...I'm all for that. Down here in my neck of the woods I'm so tired of seeing so many "farmers" farming to fail. (I'm ashamed to admit that I'm related to 2 of them) What I mean is, they plant cotton for example, and then pretty much turn their back on the seed with no intention of really harvesting a profitable crop, because after all, that would require actual work. Instead, they seem to stay on permanent vacation but still somehow manage to get brand new $60K 4x4 trucks every year. (compliments of Uncle Sam)
...So how do they do it?...simple, they buy crop insurance knowing in advance that the government will compensate them for their sorryness. This goes on and on every year. Don't get me wrong, I understand the need for crop insurance because I know some years are simply bad years for virtually anyone in agriculture. But hey, if you go 5-6-7 years in a row filing a crop insurance claim, you're either incredibly unlucky or you're too stupid or too lazy to be a farmer.
...like most all government programs, they are easy to take advantage of.
^^^^.....
'Rant Alert-
I've never forgotten this plight of Insuring Crop's....
I told this to my Dad quit awhile back, who was raised on a farm in Western KS; from 1934-1954. Way back then, the average farmer 'share-cropped' or leased land from the bigger land baron's. A land baron typically owned 100K acres, leasing 10K acre parcels out. The land baron's could afford to drill for irrigation, and afford the pricy new Combines, Tractors, et al. (A top of the line combine today can easily run Joe Farmer 1Mil $$$). The avg Joe Farmer, depended on rains, and NO Insurance was ever available to them, not way back then. This single act alone, if I'm not mistaken a Carter Act, has changed American Ag into an entire beast, not for the good either....As well as paying wheat farmers, not to grow at all, due to an over abundance of wheat on the Intl-Global market, devaluing US grains...
As for Defense. Money's been spent incredibly ignorantly by previous admins. Politics in G.W.'s, and as much during Reagan's War Hawk era. Actually Nixon fkd up NASA/DOD imho, as much as any, a story for a latter day. Fed DOD $$$ have been spent like they minted the money excusively for the DOD/NASA also.
I could rant all day long on program's funded, that were more than idiotic to fund.
1- of dozens, Regan ordered 337 AV-8 Brittish Harrier's co-built by McDonnel Douglas. Of the 337 purchased, 147 have crashed. A Vertical Take Off and Landing Harrier, i.e. V/TOL, which led the way to the F-35, another boondogle, over budget by 6 yrs, and last I heard, a year ago, the DOD has invested over 700 Billion on a AC fighter, of which our Contractor's had much better prototypes of non STOVL AC. A STOVL is not necessary period. Seems like not a soul on earth knows, NOT ONE BRITTISH HARRIER AV-8 HAS EVER GONE INTO A LIVE COMBAT UTILIZING ITS VERTICAL TAKE OFF FOR ASSAULT OR COMBAT, NOT ONE FKNG ONE..... a very un-necessary program, one of dozens...
2- The F-111 Aardvark, tho' built by Johnson/JFK, Reagan re-comissioned using the fleet. The F-111 looks like a mini B-1B, was built as a fighter, yet wound up being more of a mini-bomber. These flew sorties for B-1B missions. Even were the original chase plane for the B-1's deliveries from Plmd, to EAFB, from Rockwell/NAAO to EAFB. We often were awaiting maintenance on those lame fkrs, as they sat engines running, and leaking fuel like a strainer. I can't say how many B-1B test flights were scrubbed, due to the incompetence of the F-111's. For every single man hourx of flight, the F-111 required a costly 120+ hours of manpower/mainentance per plane, per hour of flight. (compare to a F-18's 6-10 hrs, 10 for E,F&G models, 30% larger fighters). Rockwell got so fed up with this issue, they literally went out and bought, then refurbished 6 each ancient but great to see flying, F-106's (old delta wingers), for thier chase planes....
Under G.W. the prez alone, against the Chief and Armed Service Committe's advice, opted for a lesser pos AC, one that could never fulfill its reqm'ts or supposed abilities. Costlier by far, than it's superior competition, (i.e. non-STOVL AC), costing taxpayers 3 digit billions of $$, this is 100% a bad/waste of a program period. The epitome of DOD out of control spending.
Had G.W. opted for the superior AC i.e the YF 23, btw- (not built in TX, rather built in Plmd Ca at the USAF's only Final Assy/Instl. Flt Test Facility or AFB),
rather than his home state of Dallas. Yes, the United States of TX. Shortly thereafter he strong armed the Senate, and wooed the DOD and HASC to believe they req'd a pos STOVL F-35, also built in Dallas....
The F-35 is the most unecessary AC in the USAF/USMC and more importantly NATO's large arsenal. Keep in mind not one T/VOL and STOVL AC has ever engaged in combat, from the vertical take off, landing or returned vertically to it's home, let alone it can't like an A-10, take out tanks. Tho' it was billed to fly stationary and pick off tanks, while pilots struggle to use its vertical take offs and landings, let alone stationary flights in one stalled position. Our Govt's 700 Billion $$$ boondoggle investment of Y2K....
(yet don't get me wrong, Rcagan, and the US/DOD needed strong resurrection, after Carter's dismantling of the Armed Services).e more than any saw the USAF receive a YF-22 that was a dog in comparison to it's competition. The JSF Harrier like F-35 was also a boondogle, an AC that's not necessary or feasible to replace any AC when it's a STOVL. The Brittish Harrier fleet, last I checked had crashed at an alarming rate of 40% in both the states and Britian's Royal Air Force, incl NATO/Canda also.....The YF-23 was never perplexed with initial probs of the YF-22 (built in Dallas).
When the House Armed Services Committee, (HASC) tells two competitor major contractors, that 50% of a program will be awarded to the Co., that can meet schedule, for the initial flight testing, and the 23's on the tarmac engines running, ready for the green light to fly. While the 22's execs that morn plead with the HASC/USAF for a 6 mos extension, which was never held against them. On top of the 6 mos ext fiasco, both F-22's crashed before flight testing was completed. The F-23 blew away the 22 in all testing flights, in every fkng one, and what happens, G.W. pulls the strings....
^^^that was one of the best ones yet.
Adam SchiffVerified account@RepAdamSchiff
