• lechekaflan@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    6 days ago

    The duality of the Qatari government and royalty.

    • Tries to sell a 747 to that bastard.

    • Has Al-Jazeera, technically a state-owned news corporation feared by Kahanists.

    The aircraft are there basically for training Qatari pilots with USAF instructors. Same as German air force aircraft based in other USAF bases.

    Also, Hesgeth is a dumbfuck who would have gotten a full blast from McNamara if were to exist today.

  • ByteOnBikesOP
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    56
    ·
    10 days ago

    America right now: “America First! Fuck Canada. We’ll take them over. 51st state. Also Qatar can build on US soil. And have billions of dollars Argentina!”

    • AxExRx@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      9 days ago

      I think hegseth is just an idiot who misspoke.
      Qatar is getting facilities on a US owned and controlled (fully under US jurisdiction), airforce base for the purpose of joint training.

      The base already has the same, but for the Singaporen airforce.

      I’m reserving judgement on our increased military alliance with Qatar out of my own ignorance on all the factors at play, but it seems like a decent thing with respect to israel- hopefully increasing diversity of our military partnerships in the middle east decreases our reliance on israel, and with it our blind support, reigning them in. Hopefully this also signifies a Qatari move away from Iran?

  • Cosmoooooooo@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    13
    ·
    10 days ago

    It means that quatar can overfly any of the US at any time. For how long was that lease? 20-99 years? More? Yup.

    • GenosseFlosse@feddit.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      10 days ago

      Yeah, but this doesn’t make sense. Satellites are cheaper and even in the 90s they had a good enough resolution to read a newspaper from space. why do you want an expensive plane everyone can see in the sky with pilots that can make errors?

      • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        9 days ago

        When you’re spying on the citizens of your own country there’s a lot regulations and paperwork involved. You can still do it of course, but it’s a real pain in the ass.

        It’s way easier to have allied country spy on your citizens and since allies have intelligence sharing agreements you get the information without all the red tape.

        Not saying this is the intent of this agreement, it’s more likely Qatar wants to train their pilots and the US wants to reduce the number of airmen stationed in Qatar to train them there. But Qataris spying on US citizens isn’t a concern that should be dismissed out of hand.

      • Blackmist@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        10 days ago

        I think that was some cold war blustering tbh. Make the reds think you’ve got some insane impossible tech and then watch them waste time trying to replicate it.

        • Dragonstaff@leminal.space
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          10 days ago

          That describes what they did to us pretty well. Or I guess the Soviet’s were barely even involved, but our military industrial complex convinced us we needed to close a “missile gap” and we’ve spent half our GDP for the last 60 years trying to “keep up” with a military that can’t even beat one of its former satellites.

  • njm1314@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    10 days ago

    What possible reason would Qatar even want an air base in idaho? What’s strategic interest do they have in the area?

  • FreeBeard@slrpnk.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    10 days ago

    Ask Americans: is Idaho one of these meme states that nobody really cares for or do people actually live there that maybe also have internet?

    • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      10 days ago

      I live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming so right at the Idaho border. Idaho is one of the most naturally beautiful states in the union. Just look for Idaho tourism videos on YouTube and you’ll see. Unfortunately, it’s also home to a lot of batshit crazy MAGA folk (Teton county excluded).

    • CompostMaterial@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      10 days ago

      It is what we call a fly-over state. No one cares about it except that is where a lot of our potatoes come from. I’m willing to bet that is the only thing about Idaho that most Americans even know.

      That said, fuck Qatar and whatever MAGA grift this bullshit is.

      • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        10 days ago

        I’m remembering a George Carlin bit: “On the New Hampshire license plate, it says “Give me liberty, or give me death.” On the Idaho license plate, it says “Famous potatoes.” Reality is somewhere between those extremes, probably closer to “famous Potatoes.””

      • Cosmoooooooo@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        10 days ago

        I met someone from Idaho, and they had no idea that they were known for potatoes at all. They were quite perplexed, and upset that the only thing that the other 49 states knew about Idaho was potatoes.

        Now it’s known for potatoes, and nazis. Considerably worse.

      • bdonvr@thelemmy.club
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        10 days ago

        Although it’s an absolutely gorgeous state though. Top 5 if not top 3. (I’ve been to all lower 48)

      • ByteOnBikesOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        9 days ago

        And Mormons.

        Some Mormons are hardcore Trumpers. Many are just conservatives. Some are just Mormon by association, like Jews and Israel.

        • sartalon@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          9 days ago

          I grew up a Mormon. Ended up fostering with a Bishop when I was in Jersey for a few years. Early 90’s.

          He was compassionate, kind, didn’t care if you were gay, he gave everyone spiritual guidance. He didn’t care if you lived in slum full of garbage and drug users. He didn’t hesitate to come to you.

          He worked hard as fuck. Long hours. Even though he gave up many hours to work and the church, he was still present and engaged with his family.

          Those years with him is what I credit for helping me learn what it takes to have the type of family/life I thought only existed on TV. The rest of my family all ended up trash that never made it out of a trailer park. I have a beautiful family, I am a successful engineer, and I owe it all to him.

          But when I went to college on the west coast, in Oregon. I attended church and found out real quick that his compassion and empathy was all him and not necessarily the church at all.

          I was devastated and have never been back since.

          I haven’t seen him in 30 years. I am terrified he’s changed. I care deeply for the man he was but I am so afraid if I see him, it will destroy one of the few lights from my youth.

          Sorry that took a turn but I had to get it out.

          To your point, yes, so many Trumpers.

          A faith I used to defend because it spoke of agency and compassion, self sacrifice and helping others.

          Now it is a meme religion, full of hypocrisy and ignorance.

          Maybe it was always that way and I just had the amazing luck of fostering under someone who was able to truly understand what it was that Jesus was trying to teach.

  • Spacehooks@reddthat.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    10 days ago

    I dont get this timeline. Like why didn’t trump try bullying them into the union like Canada? Then they have a base in US as a state.