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Comment by paulddraper | Hacker News Reader

There's something to be said for the emotional value of a recognizable symbol for the most powerful military in the world.

"But as a symbol... As a symbol, I can be incorruptible, everlasting." - The Batman

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"Did you think to kill me? There's no flesh and blood within this cloak to kill. There is only an idea. And ideas are bulletproof." -V

There is a certain irony, given that "The Pentagon" has become at least roughly synonymous with, "Unbelievably bloated and corrupt". If the F-35 were a privately funded venture, everyone involved would have probably shot themselves.

Business fails all the time usually does not result in seppuku. The problem with government bloat is the lack of death for the business, not its purveyors. The plane is not built by the government, but Lockheed Martin, a private company. If government cut funding a while ago, they would've stopped working on the plane.

To be clear, I was hyperbolically trying to make that exact point... I'm not truly suggesting death as an option.

> Unbelievably bloated and corrupt

Pretty sure that impression is government in general: elected politicians, pensioned workers, IRS, public utilities, etc.

Of which the largest government body is... the military. "Healthcare" is the largest expenditure, but largely to a collection of unconnected private industry... the military is a different matter.

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