Not gonna happen

In a ludicrous subsidy war with the US, which we can never win, Canada handed $13 billion to Volkswagen to build an electric car battery plant in St. Thomas, Ontario.  The size of a bunch of football fields, it will immediately -- down the road in 2027 when it (might) be finished (maybe) -- employ 3,000 people.  Wow!  And eventually, guess what?!  30,000 more spin-off jobs will ensue. 

Wow!  What a great idea!  Except it isn't because electric vehicles are a pretty iffy bet when put up against the mighty internal combustion engine and its dominance of the car universe.  Does anyone actually think everyone is going to rush out and buy an electric car or truck?  I mean, where do you charge them?  No, people are still in love with gasoline, big trucks, fancy luxury trailers, yachts and fancy cars like this....  

Most of us are not thinking "electric transportation" in any way, shape or form at the moment.  We're just not.  Maybe we should, but with the exception of a few rich, green fanatics and movie stars tooling around in their virtuous Teslas (but only when they're not flying around in their private, fossil-fueled jets and yachts) we're not.  What about the vast cruise industry?  Are they going to step up and plug in?  

And does anyone actually think Honda, Toyota and General Motors are all in with electric?  They pretend they're in with a few toes here and there and big plans down the voltage rabbit hole, but they're still pumping out gas vehicles at the usual rate.  Why?  Because we love them and we're still buying them.

Trudeau is a greenie, so this plant was announced the other day with mammoth fanfare, publicity and hoopla, with everyone clapping themselves on the back and grinning from ear-to-ear for the cameras.  He thinks he is ushering in a brave, new auto pact and paving the way (excuse the pun) for a whole, new world.

Not gonna happen.  Trudeau did this entirely for votes in southwestern Ontario, where he needs them.  Not for any ideological reasons he may spout.  And wouldn't that $13 billion have been better spent on our own woeful and under-funded military?  As for that $8 billion dumped into the black hole that is Ukraine, 'nuf said.  All this while many of our own vets are homeless and relying on food banks.  It's unconscionable.

Another place we could find military money is in Radio Canada's bloated budget.  Serving only 20% of the population, the French network nonetheless is handed 40% of the public broadcaster's total funds.  That, of course, is for votes in Quebec.  Plain and simple.  Period the end.  Can you imagine Trudeau ripping 20% out of Radio Canada's budget so it serves Canadians equitably?  Rhetorical.  

Currently, we still can't fulfill our 2% GDP NATO commitment and, according to leaked documents, Trudeau bold-facedly announced we never will.  Thinking he is King for Life, of course, he makes such statements all the time.  But what happens if a Republican isolationist president is elected -- hello Donald Trump -- and Canada loses the umbrella military protection currently provided by the US?  We'll be sitting and dead ducks as China and Russia pour over the Arctic to take over our world.         

Speaking of green ideology, the burghers of High River just announced ambitious plans for a fabulous 150-acre solar farm.  What happened?  The Alberta Utilities Commission vetoed it because it would have significantly harmed bird populations.  What does that tell you?  Exactly.  No one is really up for solar or wind on a large, serious scale at all.

So, the birds will live, gas cars will keep on motoring and we'll all die.