The idea that this has anything to do with fighting a war is absurd. The wars are also not about any specific goals. Does the F-35 have any relevance in a fight

The idea that this has anything to do with fighting a war is absurd. The wars are also not about any specific goals. Does the F-35 have any relevance in a fight against the Taliban? I'd be surprised if the Taliban had even one plane, or heck even a radar. The reason this plane was built was: to spend so much money. It was to support a high-tech industry that needs a guaranteed buyer to develop expensive sensors, joysticks, and so on. You might ask yourself: but why this use? Surely all of that engineering talent can be put to good use building more useful, non-destructive technologies? The answer, I think, is only a historical accident: after World War II the military became a money faucet to industry, and that tap proved difficult to control or turn off. The Department of Defense has been resisting an audit for the last 30 years; it is a paragon of profligacy. It pumps half a trillion dollars into the economy every year, and for the most part Americans are oblivious or approving. There is no great public outcry to reduce the military budget; but there are a great number of industries eager to keep the money flowing. Thus, we get this kind of pointless waste of everyone's time.