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[wierd]

So, apparently Nicki Minaj tweeted against the vaccine mandate because her cousin's friend in Trinidad claims his balls got swollen after getting his shot, so Tucker Carlson defended her on air and she says she's been invited to talk at the White House where she's going to wear all pink like in Legally Blonde to let them know she means business and honestly I feel like half of this was written by procedural generation.

Uhm.

NO.  JUST NO.


Here's the raw deal about testicles, and covid.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41423-020-00604-5

Short version:  GETTING COVID FUCKS UP YOUR BALLS.  GETTING THE VACCINE SAVES YOUR BALLS.
This is because the receptor that the virus uses to enter a cell is the ACE2 receptor, which is heavily represented in adult testicular tissue, with a peak expression averaging at age 25. This means that the balls of men in their prime are especially vulnerable to damage from covid infection.

The vaccines produce a spike protein that binds to ACE2, which could cause some local disruption of function on a temporary basis-- but will prime your immune system to protect you from the actually cell-death causing virus actually getting into those tissues, and wrecking them worse than a size queen in an amateur porno.

Nicky-- do you care about your man's balls?  GET HIM THE DAMN VACCINE, and educate yourself.


This has been a public service announcement.

[dragdeler]

a

[Egan_BW]

What would they even use a modern, military, non-nuclearly-armed submarine for, anyways? Sinking random civilians and pretending it was a sea monster?

[martinuzz]

It's not about nuclear armed submarines, it's about nuclear submarines. Their propulsion will be US nuclear tech, they will not be armed with nuclear weapons.

[None]

I am certainly definitely no international political speculator, but you reckon this is related to China's general naval extensions and posturing against that in a way that doesn't set the major EU block antagonistically towards China? Is it about Brexit?

More speculatively, I wonder what else is in this AUKUS security pact, and if nuclear submarines are just a very discussable line item?

Is our military industrial complex hankering for its pound of flesh, since there's no ongoing war to siphon money from?

[Lord Shonus]

There are several reasons why this is happening.


From the Australian view

The French were massively behind on the submarine program even before COVID hit, and buying new military equipmemt is not just about improving capability. All equipment has a finite practical lifespan, and Australia's submarine fleet is reaching that point - before too many more. years have passed, the Aussies will have no subs unless the replacements show up.

The conventionally-powered versions of French nuke boats were not the best fit for Australia to begin with. The primary operations area for any foreseeable conflict is going to be up near China and Japan, which is a long, long way from RAN ports. Conventionally powered boats have pretty harsh range limits, making it very hard to carry out that ops area. Nuclear submarines have unlimited range.

From the American view, this builds up an ally in the region, either bolstering the US presence or possibly negating the need for it. In both cases this reduces how much the US has to commit to the region. Equally important, the proposed submarine base. at Perth for servicing the new boats would inherently be able to service and repair US nuclear boats, which is of immense value in and of itself. If the Australians were not pushing to have the boats built domestically, the basing alone would be enough to justify selling the next few *Virginia*-class boats off the production lines.

[Starver]

What would they even use a modern, military, non-nuclearly-armed submarine for, anyways? Sinking random civilians and pretending it was a sea monster?

The vessels involved are not Boomers[1] but Attack subs[2]. In fact, the superceded French-builds were to have bern called the 'Attack-class', at least until some more ceremonial name were decided upon. (I suggest McGrath-class, or similar, with non-typenamer vessels of HNAS Lillee, HNAS Warne, etc, perhaps... )

Not that Attack Subs could not havr a nuclear-tipped weapon or two (torpedo tube-launched or siloed, depending upon sub/weapon design) but - this side of MAD - there's still use for conventional (if extra-Smart) capabilities in both close-quarters and from (or within!) the edge of a troubled region.

[1] Missile boats - which nonetheless also (or instead) can be given non-nuclear missiles, anyway.

[2] Perhaps called Hunter-Killers, in a hot war situation. And 'the threat of attack is a good defence' when used as pickets for navy groups or just being somewhere to project a Schroeinger-equation of military might against opposing navy-groups.

[scriver]

I think Macron might be looking at this all wrong.

France supplies non-nuclear hulls.
The US supplies nuclear TECHNOLOGY. (eg, plans, parts, and supply chain for nuclear powered subs)

AU says " YAY! Hulls AND engines! WOOT!"

Instead, Macron seems to be all "STOLE MY THUNDER! MADE MY DEAL LOOK LESS IMPORTANT! RAGE!"
Admittedly, that's just how I seem to be perceiving this on a cursory, "did not dig that deeply" level.

More diplomatically-- this DOES have the obvious trappings of "US totally more buddy buddy with the UK post-brexit, than with the EU, which can go fuck itself when it comes to nuclear tech. UK and AU are OUR political trophy wives, bitches!", which I can see Macron being legitimately upset about.

However, if that is what he is upset about, he should grow a pair, and outright say that is what has his little striped french knickers in a twist.

Let's not forget the "Macron is a pompous arse" factor here. This whole tantrum smells of "The EU have been continually gloating over Brexit and gleefully pointing out whenever they can that the UK is no longer in the EU and now Misseur Mac is upset the UK didn't bother to inform the EU of their non-EU business", which is just sad. Can't have your cakeu and euat it too Macaron. They had ample opportunity to establish that EU and UK were still good friends despite Brexit, they chose to make it hurt as much as reasonably possible instead. The UK has no reason to clue the EU in on shit now.

There are several reasons why this is happening.


From the Australian view

The French were massively behind on the submarine program even before COVID hit, and buying new military equipmemt is not just about improving capability. All equipment has a finite practical lifespan, and Australia's submarine fleet is reaching that point - before too many more. years have passed, the Aussies will have no subs unless the replacements show up.

The conventionally-powered versions of French nuke boats were not the best fit for Australia to begin with. The primary operations area for any foreseeable conflict is going to be up near China and Japan, which is a long, long way from RAN ports. Conventionally powered boats have pretty harsh range limits, making it very hard to carry out that ops area. Nuclear submarines have unlimited range.

From the American view, this builds up an ally in the region, either bolstering the US presence or possibly negating the need for it. In both cases this reduces how much the US has to commit to the region. Equally important, the proposed submarine base. at Perth for servicing the new boats would inherently be able to service and repair US nuclear boats, which is of immense value in and of itself. If the Australians were not pushing to have the boats built domestically, the basing alone would be enough to justify selling the next few *Virginia*-class boats off the production lines.

Oh, so perhaps it's more of a Macron covering up French failure out of country-wise embarrassment than what I ranted out above. That's interesting to know.

[LordBaal]

Napoleon Bonaparte is soo haunting Macron for this failure!

[Starver]

(Macron is trolling the UK by not bothering to even temporarily withdraw their representatives to here, BTW. Like I said, the impression is that we're only there as a sympathy note for chucking ourselves out of a different friends'-circle.)

[scriver]

Considering this is a completely ridiculous thing to withdraw diplomats over to begin with, though...

[martinuzz]

By now, the French minister of foreign affairs has accused the US and Australia of 'lies, hypocricy, a huge breach of trust between allies, and contempt', dubbing the whole affair a 'serious crisis between allies'.
He called the UK 'opportunistic' for assisting with the deal.

[Rolan7]

Rule 0 of international diplomacy: don't mess with the money.

Military-Industrial complex directs policy, news at 11

[Laterigrade]

So, apparently Nicki Minaj tweeted against the vaccine mandate because her cousin's friend in Trinidad claims his balls got swollen after getting his shot, so Tucker Carlson defended her on air and she says she's been invited to talk at the White House where she's going to wear all pink like in Legally Blonde to let them know she means business and honestly I feel like half of this was written by procedural generation.

I like that, ‘she’s going to wear all pink … to let them know she means business’. That’s beautiful, I wish she’d go far away.

[scriver]

I kinda felt bad skipping over that because that whole piece was pure brilliance