I used to love watching military jets

[n2doc]

I used to love going to airshows. I grew up around airplanes and pilots.
I used to love looking at the fighter jets. My Father flew in WWII and I was proud of what he did.
I used to love watching the Blue Angels and the other precision fliers do their stunts.

Now all I feel is fear. Fear that their guns will be turned on me, my family and my fellow countrymen.
When the local air base flies helicopters over my house I now wonder what they are looking at.
When the local air base sends Jets overhead, instead of feeling proud I feel apprehension.

Damn you to hell, George Walker Bush, for taking this away from me. Damn you to hell.

[whistle]

1. Sorry about that my friend, but you were living a romanto-intellectualized

...dream world. The reality of ALL of those military weapons and their intended use is what you see happening in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza, The West Bank and elsewhere. They are meant to kill, maim, disable, destroy, without discretion or favor or mercy or even emotion. That is the reality and we should never forget that.

As General Smedley Butler wrote, "War is a Racket", and remember that Bush and all of his cronies are the racketeers.

<link> http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/racket.html

[MindPilot]

8. No. Their INTENDED use is to defend America and the world

from crazy megalomaniac like another Hitler or Stalin. The hope was that their ability to kill, maim and destroy as you describe would preclude ever having to actually use them.

Today they are being misused because the one giving the orders to use them IS a crazy megalomaniac.

[whistle]

11. So the reality then is what?

<snip>
War is a conflict involving use of weapons and physical force by states or other large-scale groups, coinciding with a lack of dialogue between the parties. Warring parties usually hold territory, which they can win or lose; and each has a leading person or organisation which can surrender, or collapse, thus ending the war. Wars are usually a series of military campaigns between two opposing sides involving a dispute over, amongst others issues, sovereignty, territory, resources, religion, or ideology. A war to liberate an occupied country is called a "war of liberation"; a war between internal factions within a state is a civil war. Until the end of World War II, participants usually issued formal declarations of war.

Other terms for war, often used euphemistically to circumvent limitations on war, include armed conflict, hostilities, and police action. A time when no formal war is taking place, although there may be international and internal tensions, is sometimes called peacetime or peace. However, some consider the definition of peace to be more complicated. Baruch Spinoza (1632–77) said, "Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."

War almost always results in many deaths. In the wars and conflicts of the 20th century, an estimated 130–142 million people died, of which 51 million occurred after the end of World War II.<1>
<.....>

Effects of war
Negative Effects

Death, injury, and destruction of property
Unexploded ordinance
Destruction of works of art
Rape of women and children
Environmental/Infrastructure damage
Poverty
Famine
Disease
Negative psychological effects on individuals
Drain on resources (economic, material, manpower, etc.)
Displacement of refugees/strain on surrounding states due to conflict
Social upheaval
Nations lose their innocence
Extinction and endangerment of plants and animals

Positive Effects

Liberation/Institution of new social/economic/political order (regime change)
Scientific advances
Media attention focused on otherwise unremarkable countries
Inhibition of excessive population growth
X-Factors (when things change, stay the same, or change a second way)

Territorial changes
Resolution, continuation, or increase of political, economic, or social conflict
Increased or decreased probability of future armed conflicts
Destabilisation or strengthening of involved/interested/surrounding states position due to conflict

<More>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War

Perhaps now is the time to dispense with the crazy megalomaniac!

[izzie]

2. I know what you mean.

We used to live on the water front and my father would call us out to see the WW2 fighters going out. They were low and you could see people in them. I am not sure why they were there but we would always wave and swore they tipper their wings to us. From school even us girls knew what type planes they were. We had pictures up over the black board along with ships. We did the war on maps every morning. I do not know if that was just my school and teachers or why we did it.

[nonews]

3. Planes

Move!

[MindPilot]

7. Was that repy supposed to make some kind of sense?

Or are you just being a jerk?

[nonews]

9. planes...

a joke...

[MindPilot]

10. Sorry, didn't get it the first time around n/t

[razors edge]

4. I used to be proud

of being an F-4 phantom mechanic, used to be.

[seabeyond]

5. NO fear, but..... i do not see them the same as i did. now i tell boys

i want to know. i want to know why they are there. what is up. i want someone i know wso i can call up and say, what is happening. i trust these people NOT

but no Fear

[MindPilot]

6. My dad was in the Air Force for 25 years--I hear ya!

I grew up around test missile shots, B52s, F100s, F105s (one of the prettiest airplanes ever IMHO) and about everything that every went up and came down. Then I served in the Navy during Vietnam.
A few days ago, I was driving to work and an Apache came low and slow across the freeway right in front of my car. For the first time ever I actually felt a tinge of fear at seeing a military aircraft. So yes I know how you feel, and I hate it. I feel the same way when I see a convoy of Marine vehicles on the freeway. I used to be a bit irritated because they slowed traffic, now I wonder what are they mobilizing for?

I have always hated the fact the coolest aircraft have to be warbirds.