Smallc Posted April 6, 2011 Report Posted April 6, 2011 Nevertheless you must admit that there is no direct correlation between our defense spending and the size of our domestic defense industry. Completely admit that. Quote
Bonam Posted April 6, 2011 Report Posted April 6, 2011 Completely admit that. Therefore, while our defense budget is the 13th largest, our defense industry may well not be. Quote
bush_cheney2004 Posted April 6, 2011 Report Posted April 6, 2011 Sweden's population is about 10 million, much smaller than Canada's, yet they have developed high performance jet aircraft for domestic use and military export for many years (e.g. Gripen, Draken, Tunnan, Viggen, Lansen, etc.). Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
jbg Posted April 6, 2011 Report Posted April 6, 2011 Canada's defence industry does too. It's the 14th largest in the world (or thereabouts). I do have a point though, since the US doesn't actually give us money to spend on arms, something that they do for Israel. You also have a nice restful place under America's defense umbrella. Quote Free speech: "You can say what you want, but I don't have to lend you my megaphone." Always remember that when you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong you cannot afford to lose it. - J.J. Reynolds. Will the steps anyone is proposing to fight "climate change" reduce a single temperature, by a single degree, at a single location? The mantra of "world opinion" or the views of the "international community" betrays flabby and weak reasoning (link).
Moonbox Posted April 6, 2011 Report Posted April 6, 2011 I assume you meant 30 million people. And while I'm not sure about other countries with the exact same population, there are much much smaller countries that have thriving defense industries. Israel for example. You don't have to be a world superpower with hundreds of millions of people to have a successful defense industry. Yes I meant 30 million people lol. At any rate, Israel's defense industry is heavily subsidized by the US like Smallc said. Quote "A man is no more entitled to an opinion for which he cannot account than he is for a pint of beer for which he cannot pay" - Anonymous
Moonbox Posted April 6, 2011 Report Posted April 6, 2011 Sweden's population is about 10 million, much smaller than Canada's, yet they have developed high performance jet aircraft for domestic use and military export for many years (e.g. Gripen, Draken, Tunnan, Viggen, Lansen, etc.). The Gripen is a 13 year old plane that has been purchased for export by almost nobody. A small handful of craft have been purchased and it was mostly because it was the cheapest thing on the block. Quote "A man is no more entitled to an opinion for which he cannot account than he is for a pint of beer for which he cannot pay" - Anonymous
bush_cheney2004 Posted April 6, 2011 Report Posted April 6, 2011 (edited) The Gripen is a 13 year old plane that has been purchased for export by almost nobody. A small handful of craft have been purchased and it was mostly because it was the cheapest thing on the block. Almost nobody is more than Canada has, no? Earlier aircraft were designed, built, and exported in numbers to other air forces, as posted. See CF-100 Canuck form comparisons. Edited April 6, 2011 by bush_cheney2004 Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
Moonbox Posted April 6, 2011 Report Posted April 6, 2011 Almost nobody is more than Canada has, no? Earlier aircraft were designed, built, and exported in numbers to other air forces, as posted. See CF-100 Canuck form comparisons. 53 Canucks were sold to Belgium. Oh boy! As for SAAB, the company is floundering and there's been a lot of talk about selling the company off altogether. It's barely solvent as it stands. That's not exactly the success story you're making it out to be. Quote "A man is no more entitled to an opinion for which he cannot account than he is for a pint of beer for which he cannot pay" - Anonymous
bush_cheney2004 Posted April 6, 2011 Report Posted April 6, 2011 53 Canucks were sold to Belgium. Oh boy! They were still military exports...Sweden built and exported more. As for SAAB, the company is floundering and there's been a lot of talk about selling the company off altogether. It's barely solvent as it stands. OK...Canada hasn't had a solvent domestic automaker for many, many decades. It even had to bail out some of the US based corporations with Canadian operations. Sweden had not one...but two high volume production makes (Saab, Volvo) for many years. That's not exactly the success story you're making it out to be. Yes it is, if only for the will to compete. This is what is fundamentally missing, IMHO. Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
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