I was hoping for the movie to report what became of the dimwits who seem to have blown Canada's shot at aerospace leadership. I was impressed by the rollcall of Canadaians who contributed to US programs. Almost make sit look like US space program was a german - canadian endeavor.
shareAll I know is that it caused Diefenbaker to lose the next election.
"I do not like bombs that go blam! I do not like them, Saddam-I-Am!"share
- Wil Anderson
Actually, it didn't. The Chief's hold on government slipped away slowly over the next few years. His government, like others before and since, saw its support dwindle due to the poor performance of the economy. It's a well known fact when the economy goes down the toilet, Canadians take it out on the sitting administration.
Dief's majority government was reduced to a minority in the 1958 election. The arms escalation of the early 1960's caused a split in the government with the Social Credit and CCF parties withdrawing their support in 1962. The Liberals won the 1963 election mostly on the strength of their promises to introduce socialized healthcare and public pensions. Even so, they only managed to form a minority government.
According to articles written by Douglas Fisher, a now retired columnist for the Toronto Sun, the general public didn't think anything of the Arrow's cancellation at that time. The "myth" of the Arrow grew in the Canadian consciousness gradually over time.
I talked to the MP of the particular riding where 14,000 Avro workers lost their jobs. He didn't get re-elected. There is a rumour that by cancelling the Arrow, the aircraft industry was transferred to Montreal. They built the USA Sabre there under licence. This was done via Duplessis who paid $15,000 per seat to help Conservatives win 50 seats in Quebec, thereby burning the Liberals, who he hated. This helped Dief win his majority.
I think long term, because of the Arrow and the way it was terminated, Canadians have a profound suspicion and disrespect of politicians. They were lied to. The cancelling of the Arrow should have been an election issue - it was that big. Dief flushed about half a billion dollars down the toilet. They were extremely incompetent. Either the project should never have been begun or should have been cancelled early on. But at the stage it was at, it should have stayed the course and Canadians would have had a great industry. As it was, we lost everything. The US can cancel big programs, but they've always got another one in the wings. This was our only hope. And we blew it. This is another reason why our manufacturing base is crumbling today. We are still paying for big mistakes of the past.
Canadians would rather vote governments out rather than in.
My accountant says, "1 + 1, 40% of the time, equals divorce".
with the talk of the government buying new aircraft and it costing billions do you think we as a country could create our own new type fighter intercepter. i think it would be a great boone to us and our economy what do you guys think
rational thought can be alot like denial
It's actually sadly hilarious watching this movie and realizing that we're about to spend a whole lot more money on a few dozen foreign built aircraft and engines than what a few hundred Arrows would have cost 60 years ago (AND adjusted for inflation).
Ah, the inferiority complex of my country is so hard to understand. We should have super-industrialized during and after WW2, should have insisted on a permanent seat on the UN security council after WW2, and should have insisted on providing for our own defense with programs like the Arrow. Shoulda, coulda, woulda I guess.
The lesson of this is that it is always incompetent people especially politicians who pretend and take decisions. It all reminds me of what we live today in France. A bunch of power greedy politicians like the actual philandering president, ministers whose level of knowledge is history and literature are leading my country into an economic abyss. They want to protect hugely unprofitable companies while money should be dedicated to high technology and research.
It will take decades to change the consequences of such irresponsible actions...This doesn't mean that social matters should not be taken into consideration, but for France the socialists are responsible for a total lack of risk taking mentality in the young generations today. They all dream of a job in state owned companies or administrations fearing to take any risks in life. We should not be proud of such a situation...From what I read above the situation seems a bit the same, but I may be wrong as I have not followed the recent evolution of Canada.
mind climbing down from the high horse to explain yourself a moment? I have no loyalty to any one political party or politician or another, they serve themselves first, second and third, but the youth of France have no risk taking mentality? how many French youth do you actually know? for one thing, 'youth' have a risk taking mentality regardless of nationality, it is hormonal and natural, no government can affect that basic biological fact, but how would you expect the young to act? to prefer to take jobs where they know they are under paid and un appreciated for the profit of someone else? would you make that choice? I guess the older generations preferred to work longer hours for less money safe in the knowledge someone who would flee the country the moment it profited them was benefiting from their labour? be angry at politicians serving themselves over the needs of the nation but do not tar a generation with short sighted greed based on utterly nothing other than personal jealousy.
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