FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Sep 21

Should Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Ever Fly in Canada?

by bcurry

The answer is clearly a resounding “NO”. As a result of the current Canadian federal election underway, the governing Conservative Party is still defending its involvement in a plan to purchase F-35s to replace the current aging fleet of CF-18s. The problem is, Canada can’t afford it and there are several practical reasons why the F-35s don’t make any sense in the Canadian context. Both the New Democratic and Liberal parties have indicated that they would scrap F-35 purchases should they form the next government, and will look at cheaper and more suitable alternative aircraft.

The following are detailed concerns expressed by insiders and recorded by several media outlets in Canada, the U.S. and other countries:*

  • Right from the start, Pentagon officials were warned of the dangers of beginning to produce an aircraft before it was fully tested. (New York Times, 2012)
  • In 2010, Pentagon officials estimated that the planes could cost as much as $5 billion more than previously estimated. That comes on top of a $2.8 billion increase, which brought the total for development alone to $50 billion. (New York Times, 2010)
  • In 2011, S. defence specialist Winslow Wheeler estimated the planes would cost around $148 million apiece or more. (Ottawa Citizen, 2011)
  • The Canadian military does not have the ability to conduct aerial refuelling of the F-35, a must for longer flights in our North. The Defence Department had listed air-to-air refuelling as a mandatory capability for any new fighter aircraft Canada (Ottawa Citizen, 2011)
  • F-35 would not be able to safely land on runways in Canada’s North as those are too short for the fighter. (Ottawa Citizen, 2011)
  • The Pentagon official in charge of the F-35 project said major cracks and “hot spots” had been discovered in the stealth fighter’s airframe, causing further delays and testing. (Postmedia News, 2011)
  • F-35s don’t have the satellite capabilities necessary for communicating in the Arctic. (Postmedia News, 2011)
  • The Pentagon grounded all of its F-35s after a routine inspection found a crack in one of the stealth fighter’s engines. (Postmedia News, 2013)
  • Lockheed needs more foreign orders to realize volume savings. In 2012, Italy cut its planned order 30 percent. Britain and Australia delayed decisions on how many F-35s to buy. Lawmakers in Canada and the Netherlands were questioning the costs. (New York Times, 2012)
  • Several countries, including Britain and Japan, have stated that they may have to cancel their F-35 order in view of the cost overruns, technical problems and delays. (Postmedia News, 2012)
  • Retired Canadian colonel Paul Maillet, an aerospace engineer and former CF-18 fleet manager, said the F-35 does not meet the needs of the government’s Canada First Defence Strategy, a key pillar of which is Arctic sovereignty. “How do you get a single-engine, low-range, low-payload, low-manoeuvrability aircraft that is being optimized for close air support . . . to operate effectively in the North?” he asked. (Postmedia News, 2012)
  • In 2012, Auditor General Michael Ferguson delivered a report highly critical of the Defence Department’s handling of the F-35 project. The auditor general’s report indicated Defence Department officials twisted government rules, withheld information from ministers and Parliament, and whitewashed cost overruns and delays afflicting the F-35 program. (Postmedia News, 2012)
  • The first F-35s were supposed to be delivered to Canada in 2015. The federal government quietly decided in the fall of 2015 to spend $400 million to extend the life of Canada’s CF-18 fighter jets past 2020. (Ottawa Citizen, 2015)
  • With all the delays — full F-35 production is not expected until 2019 — the U.S. military has spent billions to extend the lives of older fighters and buy more of them to fill the gap. (New York Times, 2013)
  • Mark Gunzinger, a retired American Air Force colonel who is now an analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, noted that the F-35 could be too sophisticated for minor conflicts, and its relatively short flight range could be a problem as the Pentagon changes its view of possible threats. (New York Times, 2012)
  • S. air force data demonstrates that single-engine jets have crashed more often. The manufacturer and the government have argued that improvements in technology have made the F-35’s engine more reliable and safer than its predecessors. A report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Rideau Institute noted: “The single-engine versus twin-engine issue has not been resolved by improvements in the reliability of jet engines”. “Engine failures will still occur, and when they do so away from an airport, a second engine is the only thing that can prevent a crash.” (Canadian Press, 2014)
  • A 2014 government-commissioned report on the F-35 and its competitors shows little difference between the four warplanes when it comes to the vast majority of missions they will be required to perform. The only major exception is fighting against another country, though the report says such an event is “highly unlikely” to occur in the future, and even then, “the government is not obliged to undertake such a mission.” (Ottawa Citizen, 2014)
  • An Industry Canada report said that the four aircraft companies reviewed had all laid out plans for bolstering the Canadian economy with jobs and other benefits should their aircraft be chosen to replace the CF-18. (Ottawa Citizen, 2014)
  • In 2015, the U.S. Government Accountability Office stated that progress had been made on some of the problems that have plagued the controversial jet fighter’s development for years. These include designing a new pilot’s helmet and fixing an issue that resulted in cracks in the aircraft’s frame. But the GAO, which serves as Congress’s independent auditor, said “key gaps” persist that threaten to increase costs and put development even further behind schedule. Problems with the aircraft’s engine have delayed aircraft deliveries and testing. (Ottawa Citizen, 2015)

*In addition to Canada and the U.S., the original F-35 project included Britain, Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Turkey, Israel, Singapore and Japan.

Canada Federal Election Federal Government Justin Trudeau

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Sep 18

Tis the Season for Political Debates

by bcurry

Well summer is coming to an end. Now begins a new season of politicking and televised debates, both in the U.S. and Canada. Don’t get me wrong, I think that televised debates have a place in letting potential voters know about candidates’ policies and their ability to express themselves in a clear and concise manner. Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy were two of the first presidential candidates to have a televised debate. Due to its novelty at the time, millions of Americans and Canadians watched the debate. Kennedy took full advantage of his good looks (i.e. formidable charisma) and speaking style to hammer Nixon in that debate. Kennedy’s photogenic qualities definitely helped him to go on to win his presidential race. Nixon’s image did not come across at all well on the television screen, although he was a good debater.

With the advent of social media and other avenues for displaying one’s politics, the role of television and radio have somewhat diminished. While watching a couple of recent political debates, it seemed like each debater was attempting to get that one memorable stinger against the others — that one 30 second notable quote. Then, it’s up to the media gurus to analyze the results, proclaiming winners and losers. Needless-to-say, political commentators have their biases just like the rest of us. Debating results usually don’t affect the choices of the majority of voters who have already made up their minds or vote along party lines like the robots they are. Candidates today prepare carefully for such debates with the help of media experts, image and speech consultants. Some may even take acting courses. Indeed, it’s often not what you say that counts, but how you say it.

Let’s face it. Television is old school. Most of our younger voters, including those between 25 and 40 years old, will obtain their information through various forms of social media. They do not watch televised news, listen to radio talk shows or read newspapers. The declining ratings for televised debates only highlights this major change. Today’s voters don’t have time to sit through long drawn out debates. When it comes to elections and party politics, all they want are short blips. The “me generation” is just too busy multitasking nowadays.

Federal Election U.S. Primaries

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Aug 19

Two Election Processes – Nothing Very Impressive To Date

by bcurry

The hot summer is here, and people are out and about enjoying the warmer weather. At the same time we are being bombarded by various media in the U.S. and in Canada about the current election processes occurring in both countries. The average person probably couldn’t necessarily care less. However, Donald Trump’s antics in the U.S., Hillary Clinton’s e-mails and Senator Mike Duffy’s “fraud and bribery” trial in Canada have emerged as primary targets for the media and rumour mills. Nothing like a few scandals to get one’s attention!

How about those issues and party politics? When are the candidates really going to get down to brass tacks? So far, parties have been scarce on details and loud on rhetoric. The electoral processes are getting longer and longer and costlier, and the electorate is becoming more bored and disinterested. Millions will be spent on attack ads and media events. However, is the average American or Canadian really all that engaged under the current circumstances? Not really, and the polls tend to support this observation. Most of us would rather just be lying in the sun on a beach somewhere.

Indeed, the issues are important, starting with the economy. Then we have climate change, global and homeland security, structural unemployment, lack of good-paying jobs for young people, hydrocarbon, nuclear and green energies, immigration, urban decline, infrastructure maintenance and development, old age security, health care and aging populations, access to higher education, etc., etc. Maybe we’ll hear more about positions and policies in future debates, but whose going to be listening? We may all be turned off and tuned out by then. It would appear that many people already have made up their minds or will simply vote along party lines.

Well, we are democracies after all. Until something better comes along, I suppose that we have to live with the system as it exists, headaches and all. Good luck with that!

Canada Federal Election

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Jul 27

Could Donald Trump Become President? Sure, Why Not!

by bcurry

Donald Trump wants to be President of the United States of America. Well, maybe he’s not all that crazy. After all, Ronald Reagan was once a former actor whose greatest role was playing the U.S. President for real. He was said to have slept through Cabinet meetings and insisted on having briefing notes of no longer than one page in length. Apparently, this was to accommodate his short span of attention by providing script-like documents. Bill Clinton was well known for failure to keep it in his pants during his entire political career. George W. Bush invented new words or mispronounced actual words, thus becoming the butt of numerous comedians’ jokes. President Bush was given 9/11 as his legacy, and messed it up by invading Iraq under false pretences. Barak Obama became the first African-American President, although many Americans including African-Americans, didn’t think of him as really being black.

So why couldn’t Donald Trump become President? Trump leads all other Republican candidates in the polls at this time. He shoots from the hip, much like Reagan and Bush. His mouth often outruns his brains, not unlike former Presidents. Yet, he has come to represent a significant part of the American electorate that is angry with the state of their politics, the economy and society in general. He represents that portion of the population where the American dream has become a nightmare. He talks about issues like immigration which other candidates have tended to avoid by employing the usual cautious platitudes. He doesn’t rely on carefully-worded positions developed through focus-groups and well paid politically-savvy advisors.

Many Americans, like many Canadians, are frustrated with the current political scene. They feel that the powers that be in Washington and Ottawa do not reflect their real interests. In all truth, can you blame them? When you struggle everyday to make ends meet and good paying jobs are becoming fewer and fewer, you tend to target those fat cats in government and in the corporate world. However, despite Trump himself being a fat cat, he seems to speak for this disgruntled portion of the population. You may not like the things he says or how he says them, but you have to admit that his straight talk is somewhat catchy and to the point. If anything, he once again has become a media darling, which may in the end be his downfall.

Federal Election US US Politics

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Jul 21

Increased Child Care Benefits Payments – Another Pre-election Bribe for Canadian Voters

by bcurry

Well, it must be close to the federal elections in Canada. The government just announced $3 billion in universal benefit payments being sent out to families this month.  It just happens that the announcement comes before the planned October federal election.  On top of which, the federal Minister responsible, Pierre Poilievre, gives a press conference announcing the pay-out dressed in a blue shirt with the Conservative party crest clearly emblazoned on it.  No partisan politics here!  This is not the first time that Mr. Poilievre has posed as the party cheerleader while serving as a Minister of Cabinet.  After all, he is Prime Minister Harper’s designated errand boy.  In addition, Mr. Poilievre had earlier referenced the rollout of these cheques as being similar to Christmas in July.  Of course, he forgot to mention that, as taxable benefits, millions of the dollars paid-out will be returned to federal coffers come next tax collection.

In the past, the federal Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has criticized the use of Conservative party logos on cheques and other props during previous federal government announcements.  Here we have a ruling party that has no qualms about using tax-payers’ money to market their political brand.  In terms of informing Canadians of government policies and programs, there is a legitimate role to play for Cabinet members and institutions.  However, one has to question recent television and radio ads and public gatherings that say very little about the policies and programs themselves, and obviously more about the party in power.  All that’s missing are the pom-poms and mascots.  Although Mr. Poilievre could certainly qualify as a party mascot — perhaps a weasel.

I can’t say that I have a lot of faith in the Canadian electorate.  I can only hope that those that do vote will see the overt attempt to buy our votes. Canada’s economy is in obvious trouble.  One has to ask if this is the right time to be handing out universal benefits as if money were growing on the trees surrounding Parliament Hill?  I thought that this was a Government promising to balance the budget next year.  Instead, this is a desperate Government whose only aim is to win the next election, no matter what the costs.  So much for conservative fiscal management!  So much for Government accountability!  So much for Conservative promises!

Canada Federal Election

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Apr 8

More and More Government Handouts – Another Canadian Federal Election Must Be Coming

by bcurry

How about one more tax credit for the middle class?  Now we have Goodlife Fitness Centres Inc. lobbying the federal government for a fitness tax credit for adults of all ages.  So if I like, as a mature adult, to ski, play in an adult sports league or work out at a gym club, I could receive a tax credit up to $500 per person.  This would be on top of those tax credits already available for any children involved in fitness activities, to be bumped up to an eligible amount to $1,000 per child.  Needless-to-say, all these tax credits will eventually cost the federal government hundreds of millions of tax dollars in the near future.  The costs of implementing the adult fitness tax credit have been estimated by the government to be $69 million in the first year and $275 million each year after.

Now, I have a real problem with subsidizing Goodlife Fitness Centres with taxpayer money.  I also have a problem with subsidizing those adults who, of their own volition, decide to participate in sports or fitness activities which the average taxpayer cannot really afford.  Let’s face it, given the annual fees for gym clubs, tennis clubs and ski lodges, most of us would probably pass on such activities.  I couldn’t even justify paying for those fancy gym outfits and shoes designed to impress the other members.  Instead, we regular people look for more affordable past times like walking, hiking in parks, riding bikes, skating on public rinks, etc., etc.

Why not invest in infrastructure from which all of us can benefit!  I for one would like to see more taxpayer investment in national and local parks, in playgrounds, public swimming pools, boys and girls clubs, school fitness programs and outdoor public facilities accessible to everyone, regardless of income levels.  Today, obesity and other health issues are a concern not only for the middle and upper classes, but also for society as a whole.  In the name of gaining a few extra votes, why is it that the ruling party has to be so short-sighted?  Is it because poor people tend not to vote in large numbers?  Where are the studies that show that such tax breaks really make a difference one way or the other?

After all, we are a free society where people can make their own choices about where to spend their hard earned dollars.  If your income is such that you can spend it on fitness or arts and music activities, then that’s your choice.  Why I as a taxpayer have to subsidize it is a whole other matter.  Sorry, Mr. Finance Minister, my vote cannot and will not be bought by such obvious ploys.  As a society, we have many more urgent issues to resolve: national security, the economy, unemployment and the environment to name only a few.

Canada Federal Election Federal Government

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