"Global Opposition Movement Challenges JSF" is the headline in the Aviation Week, in an article setting out many of the key objections to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
One of the most interesting points the article makes is that the information-sharing possible via the Web means that opponents to the F-35 can share their critiques in ways that were not possible at a similar stage in the development of previous massive weapons systems.
I would add two comments to their article:
(1) The "sovereignty" question seems to me to be a potential problem, should opposition really begin to gear up in places like Italy, Canada, the U.K.--proud countries whose citizens might object if they knew they were becoming part of an enormously expensive weapons project, but not given complete control of the technology.
(2) The grassroots peace community is missing from this story, though I'm not criticizing the article, it's probably our own fault. Where are we? Surely, even as over-stretched as the U.S. peace movement is, we can find our voices in time to stop a dangerous, massively expensive, over-budget, already-delayed, unnecessary, destabilizing fighter plane, at a time when the U.S. is flat broke!
And what about Europe--isn't it in recession, too? Seriously, peace activists in Canada, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, the U.K., Turkey, Australia--do you really need this fighter plane? Can you afford it? Did you know your government ordered it for you?
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/FIGHT030409.xml&headline=Global%20Opposition%20Movement%20Challenges%20JSF
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