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Comment by zachrose | Hacker News Reader

This explanation comes up in every thread about the F-35. While it has good explanatory power, it doesn't explain why the US couldn't have a non-dysfunctional procurement process that actually delivered effective planes.

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My best guess would be that the people in charge of the juggernaut realize if you equip it with a steering wheel, if you create a way to fix it with regard to quality of output, that same steering wheel could also be used to fix it with regard to cost. In other words, the dysfunctional planes are just collateral damage of the corporate welfare program.

The people controlling the purse strings like the dysfunctional system as it is. Nobody has the power to stop it. There was zero reason for Trump to end the sequester except to funnel more money into the MIC.

The truly interesting question would be: How will countries without a broken procurement process compete? Will China be able to spend 0.1% on their new planes and get 1000% ROI?

To paraphrase Upton Sinclair, it's difficult to change a process when the salaries of the people who could change it depend upon the status quo.

Companies are run by businessmen and not people who want to build extraordinary aircraft.

That's awfully cynical, but maybe correct, though I have to believe that even the CEO of a giant defense contractor firm is proud of what they do.

You're so optimistic. The CEOs of large companies i know don't even pretend about having a higher purpose

Why do you have to believe that?

Planes? For 1.5 trillion dollars and counting I expect nothing less than a working fusion generator, or a moon base, or a proper rotating space station with AT&T videophones.

For reference, 1.5 trillion is more than double the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, combined.

Have you considered a disinformation side to the equation. How did the Cold War bankrupt ussr ? Was it the Star Wars disinformation;)

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