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Comment by dopidopHN | Hacker News Reader

That was a talking point in French newspaper when Germany bought those. While they could have bough perfectly fine Rafales. Tss

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The comparison is interesting. The Rafale is more expensive than the F-35 and the F-35 has better stealth, but it is known French passive radars can detect most if not all US Stealth planes. Anything else like speed, range, and climb rate and possibly missiles advantage is for the Rafale.

I think they went for the F-35 to carry US nuclear weapons. At the time, I read that planes need extensive certifications for this including giving US access to critical components. Obviously no european arms manufacturer should give these to the US.

Also the USA didn't want to certify European planes, in contrast to the Cold War when they certified the Tornado. That should be the first hint.

Wouldn't Rafale just have its own, French kill switch? Especially given the history between the two countries?

It is the US that has suddenly become unreliable.

In 20th century France and Germany have been at each other's throats twice. That's what I'd call "unreliable". Merely telling Europe that the US can no longer fund its security, or entertain the EUs delusions of military grandeur (which is true - we're broke AF) is nothing in comparison to that. Do not think for a minute that anything is forgotten between the two countries - in Europe nothing is ever forgotten.

What nonsense is this? The friendship between Germany and France since the end of WWII is a resounding success story. There is no fundamental distrust between the two countries.

> in Europe nothing is ever forgotten.

"Not forgetting" and "harbouring a grudge" are two different things. It's precisely because we remember two devastating world wars that we're trying to foster cooperation in Europe.

Things change. And they will change. If history teaches us anything, it's that there's no such thing as permanent "trust" between countries.

It's more likely now for a European Federation to happen than another Franco-German war. Euroscepticism is on the backfoot now, thanks to Trump's America.

It's so much "on the backfoot" that the EU has to illegally ban opposition parties and candidates from elections in member states, and withdraw voting rights from Hungary. As people get poorer, the authoritarianism will accelerate. All I'm saying is, 4 weeks ago the US was the "best friend" of the EU. That has changed. The suggestion that nothing will change between France and Germany in perpetuity contradicts all historical evidence. And the suggestion that the EU is going to be there forever smells of "the USSR will be there forever" thinking from early 1991. History is not finished. It will continue.

> that the EU has to illegally ban opposition parties and candidates from elections in member states

did you just make this up?

Germany tried to ban AfD. Romania _canceled an election_ entirely, and then also banned the winning candidate.

You said "the EU". Are you aware of the difference between the EU and national governments?

> Germany tried to ban AfD

I wish we did, but we didn't.

Are you aware that the EU largely dictates what the national governments do?

How ?

Anything can always change. I'm talking about the status quo.

Oh for sure. It’s just a question of who own the kill switch. In the context of Russia grabbing land in Eastern Europe and the US aligning with Putin… a French or German kill switch sounds better.

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