I read several stories today about the J-20, China's new stealth fighter, and was shocked. Not that the fighter was not a nice airplane, but that it was news. The fighter appeared on the tarmac and in the air during a visit by our Defense Secretary almost 5 years ago. Pictures of it were almost everywhere, and that time, I said I was surprised to see it in the Wall Street Joiurnal which is not well known for its coverage of new airplanes. The airplane seems to be used for show whenever there is a need.
The Daily Mail of London says the plane was built from stolen secrets of the F-22, something every vendor says when they are competing in world markets where the secrecy of a plane can make a difference now and again. The Chinese must think people will buy this plane if they talk about it enough. Saying it is built from stolen technology is not a good selling point, in case you hadn't noticed. Now everyone in the world knows you stole the technology instead of developing it yourself. If we bought cell phones the way we buy airplanes, we might say the fight between Samsung and Apple shows us something about whether we should buy an iPhone or a Galaxy.
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