[Guy_Fawkes]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

jeff744 jeff744:

No, I feel that our size and the fact there is a close ally nearby would deter most people considering they would have to fight their way across one of the three largest nations on earth (two is the US gets involved). I am one of the people that don't see why defense requires us to send large numbers of troops to invade countries when the people should be the ones running it.

Well, one thing I am taking away from your posts is a proper answer to Gunnair's repeated posts where he's upset about why an American should have any voice on a Canadian forum about Canadian issues.

Since, by deliberate design on the part of Canadians, I'm subsidizing your national defense then I've every right in the world to speak about your internal affairs.

That or you folks need to start writing us a check to pay for your defense.

+1

[BartSimpson]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

My offer to lend you guys 10 bucks still stands

No, you got the beer at the pub last time so we're square!

[andyt]

Considering who our neighbors are, maybe we could follow the suggestion of a Swedish politician and reduce our military budget to the cost of a voice mail message in English (US version) and Russian that says "we surrender."

Or do like we have with everything else made in Canada, and just outsource our military to the Chinese. The soldiers we lay off can all get jobs at Tim Horton's, and we'll all be able to to pay less taxes.

[jeff744]

andyt andyt:

Considering who our neighbors are, maybe we could follow the suggestion of a Swedish politician and reduce our military budget to the cost of a voice mail message in English (US version) and Russian that says "we surrender."

Or do like we have with everything else made in Canada, and just outsource our military to the Chinese. The soldiers we lay off can all get jobs at Tim Horton's, and we'll all be able to to pay less taxes.

So you propose we try to outspend everyone else?

[Guy_Fawkes]

How the hell did you get that out of his post?

[EyeBrock]

Is this the 5 minute argument or the full half-hour?

[Regina]

[BartSimpson]

Guy_Fawkes Guy_Fawkes:

How the hell did you get that out of his post?

It's the old "Move the Goal Post Tactic!"

[jeff744]

Guy_Fawkes Guy_Fawkes:

How the hell did you get that out of his post?

Sarcasm, I was making a point against the sarcasm I read (unless the fact it is text caused a misread) where if we don't spend a lot on military we might as well not spend anything. My point was that Canada has no chance of matching most of the nations that would invade us in the first place (most of which are put there by people looking for reasons where there are none).

Question, why would anyone want to invade a country on the other side of the world with a landmass impossible for anyone to fully control?

[rickc]

I don't know, it seems the British did a pretty good job of invading and holding North America.

[BartSimpson]

jeff744 jeff744:

Question, why would anyone want to invade a country on the other side of the world with a landmass impossible for Canada to fully control?

First, I fixed that for you.

Second, why would anyone want to invade Canada?

You mean like France, Britain, the USA, Spain, and Russia all have done at points in the past?

They wouldn't at all be interested in the oil, lumber, gold, tin, coal, silver, diamonds, molybdenum and other rare earth metals, agricultural wealth, and just plain beautiful real estate do you think?

Here's a better question, if you lived in some sh*thole like China, India, Indonesia, or etc. and your military could make a go of it taking over a chunk of a relatively undefended country like Canada...wouldn't you want your country to give it a shot?

Really. You could live here:



Or with a little effort you could live here:



Jeff, you people are bloody fortunate that I'm not from India. That's all I can say.

[Guy_Fawkes]

Making a point, really? From my side your post just made you sound like an ass.

If you wanted to make a statement about Canada trying to have a military budget on par with a Superpower, you probably should have said something a little more your speed.

I'm assuming you are asking about Afghanistan. Well Afghanistan was invaded because of a perceived threat that it was a harbor for Islamic terrorists. There was never the intention to have a standing foreign military control the country for a prolonged amount of time. Hence why after 10 years Canada is withdrawing its battle group.

I doubt this is answer you wanted, since from what I can read, you aren't so much interested in a conversation. You just want to come on, bitch about how much the military is soaking up from the budget, then slink back to watching sponge bob, or whatever it is teenagers watch these days.

[andyt]

jeff744 jeff744:

Guy_Fawkes Guy_Fawkes:

How the hell did you get that out of his post?

Sarcasm, I was making a point against the sarcasm I read (unless the fact it is text caused a misread) where if we don't spend a lot on military we might as well not spend anything. My point was that Canada has no chance of matching most of the nations that would invade us in the first place (most of which are put there by people looking for reasons where there are none).

Question, why would anyone want to invade a country on the other side of the world with a landmass impossible for anyone to fully control?

What I wrote was sarcastic, but Guy Fawkes will tell you my thinking is closer to yours than his on this issue. I agree that we really aren't in a position to defend ourselves against a serious invasion attempt, except from say Venezuela. But, we've gotta have some teeth to patrol our shores for instance. Also, as part of an alliance we've also gotta keep up our end. Australia seems to do well in having a creditable force while also providing social services for it's people and not bankrupting itself. We should look to them rather than the US, say. But, our military guys are always going to have a bit of penis envy when they look at all the cool stuff the US guys get. And for a military person, we'll never be able to spend enough on the military, because they look at the world and solutions to it's problems thru that particular lens.

But we should get the fuck out of Astan, since we're just wasting lives and money there.

[EyeBrock]

jeff744 jeff744:

Guy_Fawkes Guy_Fawkes:

How the hell did you get that out of his post?

Sarcasm, I was making a point against the sarcasm I read (unless the fact it is text caused a misread) where if we don't spend a lot on military we might as well not spend anything. My point was that Canada has no chance of matching most of the nations that would invade us in the first place (most of which are put there by people looking for reasons where there are none).

Question, why would anyone want to invade a country on the other side of the world with a landmass impossible for anyone to fully control?

You seem to miss a lot of points made jeff.

The point is to fund the military properly if you have one.

Having 3000 or so infantry without the aircraft to move them and their equipment quickly, or to train them properly, or give them the artillery, vehicles, in-theatre heli-support, air-support they need is just futile.

That’s what happened in the Decade of Darkness. We don’t need to be silly here but we spend 1% of our GDP on defence.

Most NATO countries spend a lot more.

We just need to ensure that if we send our young men out into combat, they have the right kit and training. That wasn’t happening under Chretien.

Getting it yet?

[jeff744]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

jeff744 jeff744:

Question, why would anyone want to invade a country on the other side of the world with a landmass impossible for Canada to fully control?

First, I fixed that for you.

Second, why would anyone want to invade Canada?

You mean like France, Britain, the USA, Spain, and Russia all have done at points in the past?

They wouldn't at all be interested in the oil, lumber, gold, tin, coal, silver, diamonds, molybdenum and other rare earth metals, agricultural wealth, and just plain beautiful real estate do you think?

Here's a better question, if you lived in some sh*thole like China, India, Indonesia, or etc. and your military could make a go of it taking over a chunk of a relatively undefended country like Canada...wouldn't you want your country to give it a shot?

Really. You could live here:



Or with a little effort you could live here:


Jeff, you people are bloody fortunate that I'm not from India. That's all I can say.

France and Britain fought over an area with two actual cities, a little later the US failed twice to invade the same region.

Russia has Siberia which has a fair number of those and China is right next door. If anyone has to worry it is Russia, to invade Canada they need to create a trans-Pacific supply line that crosses a mountain line and hope they are able to use the railways for a full day before another chunk is blown up.

Size is a defense, look at how Russia obliterated the vastly superior army of Napoleon and he at least had a land connection.