I don't get your meaning here. Do those people feel like the typical high-clearance honcho that Ellsberg described, or like Ellsberg himself with the wisdom of years?

I can only speak for myself. I haven't had the super high clearances that Ellsberg talks about, but I do understand the feeling because of the work I do. I am paranoid about winding up like the "wisdom of years" version of Ellsberg though.

If one can assume that you have classified knowledge of the F-35 program, and one has seen the analyst's "can't turn, can't climb, can't run" statement, the "trust us we know stuff you don't" stuff rings really false, in today's reduced-trust context. If in fact that's what you're trying to say, because I find this statement to be if anything more impenetrable than the first.

The "can't turn, can't climb, can't run" stuff -- well, sure, compared to a clean F-16, or an F-22, or any number of other platforms, the F-35 has less maneuverability. This pilot says it better than I can: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCZmPUQZGvw

To paraphrase him: is the F-35 the world's best pure dogfighter? No. Is it the best pure CAS aircraft? No. For everything else, how does it compare? It's better.

This video is also worth checking out.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtZNBkKdO5U

Sorry for sounding impenetrable.