photos of Moffet Field (NUQ)

Alan Minyard ) wrote:
: On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 19:09:48 +0000 (UTC), Merlin Dorfman wrote:

: Alan Minyard ) wrote:
: : On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 23:49:37 +0000 (UTC), Merlin Dorfman wrote:
:
: : Alan Minyard ) wrote:
: : : On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 21:27:05 +0000 (UTC), Merlin Dorfman wrote:
: :
:
: :
: : If I first made the statement in 2003 you might have some
: : justification for calling me a Monday morning quarterback. But I
: : made it long before now. Because I do know when money is being
: : wasted. Sounds like you don't, though.
:
: : And your extensive military service was in which branch????
:
: Huh?? If I spent 20 years driving a tank or digging ditches I
: would be qualified to know when money given to a defense contractor
: is being wasted, but spending 35 years with that contractor
: disqualifies me??
: We have civilian control of the military in the US. But you'd
: do real well in someplace like Burma or Pakistan where the military
: runs things. You could really put me down for saying that the
: military is wasting money.

: Well, lets see, the military has no power, there fore it cannot spend
: any money,

Al, what the hell are you smoking? The military has invaded and
conquered two countries in the past couple of years, and you say it
has no power? It has a budget on the order of $400 billion for FY
2004, and you say it cannot spend any money? So all those guys in blue
suits who came around to negotiate contracts with us were impostors?

: but according to you it is wasting money? That is
: utterly illogical.

Whereas your statement that it can't spend any money is
perfectly logical.

: And 35 years of sweeping out the men's room
: at some sub-contractor hardly makes you an expert.

I will agree that anybody who spent 35 years doing that is not
an expert. Since that does not describe me, I will resate my
ability to know when money is being wasted on defense contracts.
However your assumption that it does describe me speaks volumes
about you, and your (in)ability and (un)willingness to discuss a
question rationally.

On Wed, 7 Jan 2004 18:46:47 +0000 (UTC), Merlin Dorfman wrote:

Alan Minyard ) wrote:
: On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 19:09:48 +0000 (UTC), Merlin Dorfman wrote:

: Alan Minyard ) wrote:
: : On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 23:49:37 +0000 (UTC), Merlin Dorfman wrote:
:
: : Alan Minyard ) wrote:
: : : On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 21:27:05 +0000 (UTC), Merlin Dorfman wrote:
: :
:
: :
: : If I first made the statement in 2003 you might have some
: : justification for calling me a Monday morning quarterback. But I
: : made it long before now. Because I do know when money is being
: : wasted. Sounds like you don't, though.
:
: : And your extensive military service was in which branch????
:
: Huh?? If I spent 20 years driving a tank or digging ditches I
: would be qualified to know when money given to a defense contractor
: is being wasted, but spending 35 years with that contractor
: disqualifies me??
: We have civilian control of the military in the US. But you'd
: do real well in someplace like Burma or Pakistan where the military
: runs things. You could really put me down for saying that the
: military is wasting money.

: Well, lets see, the military has no power, there fore it cannot spend
: any money,

Al, what the hell are you smoking? The military has invaded and
conquered two countries in the past couple of years, and you say it
has no power? It has a budget on the order of $400 billion for FY
2004, and you say it cannot spend any money? So all those guys in blue
suits who came around to negotiate contracts with us were impostors?

Evidently you have never heard of "sarcasm"

: but according to you it is wasting money? That is
: utterly illogical.

Whereas your statement that it can't spend any money is
perfectly logical.

: And 35 years of sweeping out the men's room
: at some sub-contractor hardly makes you an expert.

I will agree that anybody who spent 35 years doing that is not
an expert. Since that does not describe me, I will resate my
ability to know when money is being wasted on defense contracts.

What "ability"? You have not stated any fact that in any way lends
credibility to your post.


However your assumption that it does describe me speaks volumes
about you, and your (in)ability and (un)willingness to discuss a
question rationally.

You make accusations against the US Military, with no examples, and
you think that I am irrational?? I am quite willing to discuss any issue
rationally, but unfounded accusations against the US Military are
not "rational".

Al Minyard

Alan Minyard ) wrote:
: On Wed, 7 Jan 2004 18:46:47 +0000 (UTC), Merlin Dorfman wrote:

....

: : : And your extensive military service was in which branch????
: :
: : Huh?? If I spent 20 years driving a tank or digging ditches I
: : would be qualified to know when money given to a defense contractor
: : is being wasted, but spending 35 years with that contractor
: : disqualifies me??
: : We have civilian control of the military in the US. But you'd
: : do real well in someplace like Burma or Pakistan where the military
: : runs things. You could really put me down for saying that the
: : military is wasting money.
:
: : Well, lets see, the military has no power, there fore it cannot spend
: : any money,
:
: Al, what the hell are you smoking? The military has invaded and
: conquered two countries in the past couple of years, and you say it
: has no power? It has a budget on the order of $400 billion for FY
: 2004, and you say it cannot spend any money? So all those guys in blue
: suits who came around to negotiate contracts with us were impostors?
:
: Evidently you have never heard of "sarcasm"

Good, I'll atrribute your original comments to sacrasm as well.

: : but according to you it is wasting money? That is
: : utterly illogical.

More sarcasm, I guess.

: Whereas your statement that it can't spend any money is
: perfectly logical.
:
: : And 35 years of sweeping out the men's room
: : at some sub-contractor hardly makes you an expert.
:
: I will agree that anybody who spent 35 years doing that is not
: an expert. Since that does not describe me, I will resate my
: ability to know when money is being wasted on defense contracts.

: What "ability"? You have not stated any fact that in any way lends
: credibility to your post.

I stated the fact that much of the US defense budget in the
1980s was wasted because it could not be usefully spent.

: However your assumption that it does describe me speaks volumes
: about you, and your (in)ability and (un)willingness to discuss a
: question rationally.

: You make accusations against the US Military, with no examples, and
: you think that I am irrational?? I am quite willing to discuss any issue
: rationally, but unfounded accusations against the US Military are
: not "rational".

To start with, I didn't make any accusations against the
military. I said that much of the defense budget was wasted.
If you want an example of that, start with Reagan's original
Star Wars. It came to nothing. Add the many other programs that
may or may not have eventually produced something useful, but had
huge cost and schedule overruns. But, again, it could not have
been otherwise--there was simply no way to spend the money that was
appropriated in any kind of effective or efficient manner.