[hotpockets]

It was 70-80 years ago and you were off by about 2 years. Inconsequential. It makes zero difference to the meat of the story exactly how man Migs were shot down. The precise number is not the story. You didn't say 'some guy' you said 'a guy', which has a different connotation.

[jameshart]

But getting this stuff wrong takes more effort than just copying the actual facts from the article you are providing a link to!

And just referring to a person who is named and credentialed in the article as 'a guy' just seems like throwing a layer of extra carelessness on top.

I just can't fathom how someone accomplishes this.

If there's one thing I try to encourage people to do in online discourse in general, it's to recognize that you don't have to guess. You have time to go look up the facts. Things are knowable, you don't have to vaguely gesture in the direction of the truth.

And in this case the op had the source right there! They must have googled up the link and opened the page and copied the URL! The facts were right there, in the next tab!

[jimmygrapes]

>I just can't fathom how someone accomplishes this.

Person wakes up and browses interesting stories, remembers semi-relevant story, decides to comment about the similarity and forgets specifics. Realizes right before posting "oh shit I have to cite my sources or else pedants will ratio me into being unable to participate in other conversations" and quickly searches for a recent link that mostly backs up their commentary. Does not think to fact check every detail. Backfires.

[ianburrell]

Three years make all the difference. 1949 would rogue pilot almost causing a war. 1952 is pilot bravely saving lives and being covered up so didn't expand war.

The numbers matter too. Shooting down MIGs happened all the time. Dogfighting seven solo and shooting down four is a huge thing.

[seanmcdirmid]

If an American was shooting down Migs during WW2 and not during the Korean War, it totally makes sense why the Americans would want to keep it quiet.

[ohyoutravel]

2000 and 2002 were just two years apart, inconsequential [to world politics and the state of the world].

[ggm]

2018 and 2020 were just two years apart, and no significant difference in the world economy or health indicators took place across the interval. (/not)

[nl]

It was during the Korean war, in the active warzone, and the Russian pilots were flying North Korean planes. It's a pretty important point, because this is dramatically different to a US pilot randomly shooting down Migs over Europe in 1949 and that being suppressed!