And he fucks it up, of course.
There was apparently little if any evidence that these guys knew jack shit about dealing arms. Apparently any of us could do the same thing tomorrow.
Well where do I sign up? I believe I’m just the sort of dickhead who would do well in the arms business.
“and he fucks it up, of course?”
Because of his age?
I think by now it has become obvious that the young know more about certain things than the old do. Who here would be quick to hire a 50-year-old to set up a bank of servers?
Whether this is one of them, I don’t know, but the snide remark that it was age… well, hike up your pants, grandpa, your prejudice is showing.
Besides, if the contract had gone to an experienced arms dealer known to the administration, your post would have read, “Bush and Cronies Pad Friends’ Pockets by Granting Them Free License to Kill Afghanis.”
And, as far as the meat of the article goes, the kid got by the oversight procedures… how?
The only thing I learn from this is that I like guns and I won’t be so enamored by profit that I will jeopardize my free ride by sending the drug lords who are our allies equipment that will not efficiently kill villagers. Thus, I will be happy to assume stewardship of that contract.
Tune in next week as RTFirefly reviews “Dick Cheney Sings the Veruca Salt Catalog!”
Well, I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night…
ETA: Happy SHP, as a 25-year old, I’m more than happy to leave bulk arms dealing to old people. Apart from anything else, I just can’t pull off a Ukranian accent.
So whadda ya want? $300 million? 
I think the point was that a 22 year old doesn’t have experience, in general. I certainly wouldn’t hire a 22 year old just out of college to set up my servers. I’d hire a 35 year old that’s been doing it for ten years and knows what’s going to fuck up.
Otherwise your rant wasn’t worth commenting on. Except for what I just said.
If anybody needs me I’ll be in the attic looking for illegal Chinese rifle ammunition.
Much of my server team in in their 50s and they are quite competent. It isn’t universal, but it is worth noting that server and sysadmin in their 50s usually made all the STUPID mistakes back with some verison of BSD Unix or Banyan Vines and therefore don’t really need to repeat them. As opposed to a 22 year old kid with a fresh scrubbed MCSE and “what do you mean change control” attitude. I think you’d be shocked how many people would be quick to hire the 50 year old.
Seconded. There is no substitute for experience. Unfortunately, many don’t realize that (self included) until they actually have experience.
I’m 25 and I have a couple of matchbooks. $20 million, please!
…while I hate to follow a joke with a serious post, I’m not bothered by any ageism in the OP. Due diligence should have turned up not only that this guy was 22 - and while there are probably some billionaires out there who are younger than that, it would have been fair to wonder “where’s he getting $300 million worth of stuff?” - but that he was a schmuck and an obvious fraud.
In all the sorry annals of the war, this episode kind of stands out. This Administration gives out $300 million contracts with about the same amount of oversight as you might get from a person handing out Halloween candy.
The only saving grace here is the RTFirefly got to this before I did, saving me the effort of crafting an OP.
Exactly, regardless of his age, you don’t just sign over a $300 M contract to someone who doesn’t have exceptional credentials and experience. If he was the Doogie Howser of the arms trade with 10 years experience and several successful contracts already completed, that would be a different story.
That said, the 22-year-old took over his dad’s company at the age of 19. So is it possible that he got awarded the contract based on his father’s crendentials and reputation? I can’t imagine how he’d get past basic oversight procedures otherwise.
Hell, give me $300m and I’ll get you more ammo than you could shake an AK-47 at. Good stuff too. Doesn’t this kid read the Shotgun News?
I’m kinda wonderin’, though, where you find the reputable, experienced arms dealers who are bonded, insured, and happy to provide letters of reference from satisfied customers.
Send Lawyers, Guns and Money, not Idiots, Guns and Money.
LAWYERS?!?
:smack:
:: scratches “Voyeurs” off his shopping list ::
Over a 22-year-old? So far as the law allows me, you bet your ass I would.
I’m contemplating demoting a 23-year-old who was hired to replace a retiring 65-year-old server admin. The older guy knew his shit backwards and forwards. The younger guy’s arrogance far exceed his abilities, and due to his inexperience and arrogance (did I mention he’s arrogant?), he’s made several mistakes that cost a lot of money.
Sure, there are plenty of 22-year-olds who know more than 50-year-olds on many topics. But computers have been with us for sixty years now, and the people who lived through the dot-com bubble are now in their early-to-mid 30s, at the youngest.
–black rabbit, 30-year-old IT manager
On preview:
Yeah, thirded.
I am sure this kid will end up being Wolfowitz’s nephew or Cheney’s great-grandchild or some such connection.
Hell, I kind of respect the guy. Ideally the contract would go to experienced and qualified people, but we know that Bushco will pick the incompetent boob 100% of the time. So why not be that boob?