You seem to think the proposal is a bad idea, which would put you on the side of the panel in the TV show.
Although you label us as Marxists I think that we will be able to handle the loss 2800 people but still maintain the ability to protect Canada.
“OTTAWA — Starting in the summer of 2011, Canada’s soldiers may have to take an operational pause of at least one year, the Canadian army chief said Monday.”
“”Beginning in July of 2011, we will have to explore the possibility of taking a short operational break, that is well-organized and synchronized, of at least one year,” Leslie testified Monday before the Senate’s security and defence committee.”
Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, chief of the land staff, cited shifting demographics, attrition and competition from civilian industry that are draining away a talented pool of soldiers.
“This is not the first time that Canada’s overstretched military has contemplated an “operational pause” or break during the Afghanistan era.
In 2002, Canada initially deployed 800 combat troops to Kandahar on a six-month commitment to Operation Enduring Freedom, but brought them home on schedule, and did not replace them.”
They are not “shutting down” they military-—it is an “operational break” after 2011—obviously they entire army is not going on leave to some tropical paradise at the same time. Leslie was just trying to warn the government that our army should not immediately be sent to another far off war torn country (Darfur, for example)upon exiting Afghanistan.
I am also fully aware of what past governments did to our military, and the Canadian public’s indifference to such—and believe me, it has taken me years to begin to forgive my fellow Canadians for that. My better half has been in for 23 years—was in the artillery airborne—if you were around during that time, you may remember them—they no longer exist—my better half is, though, still in the military, and did a combat tour of Afghanistan last year, and will soon be preparing for another. We have many friends who have been to, or are currently in, or going to, Afghanistan.
It is bad enough the way my fellow Canadians treated my husband and our friends, and countless other service members throughout the years without getting absolutely ridiculed and disrespected by those whose aid we came to in the first place.
I have spent the last seven years defending, to fellow Canadians, our participation in this war, and our need to live up to our NATO and international commitments, even though it has meant much pain and heartache for me personally—and the video in question makes me wonder why I bothered.