"Canuck" wrote in message
...

"Andrew Chaplin" wrote in message

They MAY encourage recruitment for the military. That is debatable. What
is not debatable that they are a symbol for the military and for Canada in
general. Canada and Canadians need this. What is so hard to understand
about that?

How does it relate to force effectiveness? Anything that does not
contribute to the mission of the Forces of protect the interests of the
Canadian state, and I can find no way that the Snowbirds contribute to the
mission, is non-essential. Any non-essential activity that costs money
should be cut.

In whose opinion??? The Snowbirds are not non-essential. I repeat: they are
a symbol of Canada and act as good will ambassadors for our country. They
enhance Canadian unity. How is this non-essential?

Because they are part of the Canadian Forces, and the symbolism and goodwill
has no direct connection, nor can one quantify a contribution, to the
generation of forces that can, either through action or their existence,
"defend Canada and Canadian interests and values while contributing to
international peace and security," the role of the CF laid down in the plans
at http://www.cds.forces.gc.ca/pubs/strategic_e.asp. The notion that the
Snowbirds "enhance Canadian unity" is highly debatable, if not downright
preposterous. The aircraft are pretty and their pilots are talented, but the
money thrown at them could fund hundreds of billets for people in the arms and
technical trades, and those are what we need in the field. The Snowbirds fall
on the circus side of the "bread and circuses" balance sheet. I am reminded of
the sign on the Armaments Section of 434 "Bluenose" Squadron, my battery's
neighbours in Chatham: "Pilots do it better but without armament it wouldn't
be of any military significance."
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)