xkcd #3241: Horizontal Stabilizers
Title text:
It started as a mistake that everyone was afraid to admit to, and then it stuck because removing it 'looks silly.'.
Transcript:
Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com
Source: https://xkcd.com/3241/
I’m never sure where the joke ends, but everyone’s aware of dynamic stability right? The stabilizer pushes the tail down so flight is level, but if you lose lift, the tail goes up, the nose down, you gain speed, and lift is restored. If you gain too much speed, the tail is pushed down, nose up, you lose speed and level off.
Military jets have other priorities