Zoe @ekg@librem.one

@mrsbeanbag I want to point out that NATO have expanded faster then the newly dubbed The Big Zipper, forcing newer members, including Sweden, to send their delegation to nearby buildings instead. Housing military command is a true challenge, requiring some of the most impressive infrastructure we humans build.

@mrsbeanbag I may have described NATO HQ as an office building in Belgium, but after recent expansion it's the third largest office building in the world. After the Octogon, where the Egyptian dod is housed, and the Pentagon where the us dod is taking up space.

@mrsbeanbag Yes, and keeping them calm about the Israel. Every time the USA give something to Isreal, the Saudis typically demands, and get, something equivalent.

@mrsbeanbag I think you are referring to when turkey tried to buy s400 from Russia and got kicked out of the F-35 program, an program Sweden haven't joined. And that was mostly down to the Americans being scared that the Turks would share identification signatures with the Russians, that could be used to target the F-35 in future conflicts with Russian equipment.

@mrsbeanbag sure it is both military equipment, but their exist an differences between transport aircraft, and fighter jets. And yes it was a weird deal, but counter purchases is common in equipment deals often not fully honoured.

@mrsbeanbag NATO HQ is an office building in Belgium, technically the people that works their. This is going to be true anyway, it would be a long way to ship office supplies from outside the alliance.

@mrsbeanbag to expand. When Sweden sold Gripen to Brazil, including Israeli missiles, and American engines. A part of the deal was 100% counter purchases, meaning Sweden would be paid in Brazilian made or funded equipment. This is how equipment contracts typically works, because most countries are aware that importing equipment is unsuitable. I have a hard time believing that NATO would make it harder to export equipment by effectively baning these kinds of deals.

@mrsbeanbag okay, that explains that.

@mrsbeanbag I don't think that's true, but their certainly exists a lot of pressure on members to buy from the alliance.

Both Sweden and Israel, with others, made the call that an independent defence required an domestic arms industry, that is not without reason.

@mrsbeanbag stargate?, I haven't had the opportunity to learn of that name.

@mrsbeanbag more importantly net exporters of equipment, count isreal, usa, and a few more, have a positive impact on growth.

Growth is calculated as: private spending + public spending + net foreign investment + net exports.

@mrsbeanbag most studies have the return on investment of less then 1, meaning the economy grow less then what is spent.

Most military spends, not counting salaries, goes to import of equipment. Imports are by definition counted as a decrease in growth.

@mrsbeanbag classic exempel of non productive, as in not generating growth, government spending is military spending.

I didn't mean to say you got anything wrong, I just wanted to add too what you said.

@mrsbeanbag actually getting a loan can get you a pay raise, if you invest in the money in yourself. The same is true for government, gdp will only grow if the borrowing is invested.

@LALegault if it is larger the front will arrive earlier. I assume slowing down is referring to wind speed.

@LALegault doesn't hurricanes expanded when they slow down?

@iximeow isn't that just an large language model?

@jerry I assume that means their will be no Florida soon.

In difference to the author of the video above, I do believe not only our airways, but the whole of society should be a public good. The idea that we should refer some parts of society to greed and private profit only makes sense as a means to an end, witch naturally lead to the question "to what end?" and who should have the authority to answer that question.