MOLLE or ILBE assault pack

[r00t]

Originally Posted by Loke [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

God, neither. The IBLE you show really is a horrible pack. It looks like the "assault pack" portion of the full pack system. Almost everyone I knew who was in a unit that gave them a choice on packs used some sort of mountain ruck on an alice frame. If I were making a bug out bag I'd probably just hit a military surplus store and buy a cheap large alice pack, frame, an isomatte. Rip up the isomatte and riggers tape it around the frame tubes and where the pack needs more support. Then just line it with a thick garbage bag and you've got a waterproof and buoyant pack that military operators have been using for the past 50 years. In a town outside of a military base that has a lot of surplus stores you can buy everything for under $50 probably.

The alice system is pretty old school. I read other people recommending them but just figured they were grizzled old timers with but a few moves left in them. I figured these modern designs would be better. I paid $80 for the molle, new ofc

[radditsu]

Originally Posted by r00t [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I remember China's currency manipulation in recent times to compete with the dollar. The other examples including Europe's failed austerity measures make your post highly informed. I guess in the end it's the difference between using devaluation to fund public works projects versus paying the most colossal debt in human history.

I would invest now heavily and push the debt down the line until a huge natural gas export boom that will happen in the next 5 to 10 years. Pay ad much as possible down then. Keep a 3% deficit ish with a decent reserve until the Chinese come calling after they inevitably have some sort of govt collapse and need their investments returned to keep afloat.

This will never happen while we have an obstructionist house and senate majority with no backbone.

[Bruno]

I've had the MOLLE since like 2007 and it's amazing. I'm pretty sure it's going to last forever. The thing is a tank.

[Malice_Mizer]

There are so many unknown variables, too. Before 1993, nobody could accurately predict how much the internet would totally transform economic production in the US and around the world. It gave rise to massive economic growth and development that helped the Clinton admin raise the revenues to balance a budget, return a surplus to paying down the debt, and hand it off to the next admin.

It's hard to even imagine what the US economic situation will look like in 20 or 30 years, or even by the end of this decade, when the CBO says the US will need to develop a comprehensive plan to deal with the debt before the figurative clock starts ticking down on a fiscal crisis. It's hard to determine what economic growth will be like, but economics generally agree that austerity has objectively damaged our ability to grow, and that growth would be at least a percent or two higher if it weren't for the sequester and similar punitive policies.

Overall, the public debt-to-GDP ratio is almost half what it was during WW2, and is close to what it was in the 1950's and mid-90's.

[Kagatob]

Originally Posted by radditsu [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

China (sneakily) devalued its currency and put massive amounts of cash into public works projects. All to compete with a resurgence of the dollar. They havr not been as well off as people think. They are the equivalent of 60s america at this point.

Comparing china to a nation that funded Vietnam, put a man on the moon and was financially stable enough to soon after survive Nixon. That's honestly quite the compliment.

[Malice_Mizer]

I'm sure that was a totally qualitative and not quantitative analysis on his part.

[radditsu]

They could put a man in the moon in the next 5 to 10 years if they focused on it. They have rocket tech and could steal american nasa talent at premium right now.

But we are still fucking with mars.

I mean they do have a nuclear arsenal and money to fund it. They are going to focus on africa mineral exploitation and building a real navy first

[Kagatob]

To be fair wern't they the equivalent of 1890's America not 20 years ago?

[Lowlife]

I traded my ILBE for a british pack on Bastion and carried it my entire last A-stan deployment. Way better. try and find a surplus one.

[Kagatob]

Originally Posted by radditsu [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

But we are still fucking with mars.

I mean they do have a nuclear arsenal and money to fund it. They are going to focus on africa mineral exploitation and building a real navy first

Don't get me started on the space program. The single thing I liked in Bushes entire 8 years (permanent lunar base) was the first thing Obama killed with his budget plan. We'd be to Europa by now if they actually gave half a shit.

As for a navy wouldn't it be more economically feasible to just keep brown nosing the US and mooch off of their worldwide network?