My question for the "Golden Dome" system is the same as my question for all other defense contracting proposals: "is this more cost-effective than firing shrink-wrapped pallets of $100 bills at the target"

It occurs to me that the young 'uns may not get the reference

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/08/usa.iraq1

How the US sent $12bn in cash to Iraq. And watched it vanish

Special flights brought in tonnes of banknotes which disappeared into the war zone.

The Guardian
@jalefkowit that would make a great heist movie plot

@eljorgeabides “Three Kings” (1999) is not precisely that plot. But it’s pretty close 😆

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdal5c1TfmE

Three Kings - Original Theatrical Trailer

YouTube

@jalefkowit

Oohhh I forgot about this movie

@eljorgeabides @jalefkowit
William Gibson wrote a book called Spook Country which featured some of the vanished cash in a shipping container.
@jalefkowit Someone should ask Trump if this golden dome has any relation to that golden shower thing of his.
@jalefkowit [Looks at the SDI and gets back to you]
@jalefkowit
My question is who is going to fire missiles at the United States when the last five years have established that the most effective way to kill Americans en mass is to stand back and watch.

@jalefkowit
> more cost-effective than

Answering that, would require they be honest about exactly what “effect” they are pursuing with the plan.

My guess is, the effect they want includes massive ongoing funding to military contractors. So yes, their plan is more cost effective for that.

But they don't want to say that.

@bignose @jalefkowit they could just fire shrink wrapped pallets of 100s at the contractors and save a lot of time and hassle
@jalefkowit someone should tell Donald that gold isn't very strong

@jalefkowit gold bullets and artillery shells....

Incoming!
*thud*
We're rich boys! Let's go home!

@jalefkowit I used to play a game... I think it was "Evil Genius"... one of the characters was a diplomat with a briefcase of cash that could bribe off any govt forces sent to shut you down.
@jalefkowit I remember (but cannot find at the moment) a Regan-era Bloom County strip where they offered to save money on the Star Wars Defense System by simply wrapping the earth in a sphere of $100 bills. I believe it still applies.
@troublewithwords @jalefkowit @nyrath
There have been a few satirical fake stories from The Onion with the theme of "United States Announces Plan To Launch $700 Million Into Space" and similar.

@troublewithwords

I remember that Bloom County comic. IIRC the Regan administration was interested.

@jalefkowit You’ve just made me think that the guy accused of a pee-pee tape shouldn’t be calling anything golden 😂
@jalefkowit the answer is always, no but we think this way will be more fun.
@jalefkowit It would have been way more deadly if NATO had air-dropped hard liquor over Yugoslavia in 1999, instead of dropping bombs.