You answered your own question with this:
What was the purpose of this:
So it’s okay for other people to carry your share of the burden for you as well as their own, but they damn well better not complain about it?
Just trying to understand, ya know.
Damn. I hit submit before I finished my post… oh well.
For most Western nations, that is what “defense” is nowadays. Its not necessarily defending your borders from the Nazi machine, its going abroad to defend your interests and allies.
Wow, you’re right! Good thing you guys defended us against all those invasions by… uhh… hold on a minute…
The last battle fought on Canadian soil was in 1814. Know who it was against? Yep. The US. So save the bullshit, okay?
Umberto Eco weighs in on the moron debate:
So I guess it just remains to be seen whether or not Eidolon thinks the Liberals are shilling for the Templars.
That being said, the Liberal government really gets me down.
LaurAnge, assuming the US isn’t at risk of being invaded by Canada or Mexico, then the US doesn’t need a military capability either, per your “reasoning”.
Gawdamighty, is the state of civics education in Canuckistan really that bad?
Ok hold up, Which Western Nations aside from the United States, and Great Britain are capable of going off to defend their interests in foreign countries on their own?
True Canada has been in Coallitions (the Gulf War and the Nato Action in Kosovo) But our military was not that much larger than it is at present (We had bombs then though).
What I objected to was the idea that some how the United States is covering some kind of Military gap we have created and that it is costing them something more than they wouldn’t already commit.
What is it that you expect Canada to do at present? What kind of Commitment is required and to what extent do you think it will eleviate US Forces aside from being live non American targets?
Once again the major piss off factor is that the US believes that they can try to dictate our policy on spending. Lord knows they’d tell us to Fuck ourselves if we told them how they should use their budgets.
That is a little disingenius. No where did she say “We don’t need a Military” It is a matter of degree. We will never have a US Sized military, budget to create one, nor do we need one that size.
Also, I think it’s dumb for you to say that Canada is depending on the US taxpayers. It’s untrue.
Also, “Canuckistan”? Way to side yourself with Buchanan there.
Who is saying Canada’s military has to be the same size as the US’s? It does have to be big enough to allow Canada to carry its fair share of the load, though.
“Lord knows they’d tell us to Fuck ourselves if we told them how they should use their budgets.”
I offer you this:
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney , 1984
“If I were President of the United States, I’d wake up in the morning and probably look at the events around the world - Americans under attack here, acts of terrorism and violence - I’d look at all that and I’d look up at Canada and say, “Thank God I have Canada for a neighbour. Now what can I do for Canada today?”
Oh yeah, you got rid of him yourselves. Good job.
Well, I’d say possibly France, but thats besides the point. That’s why we have alliances and go as a team.
For peacekeeping missions (something Canada used to be very good at) our individual forces alone used to be a very large component of that. We have a very difficult time doing that now.
Hypothetically, lets say Saddam thumbs his nose at the inspectors and the shit hits the fan. The UN authorizes force and Iraq is invaded. Canada, quite literally, can offer very little. So, indeed, someone has to make up for what we can’t do. So yes, someone is making up for a gap we created. More likely than not, the US.
Canada wants to be a world player. We aren’t acting like it though. Our troops were pulled in Afghanistan because we quite simply had nobody qualified to relieve them. IMHO, thats sad.
It seems to me that the things we Canadians can agree on where this thread is concerned are as follows:
- Canada’s military is in bad shape and needs to be upgraded.
- We should be doing so for our own reasons, not because Dubya has been bitching about it.
- A Canadian political rep should know better than to call another national leader a moron, whether it’s an accurate assessment or not. It makes you sound like part of the Alliance’s special pinhead department.
- Jean Chrétien is a big doodie-head and should retire immediately to save us any further embarassment.
Have I missed anything?
I read that one of the reasons that GWB suggested a possible increase in spending was that Canada does not posses the heavy lift capability necessary to move a meaningful amount of troops in a reasonable time.
To this day the U.S. is the provider of Canada’s heavy lift capability and does so at out cost.
This is in effect a indirect subsidy by the US taxpayers of the Canadian military.
No. Thank you for the succint summary, that was entirely my point.
Unfortunately half the mouth-breaking mongoloids reading this thread couldn’t grasp that simple fact and instead chose to insert their quirky little platitudes. I’m an Asshat… ooh… remind me why I care?
You do realize using “Ass-hat” as invective completely defeats the purpose of such. You drooling chimp.
The Canadian-Alliance? Breeding hatred and racism since 1990?
Yep. Drooling chimp. Did you read that in the newspaper sweety? Right-Wing parties are always villified as being racist. Usually by ignorant Liberals. Does the shoe fit?
**You appear to have no real idea what you’re talking about. **
I guess this is the part where I say, Yes I do, its obviously you who knows nothing.
Its the end of the month, welfare check time, you must be happy. Molson and Players for everyone!! Yay!!
A political advisor privately calling Bush a moron? Good for her. Made me chuckle.
Cretien publicly saying that Bush is not a moron? One heck of a back handed apology. Made me laugh out loud. Say what you will about him, Cretien has a terrific sense of humour.
Eidolon909
A question for you.
Where the heck are we going to get the money to make any sort of significant increase in military spending? What will take the hit: Education, Health care? Unless you want to increase taxes a lot, I can’t see a way we can afford to increase our military any worthwhile amount. No social program we have can be classified as over-funded…
Canada’s military is for meeting Canada’s needs, not the USA’s needs. I couldn’t give a fig for what the moron wants.
For our needs and to live up to our treaty obligations. Presently our military does not meet our needs and we barely meet our obligations. We do so in a half-assed token manner, which is shameful considering Canada has a proud military history. We’ve always met the call, but its getting to the point where we won’t be able to even if we wanted to.
Canada’s military doesn’t need to be huge. It just needs to be modern and effective. It is neither.
Well, I can help out with the “hatred” part: