Why The Dart Team Has Not Deployed

Andrew, of Bound by Gravity, http://http://boundbygravity.com/default.aspx has put me on to a very good blog on the subject by Laurie Hawn of Strong and Free at http://strongandfree.blogspot.com/2004/

(I am well aware that I must master the art of linking by just having a bolded word on the page. Those who can perform such magic impress me greatly. At least one kind blogger has tried to teach me how to do it. Alas I am a tube model brain in a computer universe. Be patient.) ... I digress.

Laurie's post was much along the lines of what I was planning for my next effort. My experience, and the publicly known facts about the decayed state of the Canadian Forces leads me to believe it has the ring of truth. Have a look and weep. No, better yet start demanding better from your local MP.

I remember remonstrating about two years ago with a good friend and (until the last federal election) a Liberal member of parliament about the decayed state of the CF. He had just told me about a flight he had taken with other MPs to the arctic aboard a Hercules C-130 transport aircraft. The "Herc" was not allowed to fly above 10,000 ft because of it's cracked wing spars. Apparently, most of the CF C-130 fleet was in this condition. Not surprising given their age and the very large numbers of flying hours on the airframes. Also completely unacceptable.

When I stated my shock at this state of affairs and asked how this could happen, he said, "There are no votes in defence" .... and he was a friend of the CF, a rarity among Liberals. I know. I worked on Liberal political staff.

Anyway, get thee hence to Strong and Free and have a look. I'm adding him to my weblog.