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Saab wins Brazil jet deal after NSA spying sours Boeing bid
Brazil awarded a $4.5 billion contract to Saab AB on Wednesday to replace its aging fleet of fighter jets, a surprise coup for the Swedish company after news of U.S. spying on Brazilians helped derail Boeing's chances for the deal. ... The timing of the announcement, after more than a decade of off-and-on negotiations, appeared to catch the companies involved by surprise. Even Juniti Saito, Brazil's top air force commander, said on Wednesday that he only heard of the decision a day… (mobile.reuters.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Brazil was all set to buy the French Rafael aircraft but around june-july of this year there were terrible demonstrations on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and others protesting the 20-30 billion DOLLARS beinguburned by the government for holding soccer's top World Cup compettition in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016 when the infrastructure in the country is a monumental mess: overcrowded airports and motorways, the badly needed super-fast Rio-Sao train is still in the preliminary engineering studies stage, hospitals more resembling staging areas before sending patients to private clinics, or to their burial. The cost of the Gripen program at $4+ billion level vs. the French Rafale which arguably being more andvanced would have brough a 10-12 billion bill. Now the big question, does the country need any of this, ABSOLUTELY NOT it is just that their Air Force hotjocks want to drive something newer.
That makes a lot of sense. The need to NOT SPEND lots of money on expensive military fighter jets is a political reality.
The NSA pot shot was also political posturing, but in reality had little or nothing to do with the decision that arose from a budgetary reality.
She just peeved that Obama can read her emails and listen to her phone calls, bit she can't intercept Obama's communications despite robust efforts.
The NSA pot shot was also political posturing, but in reality had little or nothing to do with the decision that arose from a budgetary reality.
She just peeved that Obama can read her emails and listen to her phone calls, bit she can't intercept Obama's communications despite robust efforts.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I feel as though everyone spies (or wants to be able to spy) but no one wants to get caught. It's a game, information is power. The NSA is just out of control and the USA got caught. Foreign nations acting like saints that would never consider such a thing is laughable to me - as if Brazil is free of all political corruption.
If they want to use a National Defense decision to make a political point let them make that unwise decision and think nothing of it. Boeing is an excellent company.
If they want to use a National Defense decision to make a political point let them make that unwise decision and think nothing of it. Boeing is an excellent company.
China's Snowden(s) have been systemically killed by their security apparatus, or you'd hear more about their spying.
Whether NSA was the reason or not, the United States is an Empire already in decline, whether you like to hear it or not.
Americans are now known by the rest of the world as the most greedy, yet the most ignorant technologically-advanced people on earth, now also the most in debt - to the tune of over three Trillion dollars and still rising. They continue to spend exorbitantly on their self-imposed role as Global Policeman, yet seem unable to get even their own houses in order.
At some point - which the UK has already reached - the entire nation working together would not be able to pay the interest, far less the principal, on the ever-rising national debt.
One by one the rest of the world is turning their back on America, and ongoing processes within that country - including the collapse of basic education - suggests that it will become a country of just the super-rich and the super-poor, with very little between them.
America's proud boasts of "freedom" now mean almost nothing in reality, with most of their "freedoms" incrementally now taken away, most recently in the name of "national security". The USA now spies on all or the rest of the world, INCLUDING on all Americans. The internet - half of which is cluttered with garbage SPAM messages - actually made that easier to do.
With the fall of Russian Socialism now decades ago and with the imminent collapse of the American Empire, I think the next global power will be China.
Americans are now known by the rest of the world as the most greedy, yet the most ignorant technologically-advanced people on earth, now also the most in debt - to the tune of over three Trillion dollars and still rising. They continue to spend exorbitantly on their self-imposed role as Global Policeman, yet seem unable to get even their own houses in order.
At some point - which the UK has already reached - the entire nation working together would not be able to pay the interest, far less the principal, on the ever-rising national debt.
One by one the rest of the world is turning their back on America, and ongoing processes within that country - including the collapse of basic education - suggests that it will become a country of just the super-rich and the super-poor, with very little between them.
America's proud boasts of "freedom" now mean almost nothing in reality, with most of their "freedoms" incrementally now taken away, most recently in the name of "national security". The USA now spies on all or the rest of the world, INCLUDING on all Americans. The internet - half of which is cluttered with garbage SPAM messages - actually made that easier to do.
With the fall of Russian Socialism now decades ago and with the imminent collapse of the American Empire, I think the next global power will be China.
Interesting treatise, though your conclusions are not supported by your facts nor your arguments. Nor anyone else's.
First, the US Natuinal Debt is not $3 trillion. It is $17 trillion, up from about $8 Trillion at the beginning of the Obama administration.
Secondly, you're right when you say the world is full of ingrates, who do take the stability provided by the US for granted. Let the US pull back a little more and let the world feel the pain of increased instability. They'll come around, even if domestic political reality makes them speak out agiant the most stabilizing influence in re world right now.
As far as the world turning to China to help protect human rights is laughable at best, and hard to believe at worst.
The US debt is still $Trillions less than the the national GDP and GNP. Many other developed and emerging countries aren't in as good shape debt wise. Bit just because the nation's economy can handle the debt, neither makes it good economically nor morally just. Frivolously spending future generation's money cannot easily be defended.
As far as spying, every country does it. Some are just better at than others. The Americans and Chinese are particularly skillful. The ire directed toward the Americans is misplaced. The American society is just much more open, with free and public political debate. While the Chinese aren't as good, if countries and citizens around the world realized how much of their communications and information is being vacuumed up by the Chinese apparatus, and then sold or given to favored individuals and companies, people would be shocked, outraged and justifiably upset. I would hope that they would protest the stealing of their futures. The intellectual property from around the world is being copied by Chinese companies and counterfeits are being sold without any payment to the non-Chinese creators.
Wake up. (hopefully sooner rather than later)
First, the US Natuinal Debt is not $3 trillion. It is $17 trillion, up from about $8 Trillion at the beginning of the Obama administration.
Secondly, you're right when you say the world is full of ingrates, who do take the stability provided by the US for granted. Let the US pull back a little more and let the world feel the pain of increased instability. They'll come around, even if domestic political reality makes them speak out agiant the most stabilizing influence in re world right now.
As far as the world turning to China to help protect human rights is laughable at best, and hard to believe at worst.
The US debt is still $Trillions less than the the national GDP and GNP. Many other developed and emerging countries aren't in as good shape debt wise. Bit just because the nation's economy can handle the debt, neither makes it good economically nor morally just. Frivolously spending future generation's money cannot easily be defended.
As far as spying, every country does it. Some are just better at than others. The Americans and Chinese are particularly skillful. The ire directed toward the Americans is misplaced. The American society is just much more open, with free and public political debate. While the Chinese aren't as good, if countries and citizens around the world realized how much of their communications and information is being vacuumed up by the Chinese apparatus, and then sold or given to favored individuals and companies, people would be shocked, outraged and justifiably upset. I would hope that they would protest the stealing of their futures. The intellectual property from around the world is being copied by Chinese companies and counterfeits are being sold without any payment to the non-Chinese creators.
Wake up. (hopefully sooner rather than later)
Thanks for confirming my opinions and observations. You may not see it - you are American, after all, and you don't even want to see it.
17 Trillion, huh? Wow, how would you like to start paying the interest on that?
I did not say that China would be there for human rights, I said China would be the only world power. And with the Fall of the American Empire the US would not be able to afford to do "diddly squat" about their treatment of the world. With all the fracturing there may not be a USA any more, it may be as many as 50+ separate seceded countries with a common past.
The vast and great Roman Empire fell because the Roman leadership degenerated into an undisciplined self-centered and entitled rabble who no longer cared about their country, only about money and power (wow, does that sound familiar?).
Wall Street has sucked whatever wealth there was in the middle class into the 1% of super-rich - and got bonuses for doing it. The US is on the way OUT the door... as I said, whether you like it, or see it, or not.
IMHO the US now comprises some 350 million different and separate political parties - everybody has a full right to their own opinions, no matter how strange and contrary they may be, and they all take full advantage. Not one can agree with any other on anything in common.
With a Congress and Senate who all feel the same way - no matter what the people they represent think - good luck finding a consensus in the future.
'Bye!
17 Trillion, huh? Wow, how would you like to start paying the interest on that?
I did not say that China would be there for human rights, I said China would be the only world power. And with the Fall of the American Empire the US would not be able to afford to do "diddly squat" about their treatment of the world. With all the fracturing there may not be a USA any more, it may be as many as 50+ separate seceded countries with a common past.
The vast and great Roman Empire fell because the Roman leadership degenerated into an undisciplined self-centered and entitled rabble who no longer cared about their country, only about money and power (wow, does that sound familiar?).
Wall Street has sucked whatever wealth there was in the middle class into the 1% of super-rich - and got bonuses for doing it. The US is on the way OUT the door... as I said, whether you like it, or see it, or not.
IMHO the US now comprises some 350 million different and separate political parties - everybody has a full right to their own opinions, no matter how strange and contrary they may be, and they all take full advantage. Not one can agree with any other on anything in common.
With a Congress and Senate who all feel the same way - no matter what the people they represent think - good luck finding a consensus in the future.
'Bye!
You may be mixing up recent European political history with your notions of the US.
What you call self-centered self-interested persons, may in fact be people who have 17 trillion reasons to want tor put their collective foot down against uncontrolled spending. I'll take that messiness that comes from open political debate any day.
Rather than be a sign of the end, it may in fact demonstrate a vibrant democracy, that still has a lot of kick left.
What you call self-centered self-interested persons, may in fact be people who have 17 trillion reasons to want tor put their collective foot down against uncontrolled spending. I'll take that messiness that comes from open political debate any day.
Rather than be a sign of the end, it may in fact demonstrate a vibrant democracy, that still has a lot of kick left.