Of all the things Canadians want from their government, my guess is that new military fighter jets would probably rank close to last.
But new fighter jets are what we're getting. Despite the enduring popularity of peacekeeping among Canadians, the Harper government continues to ramp up war-oriented military spending, most recently with its announcement of plans to buy 65 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin.
At $16 billion -- and that's a conservative estimate; cost overruns are rampant with military contracts -- the jets promise to be the most expensive military acquisition in Canadian history.
What makes this purchase bizarre is how little use the jets will be, unless we're waging all-out war.
