Will Obama send more American jobs to Brazil?

Is Brazil becoming the new home for jobs Obama won't let Americans do? Our oil drilling industry is now dead in the water thanks to his head-in-the-sand policies. Brazil is in full-on Drill, Baby, Drill mode; encouraged by Mr. Obama and reinforced during his recent visit to that country.

So my radar perked up when I read a recent report in The Wichita Eagle that 1400 American jobs are on the line as the Obama Administration is considering awarding a Light Air Support aircraft contract to Brazil's Embraer over Kansas-based Hawker Beechcraft.

If cost were the only material criteria, or if Embraer were a truly independent multi-national outfit, then by all means let the best bid win. But some things you just don't outsource. National security is one of those things.

The Brazilian government is not an ally in the War on Terror. In fact they're publicly against it. The airplane under consideration is slated to be a key component in that fight. The plane's mission is Light Attack and Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR), a new type of air support which promises to significantly improve our quick response capabilities. Faster response means fewer Americans get killed. I like that.

Both the Hawker Beechcraft AT-6 and the Embraer Super Tuscano are designed with LAAR support in mind. Either could be a fine choice. But here's the rub. The Brazilian government holds veto power over all Embraer production and sales activity via a corporate regulation known as The Golden Share.

The Golden Share allows the Brazilian government to maintain direct control and veto rights over the "creation and/or alteration of military programs, whether or not involving the Federative Republic of Brazil" as well as the "interruption of the supply of maintenance and replacement parts for military aircraft."

What's that mean? It means Barry's buddy Lula can cut the Air Force off at the knees whenever he feels like it. If Lula doesn't like who we're attacking next week, the supply of spare parts dries up. Or, we stop attacking.

Either way it's an undue foreign influence over U.S. diplomatic and military policy.

You guys know I'm not one of those "Buy American" cheerleaders. I like competition. I like low prices. The Free Market is a beautiful thing.

That said though it can't hurt during these tough economic times to keep 1400 good jobs right here in the U. S. of A. Especially when the alternative is to send those jobs into the arms of a potentially hostile foreign government.

The Hawker Beechcraft AT-6 is based on the tried-and-true T-6 design. It's a plane our pilots and airmen know and love. That's another reason to keep this contract here at home. Integrating the AT-6 into our arsenal should be relatively painless. At the same time the new design ensures we get all the bells and whistles and bang for our buck we need. Without, I might add, a foreign potentate scrutinizing how and when we use it.

So what'll it be Barry? Jobs and national security? Or a kick in the ass to the good people of Kansas?

UPDATE 16 Apr 2011 22:44:
Linked at The Daley Gator.

Thanks!

Posted at 16:45 by Chris Wysocki   [/news]   Comments | Perm Link |
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