perfidy

From Associated Press: US soldiers in Iraq have taken to using confiscated AK-47s instead of their standard-issue M16s. This is for several reasons: scarcity of M16s available, scarcity of ammo for M16s, and apparently superior performance by the Russian gun under desert conditions. Also, there's lots of them just lying around out there, and cases fulla ammo too.

The news is spinning this as "our troops have no guns!! They have to steal them!!" And I'm sure there's something to this. So far, while our troops have done an excellent job with what they have, I have been underwhelmed by the planning, support, and logistics infrastructures within which the grunts must operate. And yet, according to Don Rumsfeld, no additional troops are needed.

But there's maybe an upside to this-- Russia has always had the edge over the US in the durable equipment department. Their spacebound rockets can launch in Siberia, for chrissakes, with a support crew of a dozen, whereas ours launch from Florida and sometimes can't handle that too well, and require a support crew of hundreds. Likewise for the guns. AK's are favored all over the world not only because every tinpot 'Stan unloaded all their Red Army surpluses, but because they keep working forever. Or so I hear. I don't shoot. But maybe the US Army could build a gun that doesn't jam in a light mist.

So it occurs to me-- why can't Russia build a half-decent car? One that can do 45 mpg/city and stay under control with two tires blown out at 55? They can send a guy into space at the drop of a hat, but a car baffles them.

Buckethead, I believe this is your arena. pls advise.