Dienstag, September 27, 2005

Thanks, France and Germany!

Great. The Chinese Navy is starting to field its first modern domestic frigate. It's undertaking a massive expansion of its navy. It's not the only new design.

And where did they get the anti-air missiles? France: an advanced version of the Crotale. The command and control systems? Gee, could it be France? And the anti-shipping missile? Based on a French design...

And where did they get the engines? France, the same engines that France uses in its frigates.

But wait, there's a second source for the engines: it's MTU, the German engine specialist for marine engines and relatively small turbines for the aerospace industry.

And it's a stealth design, based on... what could it be... a French design? Of their Lafayette class?

Just brilliant. Thanks, France and Germany!

I guess for France it's an answer for all those weapon the US sold to Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. Just desserts, eh?

What?


Waddya mean the US didn't sell Germany weapons in the 1920s and 1930s? Well why then are the French selling the Chinese these weapons?

Because France and Germany are countries that give capitalism a bad name.


Thanks fellas. We'll remember this when the next time comes around to ask you to give us a hand solving some sticky problem that your incompetence brought around in the first place. And remember, if China starts a war, maybe over Taiwan or maybe over some gas fields in the China Sea, you've got our buddies in Paris and Berlin to thank for increasing Chinese abilities to wage war well above and beyond their domestic abilities.

Idiots. I'm really starting to think that Marx was right about European capitalists. The Europeans probably have plans to sell to any thuggish regime with lots of cash.

Oh, they already have? Gee, what a surprise.


4 Kommentare:

Anonym hat gesagt…

I can certify that my father was working during the war for a company that was selling to the Germans during the war.

Sales were made tru Brazil and Swuizerland.

Do not be so naive. If you have got money you get what you want!!


Check your facts.

But keep posting I like your blog very much.

Yours

Annonymous for good reaons
( I am sure you understand I do not want hate mail)

John F. Opie hat gesagt…

Read what I said: not during the war, before the war. In the 1920s and 1930s.

The Russians were helping the Germans rearm during that period. Ford of Germany was involved as well, but that's not, per se, an American company.

What I am referring to is the hidden agendas and hidden arms dealing that accompanied the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the rise of German fascism.

And I'm not naive: I want the Chinese to have to develop the weapons themselves, instead of having our erstwhile "friends" sell them the technology so that they can skip a couple of generations of technological development.

And I don't like anonymous even for "good reasons": if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

But by all means keep on reading. :-)

John

John F. Opie hat gesagt…

Ralf -

For some reason your post is now up there twice. :-p

Your points are correct: it's not only the French and Germans.

However, the French and Germans really seem to have a national policy of selling, rather than the isolated cases of US companies. And the loss of Aegis was the result of classic spying, rather than commercial duplicity.

All in all it's a dog's dinner. Can't understand why this isn't getting more notice, but then again, it probably won't until the shooting starts...and then it's too late.

John F. Opie hat gesagt…

Hi Ralf -

Your point is legitmate: however, there are more considerations here than I want to cover in a comment.

I'll post some more complete in a day or two when I come up for air...

John