2008 Hawk Display Aircraft - 6592-W.jpg (1/1)

"Canuck" wrote in message
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"Andrew Chaplin" wrote in message
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"Canuck" wrote in message
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"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."

So.... the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Red Arrows, ad infinitum should just
pack it in?

Yes, unless the case can be made for their contribution to the mission of the
service that fields them.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)