Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

[The Sicatoka]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

Is it just me or does China's new J-31 stealth fighter looks suspiciously like the US's F-35?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0IV0WY20141111

You're confused. The Chinese would never do anything like that.

http://www.carscoops.com/2012/02/chi...ord-f-150.html

[St. Clown]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

You're confused. The Chinese would never do anything like that.

http://www.carscoops.com/2012/02/chi...ord-f-150.html

I've seen that before with car manufacturing, and I just chalk that up to doing business in China. The clones there use cheaper parts than the US version, so there's a huge quality and/or performance disparity, but something tells me the Chinese government didn't skimp on any of the components when copying the F-35.

If I were running a company like Lockheed, I'd take a long, hard look at keeping company secrets that impact US defense capabilities like that on non-networked PCs, or a network that's not in anyway hooked up to any network that extends beyond a single building. Sure, it would raise the costs of doing that business, but I think most people would allow such considerations in these matters.

[goldy_331]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

If I were running a company like Lockheed, I'd take a long, hard look at keeping company secrets that impact US defense capabilities like that on non-networked PCs, or a network that's not in anyway hooked up to any network that extends beyond a single building. Sure, it would raise the costs of doing that business, but I think most people would allow such considerations in these matters.

Not related to China, but...
One of my wife's clients is a small medical device manufacturer. They hold several patents for a particular line of a device with a limited but growing market. They are continually working to improve the product and the manufacturing process. They have several computers in their small office and ONE computer connected to the internet. There is nothing related to design, production, accounting, or personnel on the machine with internet. A pain for my wife who has to go on the'net for certain things, but he hasn't been hacked yet.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

If we ever decide that a Presidential candidate "must have" certain pre-requisites on his/her resume before we can be induced to vote for him/her, one pre-requisite that would be high on my list would be a basic level of competence in chess.

Chess started as a training exercise for generals and diplomats, on how to structure your resources while anticipating attacks from your opponents so that you also could prepare adequate defenses. I'm not sure about the statistics but I think that the plurality of outcomes at a high enough level is a draw, which is a perfectly fine outcome in many cases.

Anyway, so Russia invades another sovereign country and we respond by imposing economic sanctions. Let's say that the sanctions start to "bite." What kind of response might we anticipate?

For example, if sanctions are working, might that not increase the chances of a broader invasion, to gain control of more territory more quickly before the sanctions diminish your abilities? Might effective sanctions drive Russia to shore up an alliance with an otherwise-natural, historical enemy? and so if Russia engages in either of these actions, which one might anticipate if one actually had the capacity for forethought, what would our response be, given that we've already had a chance to think it through and have several ready on a contingency basis, just in case?



If your opponent is a skilled chess player and you are ignorant of the game, might it make sense to have a good chess player or two on your team and then, you know, actually listen to him/her from time to time?

Interesting you pick a game of attrition as opposed to a game like go. A game considered far more complex than chess.

[joecct]

Interesting you pick a game of attrition as opposed to a game like go. A game considered far more complex than chess.

Sun-Tzu vs. Clausewitz?

[joecct]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

Tim Kaine, coming off a much closer than expected re-election bid, speaks his mind on boots on the ground.

http://rare.us/story/this-democrat-s...-one-sentence/

And there once was a Mullah in Birmingham. ...

http://www.spectator.co.uk/columnists/james-delingpole/9361702/the-islamic-sermon-that-taught-me-whats-happened-to-my-old-home-town/

[Jimjamesak]

Interesting you pick a game of attrition as opposed to a game like go. A game considered far more complex than chess.

I prefer my President's to be well verse in Magic The Gathering. I'm not gonna vote for somebody who just sits around waiting to combo off!

[joecct]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

Pat on the US and the oil weapon.
http://m.townhall.com/columnists/pat...hands-n1918458

[FreshFish]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

Interesting you pick a game of attrition as opposed to a game like go. A game considered far more complex than chess.

I'm fine with alternate qualifications. The main point was that we need leaders who can think strategically and long-term.

I would actually choose backgammon ahead of both chess and go, since backgammon requires both a good strategic aptitude as well as a keen assessment of probabilities. Life has lots of random events, just like each throw of the dice is random; yet a good strategy leads to patterned responses to said randomness that are likely to be effective in the long run in the majority of situations.



OTOH, Chess does seem to have a far wider following, I haven't heard anything in the news about the world go championships lately.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

Probably because 'Murica! Seriously.

[St. Clown]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

IOTOH, Chess does seem to have a far wider following, I haven't heard anything in the news about the world go championships lately.

I've never heard of a game called "go."

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

I've only played it a few times and it was against a person who has played it many times.

I'm not certain but it wouldn't surprise me if I flipped the table over and swore off that ****ed game.

[MissThundercat]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

I've never heard of a game called "go."

I Googled it. Here in the US, they have a congress for it...

http://www.usgo.org/what-go

[FreshFish]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

I flipped the table over and swore off that ****ed game.

I often feel that way about checkers. Someone once told me that if both players were good enough, checkers is just a more complicated version of tic-tac-toe, in that it is only possible to win if the other player makes a mistake. I have no idea whether that is true or not.

I am reminded of War Games, if I am not mistaken one of Matthew Broderick's first movies, after the computer had simulated every possible version of Thermo Nuclear War: "The only way to win is not to play."



Edit: IMDB lists it as the second movie role in his career.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Global War on Terror Version 6 - Perpetual Motion Machine

I often feel that way about checkers. Someone once told me that if both players were good enough, checkers is just a more complicated version of tic-tac-toe, in that it is only possible to win if the other player makes a mistake. I have no idea whether that is true or not.

It is. If played perfectly, I think the player who goes first would always win. I remember reading it a number of years ago when some guy broke the record for most games of checkers played at once.