Journalist, pundit and author Linda McQuaig breaks down the Canadian government’s decision to spend $16 billion dollars on high-tech WW3-ready combat planes. From her column in today’s Toronto Star:

Yet even [Defence Minister Peter] MacKay struggles to explain the utility of the jets. Asked at a news conference last month for “specific examples of the uses of these aircraft,” MacKay mostly focused on what a great recruiting device they make.

“[I]t helps a great deal, I can assure you, in recruiting, to have new gear, new equipment, that is state of the art,” MacKay said. “That is a very important part of our regeneration of personnel and pilots in particular. So having that platform capacity is something that is of great importance to the continued growth of the Canadian Forces and the development of our pilots.”

So we’re spending $16 billion — about $470 for every Canadian — so we can have planes that are really attractive to pilots? Wouldn’t it be a lot cheaper just to offer every prospective pilot a Porsche?

You can, and should, read the whole article here. It’s entertaining and sarcastic but more importantly McQuaig is dead-on. This is an insane  government purchase that does nothing to help Canadians by an out-of-control, minority government with a U.S. Republican-style worldview. It’s basically a $16 billion economic stimulus package for the U.S. arms industry. It’s ludicrous.

Also: if you haven’t yet, you might also want to vote in our poll on the F-35 (right side of page). Time is running out — we’ll probably have a new poll for Thursday.