We've paid for 23 F-22's to date, spending $26 Billion (yes, with a "B") on the program so far to date.For that same money you could have 1,000 sub-orbital Burt Rutan-style fighters, a dozen B-2 stealth bombers, several F-117 stealth fighters, and still have enough money left over to purchase every Su-27 available on the market.
The F-22 is the best fighter ever, but that and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee.
Civilians, yes, civilians are now flying higher and faster than the F-22. The F-22 can't even go into Space...but civilians can.
Nor can a mere 23 F-22's stop 6,000 civilian aircraft if they were to be employed by our enemies in two massive swarms in two different parts of our nation.
Even the Pentagon has seen that the F-22 isn't needed for air supremacy; that's why they've ordered that it be modified for use as a ground attack aircraft (as if we'd ever let a Billion+ Dollar aircraft plink at muddy ground targets).
The F-22 harkens back to WW2 Germany when the NAZI's were thrilled to build the Superior Tiger II tank...only to watch as their meager production run of 500 machines was obliterated by the Allies' 10,000+ "inferior" tanks.
How many American fighter pilots are going to be retired from our F-14's, F-15's, and F-16's, only to be replaced by 23 F-22 jocks??
Who thinks that it is a good idea for America to have *FEWER* frontline fighter pilots??
...Because that's what the F-22, and its massive cost overruns, means.