Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Canada Blocks Sale of Space Tech Company To US

Posted by kdawson on from the no-dice-eh dept.

Dave Knott writes "The Canadian federal government has blocked the $1.3-billion sale of the space technology division of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates to Alliant Techsystems, a major US defense contractor. Industry Minister Jim Prentice is quoted as saying he is 'not satisfied' the sale will be a net benefit for Canada. MDA is Canada's leading developer of space-based technology, including the famous CanadArm and the recently installed space station robot Dextre."

5 of 230 comments (clear)

  1. Surprising... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    I thought that our Bush-worshipping prime minister, Stephen Harper, would be drooling over the fact of selling our space agency to America. It certainly would bring us that much closer to his goal of American rule over Canada.

  2. Re:Real Reason by Kamokazi · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    200 years makes y'all a little cocky, eh? I think once this whole Iraq business clears up we should start the War of 2012...you got terrorists or animal rights activists up there we can use as an excuse, right? Better brush up on your UK relations, you're gonna need it (Not like it'll help).

    Now to figure out how to put a 51st star on the flag and make it look good...

    --
    As our way of thanking you for your positive contributions to Slashdot, you are eligible to disable Slashdot 2.0.
  3. Re:Net benefit? by canuck57 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    How is the sale of a Canadian company to US interests ever a net benefit for Canada? I've lost track of the companies that used to be Canadian owned, even a part of Canada's national identity (Tim Hortons), that have been sold off to make a penny.

    Gets them off the government dole. Gets them out of the taxpayers pockets.

  4. Re:Real Reason by hey! · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    P.S: US please dont take this seriously, we still love you, eh.


    Umm, don't take this the wrong way, but you're a Canadian and you thought that Americans might take your geopolitical views seriously? It's not something to be proud of, but I doubt that people even in a place like Buffalo NY ever think about Canada except in conjunction with hockey or obnoxious Francophone tourists.
    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  5. Re:divergence of interest... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    We like our arctic, it is ours. We'd like the tax revenue from any oil that is pumped out of there. we'd like the revenue from a major shipping lane, so declaring it international waters is a problem for us. We can't afford to build nuclear submarines...


    Oh, it's yours all right.. if you can defend it. Judging by the current state of your military, you can't, and nobody else will have the balls to help you.

    You have JTF-2 (estimated strength: 200-400), which is basically your only combat-hardened unit.. ironically they're working for us in Afghanistan. We've got 500k seasoned combat troops ready to put a boot up your ass.

    What you really need to do is STFU and pray to whatever you call God that we don't just summarily annex you after the Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin National Guard take out your military.. or shall we say "peacekeepers", since all they do is sit around with a thumb up their ass doing nothing of note.

    Once the fresh water and oil begin to run out in earnest, you'll see...