Comet landing tomorrow!

[dodgy-alan 1,587]

It is an amazing achievement, I just hope they get as much out of it as they can before it goes out of range. It'll be interesting to see what happens to it.

[hifly 925]

I heard that the mission was the equivalent of throwing a hammer from London and hitting a nail on the head in Dubai.

 

Ask Brett about hitting nails on the head, HE knows how difficult it is.

 

 Yo Brett

[MartinW 0]

I wonder if I could navigate a probe and land it on Kim Kardashians bottom.

Having seem her latest naked bum photos, I don't think my navigational skills will require much precision.

[MartinW 0]

So 1.4 billion for Rosetta. And how much is one B2 bomber?

2.13 billion each wasn't it? but then humans don't mind spending big money to destroy life

[hifly 925]

I wonder if I could navigate a probe and land it on Kim Kardashians bottom.

Having seem her latest naked bum photos, I don't think my navigational skills will require much precision.

 

Where's the link?

[markhudson6 13]

2.13 billion each wasn't it? but then humans don't mind spending big money to destroy life

 

Yes Martin, but take that B2 bomber, apply some creative foreign policy and bingo, a free plane and a healthy profit.

Oh and Geoff, you'll go blind.  

[J G 927]

3.5 Euros per person!!! That's almost £2.76

 

I'll have two then!

[allardjd 1,853]

And how much is one B2 bomber?  ...but then humans don't mind spending big money to destroy life...

Like the money spent on Hampdens, Stirlings, Whitleys, Buckinghams, Halifaxs, Manchesters, Mosquitos, Wellingtons and Lancasters?

 

The concept is defense and designing the weapons with which to defend yourself must be done before you're threatened or attacked.  To wait until that happens is too late.

 

You're partly right.  This human doesn't mind spending big money to defend the lives of our citizens.

 

John

[dodgy-alan 1,587]

The next war will be fought by the gay community, Handbags and fingernails at dawn!

[allardjd 1,853]

The next war will be fought by the gay community, Handbags and fingernails at dawn

 

 

If so, ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Sayyaf, Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Al-Shabaab, et al, will hand them their heads, literally.  Those boys don't play nice and they are not particularly accepting of the gay community.

[markhudson6 13]

John, you have given examples of WW2 era aircraft, it's debatable that this was a 'just war', many academics still argue the details and nuances of that but if any war can be defined as 'just' then this is the one, personally I think it probably was.

 

As for the B2's.  These are weapons of US foreign policy and just another tool to bully and steal resources from nations that can't fight back. 

 

 

 

 

[hifly 925]

Now let's not get into a bun fight over differences of foreign policy and celebrate a remarkable achievement of human ingenuity and curiosity.

[allardjd 1,853]

 

John, you have given examples of WW2 era aircraft...

 

Like the money spent on Hamdens, Stirlings, Whitleys, Buckinghams, Halifaxs, Manchesters, Mosquitos, Wellingtons and Lancasters Vulcans, Victors, Tornados, Valiants, Shackletons, Canberras, Buccaneers?

 

...just another tool to bully and steal resources from nations that can't fight back.

 

Whose resources have we stolen?

[allardjd 1,853]

Now let's not get into a bun fight over differences of foreign policy and celebrate a remarkable achievement of human ingenuity and curiosity.

I agree about the achievement.

I didn't start the bun fight, but count on me to exercise my right of free speech when someone else does.

[markhudson6 13]

Firstly this isn't a bun fight nor is is a political discussion, this is history, nothing more than that.  Were all fully grown adults here aren't we?  So lets all be civil with each other.

 

So let me think.....

 

Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Iran, Honduras, Indonesia, Iraq, Iraq, Iraq, Laos, Libya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Panama, The Philippines, Uruguay, Zaire, Russia, Poland and soon Syria.

 

John I recognise you're from the US and I have many American friends and believe me when I say, the UK and other nations are deep up to neck in this also.  But facts are facts. 

 

 

 

[allardjd 1,853]

Not being British, I guess I don't really know what a bun fight is, but since Geoff seems to think this is one, I went along.

Aside from accusatory opinion, I haven't seen anything uncivil here yet.

I beg to differ about the politics vs. history comment. When you suggest that the B2s "... are weapons of US foreign policy and just another tool to bully and steal resources from nations that can't fight back." then YOU have moved this from a discussion of history to one of politics.

In the interest of time and space, let me pick an easy one from your list - just exactly what it is that you believe the United States has stolen from Poland, with or without the use of B2 bombers?

Facts are indeed facts, but I have only seen opinion from you so far, except for correctly identifying my first list of bombers as WWII aircraft.

[markhudson6 13]

Being British I don't exactly know what a bun fight is either, maybe it's just a Geoffism.

 

Accusatory?  Don't take this personally.  I assure you I don't see you as a representative of your country.  

 

I also haven't seen anything uncivil and long may it continue.

 

I must disagree with you on your history v's politics opinion.  History has recorded countless times when a much more powerful nation, economically and/or militarily (hence the B2 reference) has imposed it's will upon a less powerful nation.  Do some research beginning with the Roman Republic and move on from there.  Ergo, History.

 

I remind you that a nations military might is often used as a weapon of intimidation, just the threat of their use is often enough.

 

In Poland the US under Carter and using direct influence of the CIA spent upwards of $12 million imposing regime change in Poland.  Henry Hyde, a US House Intelligence committee member stated that the USA provided "supplies and technical assistance in terms of clandestine newspapers, broadcasting, propaganda, money, organisational help and advice to guarantee successful regime change in Poland".  I work with Poles, trust me when I say that the US intervention was a disaster for Poland, their words not mine.  It wasn't so bad for the Ford Motor Company though.

 

​I trust you won't have me work through the rest of the list for you. 

 

I present you with only facts, I tend to leave opinion to the folks at Fox News. 

 

Thanks for noticing my WW2 aircraft recognition skills but I much prefer commercial aircraft.  Another fact
 

Kindest Regards,

M.

 

[allardjd 1,853]

I assure you I don't see you as a representative of your country.

Consider me a volunteer. I'll have to stand in until the real thing shows up. I'm proud to be able to do that.

I'll stick with my contention that this became political with your reference to "...weapons of US foreign policy and just another tool to bully and steal resources from nations that can't fight back." If that's not political you appear to have a mighty strange definition of what is.

You state that, "History has recorded countless times where a more more powerful nation, economically and militarily (hence the B2 reference) has imposed it's will upon less powerful nations." That's certainly true, but history has also recorded countless times when a victim nation has used its weapons of war to defend itself, sometimes successfully, against the predations of those opportunistic aggressors. Possession of the weapons of war by the legal government of a sovereign country constitutes neither guilt nor guilty motives. It's a prudent measure in a world where evil exists.

In Poland the US under Carter and using direct influence of the CIA spent upwards of $12 million imposing regime change in Poland. Henry Hyde, a US House Intelligence committee member stated that the USA provided "supplies and technical assistance in terms of clandestine newspapers, broadcasting, propaganda, money, organisational help and advice to guarantee successful regime change in Poland". I work with Poles, trust me when I say that the US intervention was a disaster for Poland, their words not mine. Not so bad for the Ford Motor Company though.

You seriously believe that the paltry sum of $12 million dollars was sufficient to bring about regime change in Poland? $12 million? I don't doubt we were behind the scenes attempting to influence the outcome but I very much doubt you could find a credible historian who would agree that the US was "...imposing..." regime change in Poland or that we in any way "guarantee[d]" it would be successful, as you claim. Poland became what it became because the majority of its citizens had had quite enough of the worker's paradise and wanted their bite of the western apple.

Poland, by the way, did have an economic disaster on their hands when they went from Communism to Capitalism. That's pretty much the nature of that transition and any country that does so is going to have hard times before things turn around. Russia herself experienced that some time later.

I have no doubt that the US and several other Western nations were attempting to support those in Poland who wanted to put Communism behind them and give true democracy and free markets a try. However, I can't connect the dots to your contention that anyone (other than Germany and Russia a generation or two earlier) has somehow militarily imposed their will on Poland, or that the US stole something from them as a result of our military power.

So let's be clear...

1) What exactly did the US steal from Poland?

2) How exactly did we use our military power to do that?

I'd very much appreciate it if you'd humor me with precise answers to those exact questions. If you're not willing to do that, perhaps we could get back to comets and space probes.

[markhudson6 13]

Removed

[brett 2,316]

I heard that the mission was the equivalent of throwing a hammer from London and hitting a nail on the head in Dubai.

 

Ask Brett about hitting nails on the head, HE knows how difficult it is.

 

 Yo Brett

 

Especially after lunch.  

 

I can see this thread isn't being taken seriously.

 

Sorry, some of these fancy words leave me giddy.

[MartinW 0]

 

And how much is one B2 bomber?  ...but then humans don't mind spending big money to destroy life...

Like the money spent on Hampdens, Stirlings, Whitleys, Buckinghams, Halifaxs, Manchesters, Mosquitos, Wellingtons and Lancasters?

 

The concept is defense and designing the weapons with which to defending yourself must be done before you're threatened or attacked.  To wait until that happens is too late.

 

You're partly right.  This human doesn't mind spending big money to defend the lives of our citizens.

 

John

 

 

 

Do you know John, I thought that might wake you up, from your sunbathing in sunny Florida.

 

I should add... I did not, and will not claim that spending mega bucks on B2's, Hampdens , [what's a Hampden, sound like hampton, which in the UK is a slang name for something that's limited in dimensions in terms of Mutley's physiology] Stirling's, and Mosquitos is either acceptable or unacceptable, required or not required.

 

I just find it fascinating how human beings spend vast amounts of money on life destroying technology. But when it comes to uncovering the secrets of the universe, revealing aspects of nature that could one day lead to breakthroughs that will save lives, and perhaps our entire species... "no way", many will say, waste of money. 

 

I will say this though, the B2 bomber and weapon manufacture in general, isn't just about "defending the lives of our citizens"... it's also about making money, it's also about an arms industry that's worth unimaginable sums. In 2011 global arms trade was a staggering $43 billion... just in one year.

 

So do you think that some conflicts may be encouraged by the unscrupulous? Do you think there's more to the creation and sale of such huge quantities of weapons than just "defending the lives of our citizens? Do you think it's perhaps also about making obscene sums for the arms dealers?

 

 

[MartinW 0]

The next war will be fought by the gay community, Handbags and fingernails at dawn!

 

 

I wouldn't blame the gay community for rising up [if you will pardon the expression].

 

With the movie The Imitation Game, now in the cinemas, highlighting the genius that was Allen Turing, and the disgustingly inhumane way he was treated by my own countryman...it would be apt.

 

 

 

 

 

[mutley 4,498]

 

So what happened to the topic about Philae and Rosetta?   

[MartinW 0]

So what happened to the topic about Philae and Rosetta?

 

 

 

 

It mutated Mutley. As you know, mutants are good things.

 

I've now mutated it back on track.

Comet latest

 

Lander trasmited data on last comms pass.

 

Philae is now fast asleep.

 

As the sun rises lander could wake up again.

 

Batteries could teoretaclly recharge over next few days.

[mutley 4,498]

Thanks Uncle Martin.
At least they got the core data they wanted, and no doubt budgeted for., everything else is a bonus.