MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OR OF WAR?

The scandal of the F-35 has lasted long enough!

Ministerial irresponsibility is not excused by the influence the military establishment or the military industrial complex exert. Nor is it acceptable for the government to lie repeatedly to Parliament and to Canadians. It was known to all (except maybe to the Government?) that the costs quoted were widely under estimated.

This is administrative improvisation. For a government that boasts its fiscal expertise, this is a resounding fiasco!

But beyond this political disaster, it is high time to ask ourselves: “Do we really need F-35?” And the response is a resounding NO. Without ambiguity. First because even these “Cadillac” hunting planes will never be able to defend the Canadian territory: it is militarily indefensible. The only potential enemies Canada is facing are the United States and Russia. The F-35 would be insufficient to deter them. And to top it up, the F-35 are not suitable for our northern climate.

More fundamentally, the F-35 are essentially fighter jets, conceived for offensive missions. Canada has always rejected these before the present Conservative government. Canada has a venerable, fruitful and solid history of building peace via diplomacy and peacekeeping with the United Nations. The Canadian electorate has not given a mandate of bellicosity to its government.

Yes, the F-18 will soon have to be replaced and this should give us pause to evaluate the role of the Canadian army. If the army is to ensure our territorial defense, the F-35 are useless. If the army is meant to ensure Canada’s fair share of the international responsibility in security matters and of peace in the world, the money is misallocated. For upward of $25 billions the money would be better used to finance prevention, development assistance and multilateral diplomacy: all things that the present government is scuttling to the advantage of partisan and belligerent positions.

Bruna Nota

901-70 Mill St.

Toronto ON M5A 4R1

April 4 2012

 

This is a letter (inspired from my good friend Dominique Boisvert) sent to:

Stephen Harper <pm@pm.gc.ca> , Peter MacKay <dnd_mdn@forces.gc.ca> , Thomas Mulcair <thomas.mulcair@parl.gc.ca>,

Justin Trudeau <Justin.Trudeau@parl.gc.ca> , Elizabeth May <Elilzabeth.May@parl.gc.ca>

and cc. to: thecurrent@cbc.ca, CBC As It Happens <aih@cbc.ca>, Globe and Mail Mail <letters@globeandmail.ca>, Star Toronto <lettertoed@thestar.ca>, Letters Now <letters@nowtoronoto.com>

I think this issue has ‘legs’ and we can do some real work with it.