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[DerangedHermit]

Man, Donald really got tilted by the Steam Summer Sale date reveal.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

So, like, Trump visited a boat, and heard some sailor whining about their newfangled catapults, like any worker having to deal with a new system does, and then Trump decided he's now a crusader for returning to steam catapults?? Do I have the rough chronology right here?

Well, the worker has a point in that the new catapult system should have been fully figured out before integration into the carrier so that it would perform as needed. The new arresting gear system is apparently in even worse shape at the moment. This stems from back in the Bush administration where they were trying to push a lot of new system updates to happen in parallel so there wasn't really enough time to do things properly.

That said, the response to something like that should definitely not have been "this system is garbage, replace it with the old thing that works," given the complexity of the entire project. Plus the fact that it's still, you know, a ship - just swapping in a different system (assuming it even fits properly) has all sorts of considerations for weight and balance for something that floats on the water. And it's definitely not going to save money - instead of spending money to get the new system working, you'll just be spending all of that (and probably a lot more) on expensive retrofits instead.

 

[Trojita]

jaxpunk isn't going to come back.

 

[RionaaM]

Isn't the entire purpose of Steam to be a digital platform? If he wanted physical, they should have installed a bunch of PS1s in there. Even Albert Einstein would have enjoyed having his library managed and automatically updated by Valve.

 

[Brakke]

Man I really want to see the full interview for the context here. Was he even responding to a question or just blathering? Donald Trump's unforced errors are incredible. Like it's one thing to catch him off-guard and he ends up looking like a moron trying to get out, but he's probably the king of blundering into looking like a moron unprompted.

 

[Why would you do that?]

...It’s very complicated, you have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out.

If only he said the same thing about nuclear weapons...

 

[Lightning_Roller]

He so officially the dumbest motherfucker on this planet. Bar none.

 

[whyamihere]

But her EMALS

perfection

 

[lastplayed]

 

[Iksenpets]

Well, the worker has a point in that the new catapult system should have been fully figured out before integration into the carrier so that it would perform as needed. The new arresting gear system is apparently in even worse shape at the moment. This stems from back in the Bush administration where they were trying to push a lot of new system updates to happen in parallel so there wasn't really enough time to do things properly.

That said, the response to something like that should definitely not have been "this system is garbage, replace it with the old thing that works," given the complexity of the entire project. Plus the fact that it's still, you know, a ship - just swapping in a different system (assuming it even fits properly) has all sorts of considerations for weight and balance for something that floats on the water. And it's definitely not going to save money - instead of spending money to get the new system working, you'll just be spending all of that (and probably a lot more) on expensive retrofits instead.

Well yeah, but like the article noted, that seems to be largely organization issues rather than technological. Trump seems to believe that the steam launchers were more powerful because they made a bigger whoosh, and that this change was made solely because it seems "modern" and not for any practical reason, which seems pretty obviously untrue. His complaint seems to be with the actual tech itself, and not with the procedures that led to a sloppy implementation process. And yeah, there's no savings to be had from going back now.

Man I really want to see the full interview for the context here. Was he even responding to a question or just blathering? Donald Trump's unforced errors are incredible. Like it's one thing to catch him off-guard and he ends up looking like a moron trying to get out, but he's probably the king of blundering into looking like a moron unprompted.

I don't say this lightly, but I honestly think he's in the early stages of senility. He's always be an idiot, but go back and watch video of him from 10, 15 years ago. He's infinitely more coherent. This is pretty classic old-man rambling from someone who's not altogether there anymore.

 

[R10Neymarfan]

For all of you thinking that he's a moron,

Well the population that voted him in must be even dumber

 

[NH Apache]

Well, the worker has a point in that the new catapult system should have been fully figured out before integration into the carrier so that it would perform as needed. The new arresting gear system is apparently in even worse shape at the moment. This stems from back in the Bush administration where they were trying to push a lot of new system updates to happen in parallel so there wasn't really enough time to do things properly.

That said, the response to something like that should definitely not have been "this system is garbage, replace it with the old thing that works," given the complexity of the entire project. Plus the fact that it's still, you know, a ship - just swapping in a different system (assuming it even fits properly) has all sorts of considerations for weight and balance for something that floats on the water. And it's definitely not going to save money - instead of spending money to get the new system working, you'll just be spending all of that (and probably a lot more) on expensive retrofits instead.

This. It isn't getting changed, there's simply no resources for it. Ford is already in trials. It isn't happening.

10+ years of work isn't going out the door because some uninformed idiot saying he likes blue over green. It's idiotic and I guarantee that the guys who put that together in Newport News will remember this, especially after he just came to talk to them about a month ago.

 

[Sianos]

digital? they have digital? what is digital?

someone better call albert einstein, famed inventor of the dictionary, because i do not know what the word digital means

 

[Wag]

What is digital? And it’s very complicated, you have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out.

The concept of 0s and 1s are too difficult for Trump to understand...

 

[Cuburt]

Why couldn't somebody explained it to him in terms as simple as in this article?

I mean, I know the guy doesn't understand complexities and nuance, but this is not "Albert Einstein" levels of complexity to understand some of the logistics in simple terms.

 

[Easy_D]

Someone tell Trump that Steam is all digital.

The concept of 0s and 1s are too difficult for Trump to understand...

I straight up believe he doesn't know how to operate a computer at all. Opening up the start menu would be wizardry to him

 

[GlitchyDegree]

His stupidity is on a completely different level. This is Homer Simpson level stupid.

At least Homer tried to do the right thing sometimes.

 

[Do Better]

But her EMALS

We are in a simulation designed by
a huge jack ass.

 

[ClosingADoor]

So this came up in his meeting with the Russians this week? "Comrade Trump, you have to stop upgrading your navy, since the USSR is falling to far behind."

And you have to be Einstein? Yes, that is why you get smart people to your country and employ them at your universities to figure this shit out.

 

[warthog]

Is this real life? Good job anyone who voted for this idiot.

 

[akira28]

Is this real life? Good job anyone who voted for this idiot.

they're never going to get tired of winning.

 

[Darksol]

Digital!

Spoiler

With Bob and David

 

[Sianos]

if you're reading this, trump, digital is actually just a modifier word for sports

so this is like a "sports catapult" along the lines of a "sports car"

 

[Green Ninja]

He so officially the dumbest motherfucker on this planet. Bar none.

 

[Squire]

He's a fucking idiot and Mattis isn't gonna go for this. McMaster will probably give him an earful, too.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

The concept of 0s and 1s are too difficult for Trump to understand...

Think about this:

When he heard steam powered, he probably thought of steamboats.

He also probably thought "it's just smoke".

 

[Mindlog]

Can't wait for this mandate to hit trains and theme parks.

 

[The Hamburglar]

Complete fucking idiot. But it does raise the question of the excessive waste of the military industrial complex. That money could be better spent else where. But nah fuck that 'mercia has to have the biggest dick in the world.

 

[Kimawolf]

Wow... so because steam just looks more "badass" with "all that steam goin everywhere!" he wants to scrap far more advanced tech?

Yeah at this point i won't be surprised if he replaces the Bald Eagle with an actual ancient raptor.

"What? Eagles are descendants of raptors! Good i don't want no goddamned bird for our official mascot! Have you seen Jurassic world! I want a god damned raptor! they tear shit up!"

 

[darkistheway]

I don't like Trump but if he manages to create a steampunk society, a lot will be forgiven. Not everything but a lot.

 

[psyfi]

this dude is a god damn clown

a rapist nazi clown

 

[Cybit]

So from reading parts of the OP, there is an unnecessarily exorbitant price increase in aircraft carriers, partly due to the change, but the technology itself isn't the really expensive part?

More or less, yes.

The slightly more nuanced part is that the switch in technology is probably the cause of the organizational issues - but I'd argue it's mostly a sunken cost at this point.

 

[Daedardus]

Well, I don't see what's wrong with this. At least he didn't want Uplay.

 

[Xando]

hey have digital. What is digital? And it’s very complicated, you have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out.

Lmao

President literally sounds like my grandpa.
What has this world become

 

[cakely]

Idiot.

Incompetent.

 

[Turbo Killer]

Finally, a president who is a fan of the steampunk genre.

 

[Madness]

Is this a real article? Please tell me it isn't. A fucking ten year old can tell you why a steam catapult is being done away with on modern supercarriers now. The whole point of EMALS is to allow heavy bombers and stealth like the F35 JSF to be launched and to have less repairs and damage. This means more sorties and launches with less cost and damage. Wtf is this. Yeah the project has had cost overruns but that is due to bureaucracy and lack of oversight. Not the technological prowess. Turn a $13 billion supercarrier into a piece of shit because you don't know better. No wonder every company you have ever run has been a pile of shit you orange fuck.

The nonstop stupidity by this senile old man.

 

[ZOONAMI]

The president is literally unintelligible.

 

[shrapnelmagnet]

Easiest joke in the world and still 10/10.

Yup, within moments of reading the acronym I scrolled down to ensure it was the first post. Success.

 

[BackLogJoe]

I kind of wonder who he talked to. The command wouldn't just let a random sailor have some FaceTime with El Trumpo.

 

[Kinyou]

How about using the digital catapults but running them with Steam OS?

 

[TheRealTalker]

Did Russia tell him to downgrade?

Next you will see him tell the Navy to make all their carriers coal powered.

I wonder if Mattis is going to scream at him later.

 

[The Last Wizard]

His stupidity is on a completely different level. This is Homer Simpson level stupid.

Homer actually has a heart and cares so...

 

[DarthWoo]

Not that I see the Navy ever listening to a thing he says, but it would be amusing if the Chinese Type 003 carrier launched with EMALS while our Ford classes were back to putzing around with steam again.

 

[Fantastical]

I don't care but is it normal for presidents to say "goddamn" in an interview? I only ask because my mom clutches her pearls whenever she hears that word.

 

[Gaogaogao]

go back to playing golf

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

This is the appropriate reaction to finding out a game is going to be exclusive to the Windows 10 store.

 

[low-G]

Softening up those US targets for Russia

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Redefining the term Steam Punk.

 

[Fox Mulder]

I want steam powered cars and shit too.