Foreign Airlines for Troop movements?

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The issue is control. With the US foreign policy of my enemies enemy is my freind.....

Even if we contract out to a firendly western carrier, (I don't know..say France, Germany) if they don't agree with our politics and that foreign carriers gov't says, don't fly US troops and we'll subsidize your loss. Where does that put us? Kind of like the maritime industry. Maybe thats why the Army has boats (huh?)

 

[Freddie Spencer]

Last year The White House used a Cathay 744 to fly all the press people from RJTT to RPLL ( I think), while bush was over in Asia wasting taxpayers money...

 

[FLB717]

US Troops flown by US Aircarft to keep US Dollors in the US. USe your US vote to make it happen.

 

[CatYaaak]

I am worried about the principle of it. There is more to the price than the purshase price. Delta pays US taxes and this is a market that only the US has. It is not like Delta is going to get a contract to move Russian or French troops so why should these foreign carriers get a free ride? This just doesn't make sense, I am all for free trade, but that needs to be a two way deal - they have nothing to offer - so no deal.

It's not about free trade or a "market", it's about the Pentagon making it's budget go further (a budget funded by ALL taxpayers, not just Delta or other airlines' corporate taxes), and large corporations who have fenced-off access to military contracts develop a "Pig feeding at the bottomless Govm't Trough" mentality. Airlines are no different than the folks who gave you the $500 hammer and the $1000 toilet seat. If a foreign, national airline like Air France wins a low bid contract, that's fine with me because most importantly it saves the Pentagon money, but also has the bonus effect of forcing whiny, US-protesting French taxpayers into helping pay for moving our troops. Serves the little croakers right.

And since you brought up taxpaying, if I were Boss of the World I'd grant your wish (for awhile) by taking what you propose a step further; this military transport flying would be soley for US carriers all right, specifically for those companies who have received and burned through billions of taxpayer bail-out money. I'd move these companies from Airline Welfare to Airline Workfare, and they'd be ferrying our troops until they worked off the full amount (plus interest), of what they've received.

The per-hour rate deduction against the billions owed would be only the DOC for the aircraft plus the MILITARY pay scale equivalent for the crews. After all, deducting from the overall bill quarter-million dollar captain and 6-figure FO rates would be kind of like paying for that aforementioned $1ooo toilet seat.







But let's not pretend that Delta, etc, are paying

 

[CatYaaak]

US Troops flown by US Aircarft to keep US Dollors in the US. USe your US vote to make it happen.

..in other words....

"In the name of "US patriotism", during wartime, vote to curtail the US military's request for the ablility to spend US taxpayer $$s on where THEY think it could be more wisely-spent because lots US airline pilots worried about their jobs....just like they profess to know what's best for their own "successful" US Airline companies...these pilots know where how to better spend the $$ earmarked for our Nation's defense than even the Pentagon itself. The short answer?....why, on US airline pilots, of course!"

 

[FLB717]

Being that aviation is nearly 1/8th of the US economy. I surely want US dollars going to US Pilots, Flight Attendants, Mechanics, Rampers, Fuelers, Caterers, Gate Agents, General Office Personnel, Engine Manf, Airframe Manf, Tire Manf, Avionics Manf, US Banks, etc makes sense to me. Better than sending the money to France or Germany. So by your thoughts it is ok for Banana Air to fly any place any time in the US, hope you like your job in that case because it can fly the coup. Because I like mine rather well. My airline doesn't even fly to overseas locations, so if Delta or United does and the military makes them bid on routes and pays them, great the General has some thing to do vs. being furloughed.

 

[Thedude]

Go talk to the IRS. Many jobs there have already been sent to India.
Have you been Globalized yet???

 

[CatYaaak]

Being that aviation is nearly 1/8th of the US economy. I surely want US dollars going to US Pilots, Flight Attendants, Mechanics, Rampers, Fuelers, Caterers, Gate Agents, General Office Personnel, Engine Manf, Airframe Manf, Tire Manf, Avionics Manf, US Banks, etc makes sense to me. Better than sending the money to France or Germany. So by your thoughts it is ok for Banana Air to fly any place any time in the US, hope you like your job in that case because it can fly the coup. Because I like mine rather well. My airline doesn't even fly to overseas locations, so if Delta or United does and the military makes them bid on routes and pays them, great the General has some thing to do vs. being furloughed.

As much as you'd like to somehow extrapolate this issue into one of cabotage or even marketplace in an attempt to justify your sense of entitlement to this particular Pork Barrel, you can't, because we aren't discussing anything even remotely related to Common Carriage. The subject is how the military wants to spend it's money, and where it can think it can save what it's been allotted.

I don't think your wish for US taxpayer $$ to automatically flow through the Pentagon into your particular industry's niche should outweigh what they have deemed their priorites are for spending.

 

[FLB717]

Then Mr Yaaak you and I will just disagree.