS shutdown accomplish, other than hurt a lot of people & create chaos at airports?

@1BethDutton The purpose of passing the unconstitutional income tax is to break things, namely the state constitution.

You'd think they'd investigate what's broken before they just pass an unconstitutional income tax. But what do I know?

@RT_com I'M SICK OF KNOW-NOTHING IDIOTS RANTING INTO A MICROPHONE AND BEING TREATED AS IF THEY'RE SHARING THE GOSPEL TRUTH.

‘I’M SICK OF RICH PEOPLE NOT PUTTING THEIR F*CKING KIDS OVER IN THESE WARS’ — Theo Von to Joe Rogan ‘PUT YOUR F*CKING HONKY ASS KIDS UP THERE. LET THEM GO SHED SOME F*CKING BLOOD’ ‘Put your f*cking honky little fancy ass f*cking kid up there’

@PNWConservative None of the above.

Who’s a better governor?

@newstart_2024 I understood this 25 years ago when we were looking to buy our first house and we were in shock at how little we could get for our money. But I'm not famous, so I don't get credit for having that figured out a long time ago.

Rory Sutherland made a quietly devastating observation about one of the biggest societal shifts of the last 50 years. He said the move to the double-income household started as an option but quickly became an obligation. The big winners? Governments (twice as many people to tax) and property owners (now two salaries were needed to buy a house). The big loser? The family itself, which lost roughly 35 hours of discretionary leisure time per week — with no real increase in living standards, because the extra money was largely soaked up by higher house prices and taxes. It’s a classic example of how something that begins as liberation can quietly turn into a new form of constraint. Longitudinal studies on happiness and time use (including data from the American Time Use Survey and OECD reports) show that the sharp rise in dual-earner households correlated with stagnant or declining leisure time for families, while subjective well-being metrics for parents have not risen in line with the additional income — supporting the idea that much of the gain was captured by housing costs and taxation rather than improved quality of life. It’s a reminder to look carefully at changes that society presents as inevitable progress. What do you think — has the double-income model delivered more freedom or more pressure for most families?

@1BethDutton Mandatory retirement is coming in less than 8 years. If the situation looks good in 5 years, I'll do it then. I'd retire tomorrow if I was in a position to do it.

When are you planning on retiring? Or when did you retire? I am planning on retiring one year from today. The countdown is on!

@PattyMurray Encouraging a child to live in a delusion is child abuse. It should be banned nationwide.

Conversion therapy is child abuse. It should be banned nationwide—and I have a bill to do just that. I’m not going to stop fighting for a world where every person, no matter their gender or sexual orientation, can live with dignity and without fear.

@1BethDutton News said they tracked him to a home for mental patients. How was he running around unsupervised?

He previously stabbed his sister in the stomach but thise charges were dismissed. How about we bring back insane asylum's back to keep people safe?