Hacker News Reader

Comment by sneak | Hacker News Reader

> This happens to literally every convention ever, not surprising at all.

The CCC would never.

Europe, for all its authoritarianism and infringements of human rights (even in relatively liberal places like Germany) still seems to be trying to not backslide into full-on military-industrial complex like the US is/has.

View on HN

If you honestly think that they're not either backsliding into the full-on military-industrial complex or benefiting from the American military-industrial complex, I have some nice ocean-front property in Kansas City to sell you.

EDIT:

If you don't believe me, ask the USMC about their nice new H&K service rifles. Did we need to do that? No, we could have thrown a nice piston upper on M16 lowers, but that doesn't keep the bier flowing in Oberndorf am Neckar. Or ask someone in the Pentagon about their partners at BAE.

Well yes we have military industry and back room deals but the industry here doesn't have the big lobby clout the MIC has in the US.

That's easy to do when you have the US on speed dial.

I mean, in the last 50 years, US called Italy, Germany more than the reverse. And if you don't count logistical units, US has France on speed dial, not the reverse. The one time France asked the US something military-wise, Obama refused.

France doesn't need to call anyone, they have spies everywhere. They're the world leader in industrial espionage with a few hundred-years head start over everyone else.

And also don't forget they're the second largest global arms exporter after the United States. Which is amazing when you realize they only have one manufacturer (Airbus) in the global top 15...

> The one time France asked the US something military-wise, Obama refused.

Ehh forget how Vietnam started?

Although yes that is a little longer than 50 years ago already. Crazy how fast these things go.

To do what? Blow up our pipelines? Use us as staging for bullshit invasions?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com