Wednesday, 26 March 2008

Um...

Taiwan asked the United States for helicopter batteries and got nuclear warhead triggers instead.

In what is in the running for understatement of the century, the no. 2 at the American Defense Department called this development, "disconcerting".

5 comments:

jabrwok said...

An online acquaintance speculates that this was an intentional mishap aimed at sending a message to China regarding the advisability of attacking Taiwan. Apparently this isn't the first time something like this has happened.

Sergej said...

The Chinese did respond to it as if we had sent, and they received, just such a message. Frankly, I did not expect such subtlety from my country.

On the other hand, we did just have that little discussion about how best to shoot down a satellite---shotgun or very precise missile, the shot called in advance. That message got through loud and clear.

Must not be the State Department running the conversation.

Anonymous said...

Don't panic, inside two weeks they will have produced a better one with a flatter, squarer screen.

Sergej said...

Chinese? I don't think so. They seem to be on a quick-and-dirty kick lately; I think that the two satellite shoot-downs (ours and theirs) showed that we've got the edge in the wiz-bang department. The way Putin responded implied that he doesn't have anything to match either.

Quick, dirty and in large numbers, almost appears to be the commie way. Of course, we had problems with it (China) in the Korean war, and the Germans (USSR) in the Second World War. So, superior technology is not a certain indicator of who is going to win a war. Superior technology, in large numbers, with a will to fight behind it, will certainly improve one's odds, though.

Anonymous said...

Thoroughly agreed, sergej. Although I'm curious to see whether an "investigative" report a la the AP will yeild proof of the Oliver Stone wet dream you're all describing.