Originally posted by flex297
The secondary use as a light attacker is fairly possible but you lack sophisticated sensors with the Hawk anyway. And using the thing for as a back-up for A-A role is a joke. The conception is proven, yet very basic, no LERX, almost no fuselage lift, very early aerodynamic concept fairly comparable to K-8 Karakorum.

Not true at all. The Hawk or L-159 will turn circles around supersonic jets at low altitude simply because the high aspect/non-swept wings are much more effiecient at maintaining a good lift/drag ratio at high AOA, whereas a supersonic airfoil will quickly experience airflow seperation with the accompaning drag that results. I know its not a nice thought to think these straight wing trainers can out turn the sexy FBW supersonic fighters, but you have to remember that supersonic flight is really only achievable at high altitude, and drag is less of an issue in the thin air of high altidude, so the thin, sharp edged airfoils and LERX of supersonic fighters really grab thin air to provide high lift and manueverability without speed loss. At low altitude they are sitting ducks against jets like the Hawk and L-159 that are aerodynamically optimised for high AOA manuerer in denser air.

Originally posted by GarryB
Communism has yet to be practiced in its proper form… the closest I have seen is on the starship enterprise. No one elected the captain, but he was trained and picked for the job from a group of candidates. The only real difference I can see between a communist government and a democratic government is that in a commie govt only party members get a vote. In the economy the difference is much more apparant… everyone works for the government. The complexity of managing an whole economy is to much at the moment or in the past. This lead to feast or famine where there was over supply of one thing or not enough of something else.

But we are not supposed to be talking about communism and democracy, we are talking about the current occupation of Iraq… was it for oil or democracy, and I think Sauron has answered that himself several times here… the US does what is in its interests. It is in the interest of the US to have cheap oil supplies. The end.

Actually were supposed to be talking about oil and money being the reason behind the occupation of Iraq. Ill admit that the US is no saint and acts out of its own interest. But to blame the worlds problems on the US propping up governments with military aid is really a false pios. I guess it doesnt bother you at all to see governments murder their own people or horde wealth while the common people starve, just as long as your hands are clean. This sort of detatched morality where you some how sit back and take pot shots at nations trying to take a stance in foriegn affairs isnt good enough in this day of global trade. Where we draw the line in setting standards in how 3rd world governments use the weath they recieve from natural resources or loans is an open question.

Doesnt anyone here know something about economics to give an opinion as far as a alternative international monitary system to the petrodolar/eurodollar systems mentioned in this article?

Garry- I agree that nations should be free to pursue the type of political system they want. But for you to compare the type of socialism that you have in New Zealand to the types of totalitarian govenments that exist in Africa is really distorting things. My rough definition of socialism and comunism is that socialism is a state run govt that is controled by the people whereas communism is state run govt that is controled by the state or some kind of constitution that defines that state. Thats a huge difference in my book. I think that the industrialized world does have a right to demand that money recieved by third world nations is spent for the people, a sort of “open book” standard until their political systems stabalize.

Originally posted by google
Ah yes, but the US really ****ed up the Central American countries, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. How about letting countries and their citizens have a little self-determination of their own? Most of the horrible dictators currently in power were placed there thanks to the US.

You bring up a viable issue Google. I can honestly tell you Ive given up trying to help people change here in Mexico because they dont want to change, or at least not in the dramatic kind of way that change is brought about in the US or Europe. So indeed there may be objections by both the government and the public in Latin America over industrialized nations imposing finance standards for their economys, even if those type of regulations would really help them. In Africa its a different story, I believe the average person is out of touch with their government, and the developed world has a responcibility to protect them.

Just to pacify you flag waiving patriots, USA is a good country relatively speaking. Now that weve got that out of the way, can we all agree there are social and economic problems with 3rd world and developing countrys that are in many ways fed by a lack of morally responcible bussiness practices with industrialized nations? So no, the USA is not to blame for all the worlds woes, poor countrys suffer due to unjust and undemocratic rule. But does that really leave the USA and other wealthy countrys off the hook? I think there should be proactive measures taken to make sure that bussiness done in 3rd world countrys is for the benefit of the people and that some kind of international regulatory body should monitor this. This has been hinted at as far as corperations taking advantage of oil resources in Africa when they started to find that economic conditions got worse, not better for the people when oil wealth entered the country.

Re: It was about oil, and it was about dollars

Facinating article Arthur! Its this kind of stuff that keeps me checking this forum everyday. We as citizens, citizens of our respective countrys and citizens of the world have a duty to keep our selves aware of how this world functions. Its not enough to just be able to vote if youre not informed on what your voting for and all the hows and whys behind it all. I think the last paragraph of this article identifys what we really have to think about if we want to make this a better world for everyone:

Originally posted by Arthur

Now, as Iraq threatens to explode in internal chaos, it is important to rethink the entire postwar monetary order anew. The present French-German-Russian alliance to create a counterweight to the United States requires not merely a French-led version of the Petro-dollar system, some Petro-euro system, that continues the bankrupt American Century, only with a French accent, and euros replacing dollars. That would only continue to destroy living standards across the world, adding to human waste and soaring unemployment in industrial as well as developing nations. We must entirely rethink what began briefly with some economists during the 1998 Asia crisis, the basis of a new monetary system which supports human development, and does not destroy it.

Bussiness and Finance is not a strong subject for me, so I really couldnt even comment on any possible solutions to this problem.

Ive heard their are parts on the original Daimler Benz engine that can not be duplicated today. Does anyone know why that is? I dont see how something could be made in the 1940s and not be duplicated with todays technology.