Saturday, December 11, 2010

Axe The Albatross

My blogging compatriot provides the low down, I'd like to add the necessary outrage. Anybody who knows anything knows that this government is under selling the cost of the F35's, and it seems a little research shows a 21 BILLION cost- but hey what's another 5 billion on top of an already obscene expenditure.

We don't need these jets. The fact this government is reduced to the most ridiculous threats to justify, actually provides the most striking support. I mean, if real, serious threats, do exist, one doesn't need to invent and exaggerate straight away, denoting NO real world rationalization. The Conservatives have been downright insulting, the way they have tried to "sell" this aircraft.

Canada does need a replacement aircraft. The cost of any replacement will be high, Canadians will accept that. What is unacceptable is a plane which goes well beyond our needs, that reeks of appeasing the Americans, accompanied by a healthy dose of juvenile testosterone. Canada can't afford trying to impress others, we need a plane that does the job required, nothing more, nothing less. Canada isn't a superpower, and if the Russians are coming, you can bet our 60 planes won't hold off jack squat in the final analysis. Never mind the fact we now conduct joint military operations with the Russians, and they will probably have some status within NATO before this albatross hits the runway. If not the Russians, who? Muslim extremists, is this the best way to counter a threat? Are the Chinese suddenly going to need "living space", only to be deterred by a small amount of fancy aircraft? Come the %%#@ on, let's start with a real conversation and act accordingly, rather than imagined threats.

This is big, big bucks people, enough money that it could bring about fundamental change, if allocated elsewhere. Money that could be used for real threats to Canadian sovereignty, real needs, so enough of this flippant "stand up for Canada" blind patriotism that supports this plane, with LITTLE real inspection. You don't support the military, if you question the expenditure, the classic wedge. You'll note, the only institutional support comes from those with a direct self interest, there is little third party validation.

The cost of this F35 demands we look elsewhere for better value. The fact we already see evidence of downplaying cost, years before actual delivery, should alarm everyone. I am more convinced than ever, this plane purchase will haunt Canada for a generation.

6 comments:

Kirk said...

The US Navy is buying 124 F/A-18s for $5.3 billion because they are concerned about production delays with the F35s.

For the 64 jets Canada wants that about $2.7 billion plus maintenance contract.

And they actually negotiated a price decrease for them, something our govt refuses to do with the F35s.

http://www.armybase.us/2010/05/us-navy-proceeding-with-boeing-fa-18-deal/

Jerry Prager said...

every time I see this story, I think Elmer MacKay, Karlheinz Schreiber, Brian Mulroney, and when I add in Peter MacKay, two and two always equals four. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

JimmE said...

Given all the swag that US military contractors get from our present PM in the form of no-bid-single-source-contracts always makes me wonder; who funded his leadership campaign. He has NEVER revealed who his sugar daddies were.
Curious that.
As for this latest pig-in-a-poke seems the Dutch have seen a price hike even BEFORE any F-35's are any where near being delivered.
http://is.gd/iva5D
Guess what happens after an election & we sign a contract?
Iggy should have been all over this like a fat kid on a smartie.
Man, every time I start to warm to the guy he lets stuff like this just pass on by.
EFF!

Kirk said...

Hard to see Ignatieff as letting "stuff like this just pass on by" when they've opposed the whole process and criticized the costs of the F35 program while promising to put the purchase of new fighters to a competitive bidding process.

You'll have heard about this policy mainly from the media criticizing it and cheerleading the F35s just as my local Sun owned paper did with an op-ed piece today.

JimmE said...

Kirk, This has been an ongoing motif that the opposition has just let flap in the breeze. They raise an issue then let it die. It's not just the sole source contracts, Liberals have been ineffective in making anything stick, & that's why we see the polls the way we do. For some reason that escapes me, the Liberal's act more like poodles rather than pit bulls.

Mark Dowling said...

F-18 Super Hornets are the right choice. Familiar to the operator, twin engined and capable of knocking down anything the Russians can deploy that far (i.e. a 1950s Turboprop). Anything nastier can be dealt with by the American F-22s from Alaska.

By the way, the first Canadian to trash an F-35 can be seen in the trailers for Green Lantern...