On Screen Tomorrow
Okay, I am not the most astute seer into the future. What I had thought would be a quick article on Canada's military is already at three in the written already and planning stages. A critique of our military requires a parallel critique of "the nation(s)", Canada. Our military is but an armed reflection of the reality of the country, particularly at least, the State, its political realities and economy. So, in practical terms, it turned out to be impossible to critique one without, and relating it to the other, the military.
Tomorrow, my second installment: Whither Canada. And with it, our military.
Coyote
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2 comments:
A whole 'nuther issue along these lines is the inappropriateness of the F-35 stealth attack fighters that the "Harper Government" wants to spend billions on. I can't understand why the opposition focuses ONLY on the expense when the impracticality and unsuitability for Canadian needs is so much more relevant in my mind and a deal killer right there.
The F-35s are designed specifically for attacking defended air space with the assistance of a mother ship to provide navigation and targeting support. Thus they seem only useful to a country planning on invading other developed countries with sophisticated air defenses (ala "Shock and Awe" over Baghdad).
For more Canadian uses like patrolling the Arctic they are not so useful due to limited range (due to limited fuel capacity, they also have to be refueled enroute to almost anywhere either by air or landing and fueling). Not handy for protecting Canadian sovereignty in the North.
They are also a single engine aircraft, again not the most dependable configuration for a patrol aircraft patrolling the vast wilderness of the Canadian North. Single engine craft are obviously kind of useless if that single engine should fail, unlike multiple engine craft, such as has been used for such Canadian duties in the past.
I think people should ask the question of what Canada intends to do with its military - defend Canada or do we intend to join the Empire in planetary conquest for resources.
Ironically, it seems that the F-35 program is even coming under attack in the new Tea Party deficit reduction obsessed empire itself - one of the few aspects of the normally sacrosanct military budget to be seen as possibly wasteful. It isn't seen as being as fiscally dangerous as teachers and firemen yet, but some of the saner tea-baggers are questioning this one bloated facet of the US military budget, which as everyone knows is bigger than that of the rest of the world, friends and enemies combined.
And spot on you are, brother. Which is the precise issue I hope to get to in my next segment to this.
If it is "our" national interest we are talking of, we have a whole other military need set. If it is the interest of the "Empire" that is to be served, then we are right on track.
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