From: bill.sloman@ieee.org   
      
   On 31/01/2026 1:03 am, Don Y wrote:   
   > On 1/30/2026 6:25 AM, Liz Tuddenham wrote:   
   >> Don Y  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On 1/30/2026 3:15 AM, Liz Tuddenham wrote:   
   >>>> Suppose Europe bought up all the Iranian drones, forcing Russia out of   
   >>>> the market - and then gave them to Ukraine.   
   >>>   
   >>> Wouldn't that just encourage the manufacturer to scale up production   
   >>> (and, possibly, reap further economies of scale)?   
   >>   
   >> That woulld take time - and their previous customer might not be in a   
   >> position to afford them (or use them) by then.   
   >   
   > How would you ensure "previous contracts" were ignored in favor   
   > of the "new customer"?  Especially if they had a "special relationship"   
   > with that customer (for other reasons beyond the sale of drones)?   
   >   
   > The RIGHT solution would have been not to let things get to the point   
   > they're at.  Blame our ex president (with 40 years experience!)   
   > and our current one (with literally NONE!).   
   >   
   > [Of course, Europe and the rest of the world were complicit in not   
   > stepping up, either -- "Maybe someone else will do it?"]   
      
   Europe and the rest of the world has stepped up, to some extent.   
   Australia has sent some old Bushmaster armoured personnel carriers and   
   some old Abrams tanks which they were going to scrap.   
      
   It hasn't been enough to let the Ukraine kick out the Russians, but it   
   has helped.   
      
   --   
   Bill Sloman, Sydney   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)