POSTED RESPONSES TO A COLUMN BY J.L. GRANASTEIN IN TORONTO'S GLOBE AND MAIL
The article has a completely false premise.
We do understand.
And the notion about a "new toy for the boys," is
a classic example of a straw-man argument.
Washington has spent a fortune on this weapon that does not
work.
Of course, it wants to correct the mess, as it eventually
has for other poorly designed weapons.
But it is strapped for money, and correction could take a
long time and countless billions.
So the Pentagon has put pressure on virtually every ally to
order this hi-tech lemon, effectively giving it tens of billions in subsidies.
And people like American wannabe Stephen Harper and
(stupidly repulsive) Peter MacKay raise their hands to volunteer, shining their
shoes for a meeting to eagerly sign on the dotted line.
I don't care what anyone says, so-called military expert or
otherwise, this plane serves no role for Canada and its traditional interests.
It is a first-strike weapon - that is, it would be if it
ever works.
Its maintenance costs - like all stealth aircraft - are
almost beyond the imagination. Like opening a sewer to pour money down day and
night.
But even then we would only have 65 of these crappy planes.
We need a practical workhorse of a plane whose cost enables
us to buy a good number to defend our interests.
This government has lied to us again and again about the
costs here, playing a pure shell game at immensely high stakes.
It doesn't matter what senior people say at Defense: they
want to keep their jobs, they want promotions, and we've all seen what happens
to officials who express disagreement with this government.
Incompetent and dishonest government, writ large.
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Note on the maintenance costs for America's current stealth
bombers (B-2). These planes eat manpower and equipment after their initial
procurement cost of nearly $900 per ounce.
They must be completely overhauled every 7 years at $60
million apiece.
They must be searched after each use meticulously for
scratches since scratches will make them visible on radar.
It costs about $90,000 just for a single flight.
The planes must be kept in specially-designed
climate-controlled hangers.
Only a drunken sailor or a madman would consider them
worthwhile, and the F-35 promises more of the same.
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Granastein is just one more tiresome apologist for Israel's
bloody excesses, and of course all apologists for Israel are cheerleaders for
the Pentagon.
Committing to an insanely expense weapon like this - a
first-strike weapon - is just another way of hitching us up tightly with the
United States and its mindless support for Israel.
If Granastein were honest, he'd admit his true motive.
But that isn't going to happen.
