a powerful virtue
Humility, while a powerful virtue, may not be sufficient on its own to navigate complex modern challenges. It allows one to remain grounded, acknowledging their limitations and learning from others. However, humility must be paired with bold action, resilience, and wisdom to create meaningful impact. In our context, maybe humility also serves as a reminder to honor ancestors and uphold deeper values beyond material pursuits.
Title: 2019 Report | Investing in Kanada’s Defense: Money Talks, Nothing Else Matters
Canada’s defense investments aren’t just about safeguarding the country—they’re about moving money, and who’s in the best position to get their slice. Behind every government strategy, from shipbuilding to tech innovation, there’s a network of crony capitalism, where power doesn’t come from merit or need but from knowing how to play the game—and play it well.
Canada: The Global Village That Got Sold
Canada likes to think of itself as a multicultural bastion of diplomacy. But let's be honest—the "global village" concept is an idealistic shell, masking a reality where the country’s most critical assets have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. And here’s the truth: it’s not a village, it’s a marketplace. The real power players in defense and tech? Not the ones with the best ideas, but the ones with the best connections.
In examining Canada's defense investments, it is essential to recognize the complex interplay between economic interests and political influence. These investments are not merely about national security; they also reflect the dynamics of crony capitalism, where success often depends more on strategic connections than on merit. This relationship underscores a broader challenge within public procurement—ensuring that the allocation of substantial public resources is transparent and merits-based rather than obscured by insider networks. The importance of adopting robust, transparent practices is crucial not only for fairness but also for maintaining public trust in government expenditure. This discussion invites a deeper analysis of how nations can balance internal interests with genuine security needs.
The National Shipbuilding Strategy: A Pipeline of Jobs—But Who’s Cashing In?
On the surface, the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) looks like a win: skilled workers, steady contracts, and national pride. But peel back the layers, and you’ll see it for what it is: a cozy, ongoing cash cow for a select few players like Irving Shipbuilding and Seaspan. They keep the shipyards running, yes, but don’t think for a second that this is about Canada’s defense.
The real game is in the long-term, fat contracts, where every new vessel means more public money funneled into a few private pockets. $108 billion stretched over two decades is a guarantee, a financial lock, for the shipbuilding elite. They’ve secured their future, while the government spins it as job creation for Canadians.
Meanwhile, you, the taxpayer, get to foot the bill for any delays, cost overruns, or scope changes, because who’s really gonna hold them accountable?
Money talks, but it doesn't tell the whole story. Canada’s defense investments are more than just transactions—they reflect decisions that betray our ancestors' spirit. The real shame isn’t in losing money to cronyism but in losing sight of the principles and sacrifices that built this nation.
In the corridors of power, where deals are made and money changes hands, our forefathers' voices echo faintly. Their vision was rooted in integrity, honor, and the kind of pride that can’t be bought or sold. Today, the game has changed—money rules, connections prevail—but that doesn’t absolve us of the responsibility to honor the legacy they left behind. Every decision made with short-sighted greed betrays the future they fought to protect.
Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) Reports:
The PBO has raised alarms about cost overruns and lack of transparency in managing the NSS. Estimates for certain ship classes have significantly increased over time, with some projects becoming more expensive than originally anticipated. This reflects the broader trend of public money being funneled into the hands of contractors without sufficient mechanisms to ensure accountability(CGAI).
The shame, the anger, is not just in witnessing this system at play but in knowing that so many make these decisions without considering the ancestors who are, in a way, watching. Their sacrifice wasn’t for self-gain or quick deals—it was for something greater, something enduring. Humility is not weakness; it’s a constant reminder of the legacy we carry and the duty to build something that would make them proud.
Ultimately, the soul lives on—it's the witness to everything, long after the money is spent and the deals are forgotten.
Ballard Power Systems: From Pioneer to Pawn
Let’s talk about Ballard Power Systems. Remember when Canada was a hydrogen powerhouse? Ballard was set to revolutionize energy with fuel cells that could’ve changed the world. That was in the '90s. Now? Much of Ballard’s innovation has been shipped off to China. It’s not even an accident—it’s by design. When the foreign investors showed up with cash, we let them buy the future right out from under us.
Think about it: Ballard’s tech, once poised to put Canada at the forefront of green energy, is now fueling another country’s rise. What did we get? A few short-term deals, and then crickets. Meanwhile, China plays the long game, and we’re left clapping for our own ingenuity as it powers someone else’s economy.
This isn’t just one company’s downfall—it’s the template for how Canada lets its cutting-edge industries slip away for a quick payday. A quiet betrayal, masked as economic cooperation.
Foreign Influence: The Real Owners of Canadian Defense
Let’s not kid ourselves: 66% of Canadian public servants influenced by foreign interests? Maybe it’s not that high, but the truth isn’t far off. Whether it’s the Americans selling us overpriced F-35 jets or Chinese SOEs buying up our tech, foreign players aren’t just dabbling in Canada’s markets—they're setting the terms.
Who makes the rules in the defense game? Not Canadians. When you’re relying on someone else’s hardware and someone else’s tech, you’re playing by their rules.
Look at CNOOC’s acquisition of Nexen. Sure, we still talk a big game about Arctic sovereignty and resource management, but let’s be real—who’s controlling the assets? We’ve sold our energy future to outside interests, all under the guise of “investment.” It’s Go, not chess, and we’re the easy target, blissfully unaware we’re getting surrounded. Instead the big wigs yell at their youth, ‘this is chess, not checkers ;)’
Defense Spending: It’s Not About Strategy—It’s About Keeping the Cash Flowing
Canada’s defense strategy isn’t about building the strongest, most efficient military—it’s about ensuring the money never stops. When you follow the cash, it becomes clear that defense spending is less about protecting Canadian interests and more about protecting the interests of the corporations that have their claws sunk into government contracts.
Take the Capital Investment Fund (CIF): $108 billion over 20 years, with almost no strings attached. It’s a goldmine for the same insiders who’ve always been at the table. The CIF is presented as a hedge against uncertainty, but in reality, it’s a safety net for companies that can stretch out projects and inflate costs with no real accountability.
Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Reports:
The OAG's 2021 report highlighted delays and inefficiencies in delivering ships under the NSS. Specifically, only 2 of the 4 ships scheduled for delivery by 2020 were actually delivered, both of which were late. The report pointed out weaknesses in schedule and risk management that had not been effectively addressed. This shows the challenges in keeping the project on track and raises concerns about whether public money is being well spent(Office of the Auditor General).
The Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) project is a perfect example: costs keep rising, but the funding keeps coming. Six patrol ships, delays, overruns, but no one’s sweating—except for the public, watching as billions are quietly shifted into private accounts. Meanwhile, the actual defense needs? They're secondary to keeping the money flowing to the right hands.
Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI):
The CGAI also reported on issues of oversight and the potential for regulatory capture within the NSS. It described how Irving Shipbuilding and Seaspan have secured long-term contracts, ensuring a steady flow of public money into their private pockets with little consequence for inefficiencies. This confirms your point about how a select few companies are profiting significantly from these contracts, while taxpayers bear the burden of any cost overruns or delays(CGAI).
Regulatory Capture: The Fine Art of Selling Out
It’s easy to blame outsiders, but here’s the truth: Canada sells itself out. The system is designed that way. We talk about innovation, sovereignty, and independence, but the big players—the insiders—know the real game. It’s not about building a stronger Canada; it’s about making sure they stay on top, riding a wave of government contracts, foreign investment, and public ignorance.
In a landscape where corporate lobbying outshouts actual strategy, Canada’s defense policies aren’t made in parliament—they’re made in boardrooms. Big oil, big defense, big tech—they don’t need to play by the rules because they write the rules.
Conclusion: The Golden Rule—Follow the Money
There’s no grand strategy, no noble defense of the nation’s future. Canada’s defense spending and industrial policies boil down to one thing: ensuring that the right people keep getting paid. Whether it’s selling off energy tech to foreign powers, funneling billions into shipbuilding contracts, or letting outside influence control our defense policy, the pattern is clear.
The game isn’t broken. It’s working exactly as intended—for the ones running it. The rest? We’re just here to keep the cash flowing, paying the price for decisions that were made long before we realized we had already lost.
Let’s call a spade a spade: NSS keeps the shipyards alive, but don’t mistake this for a defense-first initiative. It’s about keeping the money in the right pockets, ensuring that a few key players continue to thrive. A win? Yes—but like so many others, it’s a win that comes with a cost that the average Canadian is left holding.
There’s no going back now—this is the world we’ve built. Just remember, when you ask, “Why is it like this?” the answer is always the same: follow the money.
To balance the scales, we can acknowledge the successes of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) while calling out the deeper realities.
On the surface, the NSS does create jobs and boost national pride—an undeniable win. But dig deeper, and it becomes clear that the real victors are the elites who control long-term contracts, ensuring their financial future. $108 billion over two decades looks like defense spending, but it’s more about locking in profits for players like Irving Shipbuilding and Seaspan. The real beneficiaries? Not necessarily Canadian defense, but those well-connected enough to profit from the system.
The NSS has indeed provided jobs and created a semblance of stability in Canadian shipyards, such as Irving Shipbuilding and Seaspan, but multiple independent reports raise serious concerns about delays, inefficiencies, and oversight issues. For instance, a 2021 audit by the Office of the Auditor General highlighted that the NSS was slow to deliver ships, with significant delays threatening fleet renewal. Out of the four ships scheduled for delivery by 2020, only two were delivered, and both were late. The audit specifically criticized weaknesses in schedule and risk management, which were not addressed effectively despite being identified early on(Office of the Auditor General)(Office of the Auditor General).
Moreover, the Canadian Global Affairs Institute reported that while the NSS aims to move past the "boom-and-bust" cycles of shipbuilding, it remains mired in challenges such as cost overruns, inconsistent project governance, and long delays. This report points to a system where long-term, lucrative contracts ensure that a small group of shipbuilding companies profit at the expense of taxpayer dollars(CGAI)(CGAI).
The nuance here is that while these projects do bring jobs and showcase Canadian capabilities, they're also a financial windfall for those already in power. It’s both a victory for job creation and a backhanded win for crony capitalism.
