Aviation Week carried a listing all the "current" warplanes in the world. That's 89 different aircraft manufactured in 15 different countries. Russia, England, France, Germany, India, Canada, Japan, S. Korea, China, Pakistan, Brazil, Italy, Sweden, and the US. The other 180 odd countries of the world are not advanced enough or large enough to manufacture warplanes. Helicopters are the most numerous (36 different types) followed by jet fighters (23). There are 9 jet and 5 turboprop trainers/light duty fighters. There are only 6 cargo planes and the rarest type is heavy bombers of which there are only three.
The oldest warplane is the venerable B-52 which first flew in 1952. The newest is the EADS Mako, which is so new as to still be in the definition phase (hasn't flown yet).
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
MY wishlist
I want to fix the economy. Nothing hurts a man (or woman) more than getting laid off. Everyone would rather have a job, than all the social goodies under the sun (free health care, unemployment benefits, free college, food stamps, free child care, lower taxes, retraining, free retirement). With a job, you have the money to buy all the rest. Unemployed you have nothing. We do the most good for the most people when we make the economy grow and create jobs.
"It's the economy stupid." The economy ought to come ahead of everything else, global warming, conservation, Iraq, public transportation,welfare, and pro union legislation.
We need to fix the real economy, the part that produces real stuff that people willingly buy with money. That's farming, manufacturing, mining, logging, transportation, utilities, communications, and entertainment. Financial services, health care, lawyers, government, and education are not part of the productive economy, they just consume money and don't produce anything one can sell.
The real economy is run by companies and corporations. Helping the real economy means helping companies and corporations do well and produce more. Democrats have a reflexive desire to bash companies and corporations. It's been said that democrats love employment, it's employers they cannot stand.
If the incoming democratic administration can surpress their gut level desire to bash business, here is what might be done.
1. Reduce the cost of health care. This will only happen when the patients know the doctor's bills are coming out of their pockets. Right now insured patients don't care what it costs, 'cause its all paid for. We can subsidize the patients in various ways, but the patients ought to be paying the bills. We are putting 16% of GNP into health care, and companies are the ones who pay it. Sixteen cent of every dollar in sales goes to workers health care.
2. Reduce the corporate tax. Right now it's 35% of profits. Drop that to 17% which is what the average taxpayer pays out. Clarify the accounting rules to make it harder to hide profits by cooking the corporate books. Insist that any profit reported to investors, is taxed. Right now various accounting scams allow businesses to show high profits to investors (potential stock buyers) and low profits to the tax man. That oughta stop.
3. Let the free market allocate economic resources. Don't use taxes or subsidies to favor one industry or product over another. The present market crash was caused by a policy of favoring single family home ownership over renting. Don't subsidize oil production, ethanol production, domestic sugar production, farming, road building, and all those other cushy little deals. Don't fix prices, and don't limit competition by licensing things.
4. Keep in mind that we want higher production. Higher production is better than higher wages or higher business profits.
5. We need domestic energy. Sending $700 billion a year overseas just for fuel is an unbearable burden. Real energy comes from coal, oil, and uranium. Wind power goes off when the wind drops, solar power goes off when the sun sets. Real energy is energy available when you need it.
"It's the economy stupid." The economy ought to come ahead of everything else, global warming, conservation, Iraq, public transportation,welfare, and pro union legislation.
We need to fix the real economy, the part that produces real stuff that people willingly buy with money. That's farming, manufacturing, mining, logging, transportation, utilities, communications, and entertainment. Financial services, health care, lawyers, government, and education are not part of the productive economy, they just consume money and don't produce anything one can sell.
The real economy is run by companies and corporations. Helping the real economy means helping companies and corporations do well and produce more. Democrats have a reflexive desire to bash companies and corporations. It's been said that democrats love employment, it's employers they cannot stand.
If the incoming democratic administration can surpress their gut level desire to bash business, here is what might be done.
1. Reduce the cost of health care. This will only happen when the patients know the doctor's bills are coming out of their pockets. Right now insured patients don't care what it costs, 'cause its all paid for. We can subsidize the patients in various ways, but the patients ought to be paying the bills. We are putting 16% of GNP into health care, and companies are the ones who pay it. Sixteen cent of every dollar in sales goes to workers health care.
2. Reduce the corporate tax. Right now it's 35% of profits. Drop that to 17% which is what the average taxpayer pays out. Clarify the accounting rules to make it harder to hide profits by cooking the corporate books. Insist that any profit reported to investors, is taxed. Right now various accounting scams allow businesses to show high profits to investors (potential stock buyers) and low profits to the tax man. That oughta stop.
3. Let the free market allocate economic resources. Don't use taxes or subsidies to favor one industry or product over another. The present market crash was caused by a policy of favoring single family home ownership over renting. Don't subsidize oil production, ethanol production, domestic sugar production, farming, road building, and all those other cushy little deals. Don't fix prices, and don't limit competition by licensing things.
4. Keep in mind that we want higher production. Higher production is better than higher wages or higher business profits.
5. We need domestic energy. Sending $700 billion a year overseas just for fuel is an unbearable burden. Real energy comes from coal, oil, and uranium. Wind power goes off when the wind drops, solar power goes off when the sun sets. Real energy is energy available when you need it.
The PBS wishlist
The clock radio is tuned to NH public radio up here. The Sunday morning commentary was a long wish list of things the incoming Obama administration ought to do. Wow. Every lefty-greenie save the world idea was there.
They want to fund alternate energy, purge all Bush appointees from the civil service, do something about the methane emissions from dairy cows, sign the Kyoto treaty, support locally grown produce, you name it, it was there.
Not a word about Iraq or fixing the economy, these folk are out to save the planet and defeat global warming. Nothing about the price of heating oil or gasoline.
The program was a pastiche of stuff called in by listeners from all over the country. Of course the "non-partisan" NPR folk choose which citizens ideas get on the air. I guess NPR is firmly behind global warming (anti global warming)?
They want to fund alternate energy, purge all Bush appointees from the civil service, do something about the methane emissions from dairy cows, sign the Kyoto treaty, support locally grown produce, you name it, it was there.
Not a word about Iraq or fixing the economy, these folk are out to save the planet and defeat global warming. Nothing about the price of heating oil or gasoline.
The program was a pastiche of stuff called in by listeners from all over the country. Of course the "non-partisan" NPR folk choose which citizens ideas get on the air. I guess NPR is firmly behind global warming (anti global warming)?
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Republicans ought to believe in free enterprize
Free enterprise means the freedom for anyone to go into any business that they please. This story from Arkansas is a clear example of unfree enterprise (otherwise known as regulation). There is no reason to license interior decorators, unless you happen to be an interior decorator. Then the licensing serves to keep competitors out of the marketplace, allowing higher prices.
Free enterprise also means no government price fixing. We abolished price fixing in railroads, trucking, airlines and retail. Those actions reduced prices to the consumers.
Republicans are looking to define their political creed. We could start by saying we favor free enterprise.
Free enterprise also means no government price fixing. We abolished price fixing in railroads, trucking, airlines and retail. Those actions reduced prices to the consumers.
Republicans are looking to define their political creed. We could start by saying we favor free enterprise.
Bailout my Chevy from the levee?
GM, Ford and Chrysler are in Washington begging for a federal bailout (handout?). Should we do it? On one hand, I get sentimental about Detroit cars and would like to see them stay in business. I've owned a lot of pretty decent Detroit iron over the the years and it would be nice to be able to buy new ones in the future. It would also be nice to keep the 400,000 UAW workers at the big three employed, along with all the workers at the big three's suppliers.
On the other hand, management runs from poor to absolutely terrible. Product design sucks. The three of them offer 250 "different" models, of which only two are three are nice enough that I'd want to buy one. The 700,000 retiree pensions are such a drag as to sink anyone. They have more retirees drawing pensions than they have workers on the payroll. The health care costs both for active and retired workers are outta sight. Maybe it would be better to let them declare bankruptcy. The workers and retirees would all loose a lot of money, when the court cancels the union contracts and voids the pensions but they would come out of bankruptcy in a position to perhaps make a little money, and a goodly percentage of the workers would still have jobs. Why should my tax dollars go to propping up the ultra plush wages and retirements of autoworkers?
On the other hand, management runs from poor to absolutely terrible. Product design sucks. The three of them offer 250 "different" models, of which only two are three are nice enough that I'd want to buy one. The 700,000 retiree pensions are such a drag as to sink anyone. They have more retirees drawing pensions than they have workers on the payroll. The health care costs both for active and retired workers are outta sight. Maybe it would be better to let them declare bankruptcy. The workers and retirees would all loose a lot of money, when the court cancels the union contracts and voids the pensions but they would come out of bankruptcy in a position to perhaps make a little money, and a goodly percentage of the workers would still have jobs. Why should my tax dollars go to propping up the ultra plush wages and retirements of autoworkers?
Good Idea
This just popped up in my inbox. Not a bad idea. Sununu is the rare politician who can stand up in front of a TV camera and actually say something, something worth listening to. Most politicians take their cue from Obama and say nothing in rotund rolling phrases.
/begin received email
The next Chairman of the Republican National Committee will set the tone and direction of the party for years to come. The election in January provides an opportunity to elect a Chairman who will revitalize the party and bring us back to our roots. We can select a leader who embraces the status quo or we can select a reformer, a new chairman who is a young, energetic and articulate leader who can re-build our party from the ground up.
/end received email
/begin received email
The next Chairman of the Republican National Committee will set the tone and direction of the party for years to come. The election in January provides an opportunity to elect a Chairman who will revitalize the party and bring us back to our roots. We can select a leader who embraces the status quo or we can select a reformer, a new chairman who is a young, energetic and articulate leader who can re-build our party from the ground up.
Join the Draft Sununu campaign in order to encourage Senator John Sununu to run for Chairman of the RNC.
/end received email
Good Idea
The next Chairman of the Republican National Committee will set the tone and direction of the party for years to come. The election in January provides an opportunity to elect a Chairman who will revitalize the party and bring us back to our roots. We can select a leader who embraces the status quo or we can select a reformer, a new chairman who is a young, energetic and articulate leader who can re-build our party from the ground up.
Join the Draft Sununu campaign in order to encourage Senator John Sununu to run for Chairman of the RNC.
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