Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: combjelly who wrote (247804)	8/28/2005 1:31:03 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1574485

Iran-Contra was a very near thing for Reagan. The taking of our embassy in Iran was still pretty fresh and selling them weapons wasn't hugely popular... However, the media missed out on the evidence that we had been dealing with the Iranians long before Iran-Contra. During their conflict with Iraq, we accidently downed one of their airliners. The official explanation was the weapon systems got confused between it and an Iranian F14 that was taking off very close to the area. Ok, I can buy that, I don't think they would have intentionally shot down an airliner full of people. But what was interesting is that Iran still had functional F14s. Sure, we sold them to the Shah. But SOP was to not provide repair parts or train people to provide maintenance, except for Israel. Because maintenance was definitely required, they only had a mean time before failure of less than 100 hours. By controlling maintenance the US kept control over their use. Do something we don't like and their planes would shortly be airport decorations. But, ok you say, they just parked them on the runway and only fired them up when they needed. But that wouldn't work either. F14 engines pushed the technology so hard that if they weren't run on a regular basis, their bearings would develop flat spots and the engine would explosively disassemble itself when they were eventually started. So for them to be flying F14s several years after the Shah was deposed, those jets would have required a huge overhaul and regular work and parts. Now true, Israel could have been doing it, but what would their motivation be? None of its surprises me. The Reagan administration played so many games, its amazing they did not get into more trouble. And of course, some of the graduates of that regime....Cheney and Rummie.......are in the current regime. And we wonder why Iran hates this country so much. When the GOP takes over, they operate as the rich do in any country. Democratic ideals are secondary to making money for the companies on which they are board members or for which may have been directly or indirectly responsible for their wealth and the wealth of their friends. I saw it all when I was in my fraternity but I really didn't get what I was seeing until later.......the privileged lifestyle, noblesse oblige in action, their patronization because I was not of the same class etc. One of my rich frat. bros who's family is one of the Fortune 500 would like to pick up 'hos, have sex with them and then beat them up when it was over. When we would intervene him and stop the beatings, the look of hate in his eyes.....for her, for us..........was unbelieavable to me. What I don't understand is why Americans get fooled by them and put them into power. ted