Like taking candy from a baby....and that's the shame of it.

No one in the Marine Corps will admit it.

Its politically incorrect and is frowned on in polite society.

But its fun to stomp on your enemies.

But its something else entirely when you as a friend, take advantage of a friend.  Even when the friend is being stupid.

That's what we have in this story from Defense News.  Go there for the whole thing but the good bits....

The United Kingdom has proposed trading F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft with the United States, according to a Pentagon letter to the U.S. Congress.
Under the proposal, the United States would give the United Kingdom one of its carrier variants (F-35C) of the F-35 in exchange for a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version, called the F-35B.

and...

Under the exchange, the United Kingdom would have to cover any costs required to upgrade its F-35B aircraft so that it would be identical to the version the U.S. had planned to buy, according to the letter.
The United Kingdom would also be responsible for any unique requirements it has for the F-35C.
Under the plan, United States would get an F-35B two years earlier. This means $10 million in additional operations and maintenance costs for the Marine Corps in 2013 and 2014. This would be due to increased flight hours, fuel, training costs, etc.

Many observers are going to claim that this is indeed cost neutral and mutually beneficial.  I beg to differ.  The USMC is going to get another F-35B sooner....will be able to put wings on deck sooner....and will be able to divest itself of the capable but aging AV-8B sooner.  In return the Brits are getting F-35C's in schedule and are going to have to make an necessary changes to them on their own dime, while paying for changes to the Marine Corps F-35B.

The Corps stomped on them and they don't even know it.