A replica of the Avro Arrow is being installed in the Toronto Aerospace Museum. The Arrow was designed and built in Canada in the late 50s, and at the time was claimed to be the most advanced fighter jet the world had ever seen. The Diefenbaker government pulled the plug on the program and all of the airplanes, and “everything to do with them”, was destroyed.

Ever since we’ve heard stories about how Canada bowed to US pressure, thus abandoning our potential role as leading aerospace engineers, losing a valuable industry, and suffering an injury to our national self respect.

Those stories are bunk. Who really wants/wanted Canada to become further mired in the defense industry? Has anyone noticed the horrible pigopoly that the military defense industry is? How it dominates politics undemocratically, induces violent conflict? Has anyone noticed that the products created by defences companies, including fighter jets are used around the world (by ‘good’ guys and ‘bad’) to kill people and undermine democratic control of societies? Why in the world would me mourn missing that opportunity?

May the Arrow sit in it’s museum and remind us all that sometimes it’s best to cut and run even when you’re heavily invested, if it was a bad enough idea in the first place.