Stupid Europeans

Two of the biggest shitheads around: the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenesky (left) and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (right) - Peter Nicholls/Getty

Good story about the European fantasy of defeating Russia.

Europe’s reckless bid for victory - Wolfgang Munchau

Bit I haven't heard before:

It is dangerous for Europe to insist, instead, on victory. For while Trump has talked a lot of nonsense about Zelensky and the war, he is right in one critical aspect. Without America, there is no road to victory for Ukraine. This is not primarily about weapons, ammunition, and financial aid, but about satellite support and intelligence. If the US were to switch off the satellites and stop the flow of information, the Europeans have no way of plugging the gap. Without the US, it’s over for Ukraine.

A couple of terms I had to look up:

Hobbesian world - A Hobbesian world is a world without government where people are in a constant state of war, competing for resources and power. This concept is based on the ideas of political philosopher Thomas Hobbes.

the single market - A single market is a trade bloc where most barriers to trade have been removed. It's also known as an internal market or common market.

BMW 507

BMW 507

Wikipedia:

The BMW 507 is a grand touring convertible that was produced by German automobile manufacturer BMW from 1956 until 1959. Initially intended to be exported to the United States at a rate of thousands per year, it ended up being too expensive, resulting in a total production figure of 252 cars and heavy financial losses for BMW.

Engine is a 3.2 litre OHV V8 producing 150 horsepower. Elvis Presley owned two.

Mercury Montclair

1956 Mercury Montclair Phaeton Sedan

You've got to hand it to Detroit. Back in the 50's and 60's, back before the EPA and NHTSA got involved, Detroit stylists were just going wild.

From Wikipedia: 

Mercury Montclair

While the true origins of the nameplate are unknown by Ford historians, the consensus is that is derived from Montclair, New Jersey, an affluent community located near its then-new Mahwah Assembly facility.

Mahwah Assembly

Mahwah Assembly was a Ford Motor Company manufacturing plant in Mahwah, New Jersey, 30 miles from New York City. It occupied over 172 acres. . . .

The factory began operations in 1955, and was closed in 1980.  . . .

Mahwah Assembly produced 6 million cars in the 25 years it operated before the last car rolled off the line on June 20, 1980. At the time of its completion, it was the largest motor vehicle assembly plant in the United States. The Ford plant, along with other businesses such as American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company, helped contribute to the economic development of the town and its reputation for low home property taxes. The Mahwah town sports teams remain named Thunderbirds in honor of the Ford plant. . . .

Bruce Springsteen's 1982 song "Johnny 99" references the closure of the Mahwah plant in its opening line.

Formula Easter

Arrived to “Formula Easter” event…
The Auto Space

I had never heard of this. Wikipedia has a page.

Richard Hammond Crashes in Formula Easter Race | The Grand Tour: Eurocrash
The Grand Tour

Life in these United States

Four well written stories:

The Turnaround - Robert Gore

America As Republic, Not As Empire – Europe's 'Sound And Fury' After Jaw-Dropping Pivots In US Policy - Alastair Crooke

“Taking Away Everything We Have”: Democrats and Unions Launch an Existential Fight Over Buyouts - Jonathan Turley

The Press Falls To Another Record Low In Public Trust - Jonathan Turley

Jonathan Turley has appeared here and here.

P. S. Amusing rant about the NSA:

Our Intelligence Community Has Been Run By Delusion-Riddled Deviants - Andrew Klavan

Andrew Klavan has appeared here before. 

Life in Iran

 The whole story is very entertaining.

Iran’s economy minister impeached as inflation rises, currency falls - Aljazeera

"In 2015, the Iranian rial was worth 32,000 to the United States dollar, but by the time Pezeshkian took office in July, it had plummeted to about 600,000 to the dollar on the open market."

This bit gives a little insight:

"Rampant local mismanagement and corruption paired with decades of US-led sanctions have battered Iran’s economy. Amid the expanding fallout of Israel’s war on Gaza and blows dealt to the Iran-led “axis of resistance” in recent months, public concern over further economic instability has only risen.

"For the past three months, Iran has been forced to shut down key services across the country due to a lingering energy crisis."

 

Air Tractor Goes to War

Defence Blog reports: US Air Force introduces Skyraider II attack aircraft

I look at the picture and say - that's an Air Tractor, and sure enough that's what it is, er, was.

OA-1K Sky Warden

OA-1K Sky Warden airplane

OA-1K Sky Warden light attack aircraft - L3Harris

$3 billion for 75 aircraft comes out to $40 million each which seems a bit steep to me considering an F-35, a vastly more sophisticated aircraft, costs about twice that much.

Wikipedia article here.

Previous posts about the Air Tractor here, here and here.