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Tug of War: The Struggle to Save Canada's Military (Long but excellent read)
The Ottawa Citizen via Canada.com ^ | September 25, 2004 | Richard Foot

Posted on 09/26/2004 10:35:35 AM PDT by Levante

The problem with Canada's military, as one directive put it recently, is that the military is too small to carry out it's tasks, yet too big for it's shrinking budget. Today, we commit comparatively less money to our military than any other country in NATO except Luxembourg. Despite all of this, health care and social services, not national security, dominate the debate.

"Pale Ebenezer thought it wrong to fight. But Roaring Bill, who killed him, thought it right." -Hilaire Belloc

Inside the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, among books bearing the names of 115,000 Canadians killed overseas on military service, a solemn epitaph declares: "War has not spared our people."

The words are a testament not to a bellicose nation, but to Canada's record of courage and fortitude in the face of foreign peril. Like Hilaire Belloc, the English poet and philosopher, Canadians have understood through most of our history that military power is the necessary price of inhabiting a world with real enemies and real evil, where peace can sometimes only be purchased through the harsh rigours of realpolitik.

(Excerpt) Read more at canada.com ...


TOPICS: Canada; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: canada; military; nato

1 posted on 09/26/2004 10:35:35 AM PDT by Levante
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To: Levante

Canada has realized they don't need a military, because they are the neighbors of the U.S. - even though they can barely tolerate us, they seem to enjoy the fruits of our defense spending...


2 posted on 09/26/2004 10:39:31 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks (How do you ask a hamster to be the last hamster to die for a mistake?)
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To: Levante

Since I'm not a citizen of Canada it's hard to care too much about whether they have a military or not.

But it's important for Americans to take a look at Canada's military and realize that this is how the Democrats would like the U.S. military to look -- impotent.


3 posted on 09/26/2004 10:56:09 AM PDT by 68skylark
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To: Levante

Canada=France


4 posted on 09/26/2004 12:04:02 PM PDT by MisterRepublican
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To: Levante
Richard Foot?

There's an unfortunate name for a kid to have in school.

In one of my courses I use a book written by Peter Elbow.

It seems that at some time in the past it was considered fashionable for parents to name their children after two apparently unrelated body parts.

5 posted on 09/26/2004 12:07:32 PM PDT by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: Levante
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
6 posted on 09/26/2004 1:19:34 PM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham ("Ich glaube, du hast in die hosen geschissen!")
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