Military spending

[Burlyman]

What do you think about military spending? Do you think military budgets should be cut more? Where do you think the money should be re-allocated? Do you come from a country that has different priorities than the United States? If so, how does your government prioritize what it spends money on?

[Nightshade]

Military spending is an absolute waste of money- but one that is made necessary by hostile powers like China.

Humans just aren't evolved enough yet for me to say the US no longer needed a military.

[CDN_Merlin]

I agree with nightshade .

In Canada we don't spend much on military. It goes more for Healthcare etc

[Vander]

Spending should be kept as/is, but the military should be folding under the EPA, and we should be carpet bombing fossil fuel company headquarters. I'm probably ok with the use of chemical weapons as well.

[Burlyman]

Do you think some form of force is necessary to ensure peace, even among an enlightened people, like "just in case?"

Also, other than chemical weapons, should there be stronger weapons on the small scale and on large scale that aren't WMDs or should conventional weapons and strategies be left as is?

[vision]

Unfortunately an enormous amount of what we consider the military consists of private contractors. A huge part of the budget goes directly into the hands of average citizens. Not sure what can be done there.

[Nightshade]

I agree with nightshade .

In Canada we don't spend much on military. It goes more for Healthcare etc

And you know why? Because it's the USA that shoulders most of the burden of protecting the western world while the rest of the west takes a free ride.

Canada should pay more and the US should pay less. I wouldn't mind if more western countries built up their militaries while the US shrunk theirs.

It's time they protect their own people.

[CDN_Merlin]

Nightshade, I agree. I wish if we could all get along but sadly that will never happen

[Ferno]

Don't buy into it, Merlin. It's just another form of "Foreign countries should pay more for NATO participation". It fundamentally misses the point because that's not how it works.

Let's take it to the logical end. Canada should remove all its military from everywhere, and give America zero assistance or cooperation when they go to war.

[CDN_Merlin]

Ferno, if another country attacks Canada, we don't have enough military might to hold them off let alone win.

[Vander]

Who is Canada threatened by?

[Nightshade]

Who is Canada threatened by?

Russia.

[Top Gun]

My thoughts? Swap NASA's budget with the defense budget. Done.

[Nightshade]

My thoughts? Swap NASA's budget with the defense budget. Done.

I wish. That would be awesome... (Well...maybe not. NASA has been blowing billions on SLS which will facking never go anywhere other than fatten their employee wallets.)

Maybe swap the defense budget to Elon Musk.

(That is if Elon isn't locked away in the looney bin first.)

[Tunnelcat]

The military is flush with money and spending it like it's never going to end. Meanwhile, our nation's public infrastructure is a crumbling mess.

[Ferno]

Ferno, if another country attacks Canada, we don't have enough military might to hold them off let alone win.

Strength alone doesn't always win a fight.

[Nightshade]

Strength alone doesn't always win a fight.

..and when the Russians or China annex your ass like another Crimea, then what? Last time I saw, Canada's population was rather small, huddled to the southern border in a huge resource-rich land.

[vision]

..and when the Russians or China annex your ass like another Crimea, then what? Last time I saw, Canada's population was rather small, huddled to the southern border in a huge resource-rich land.

Hi. I would like to point out that in the annexation Crimea and occupation of Eastern Ukraine is possible not because of military strength, but because of political will. In both instances, political leaning also followed geography. There was very little military involvement. Since Canadians have no political sympathy for either Russia or China the only way to "annex" any part of Canada is through a military exercise that would immediately start a world war.

[Nightshade]

Since Canadians have no political sympathy for either Russia or China the only way to "annex" any part of Canada is through a military exercise that would immediately start a world war.

...and only because Canada would be depending on the US to threaten that world war. Canada has little to no capacity to provide deterrence on its own.

[Ferno]

Strength alone doesn't always win a fight.

..and when the Russians or China annex your ass like another Crimea, then what? Last time I saw, Canada's population was rather small, huddled to the southern border in a huge resource-rich land.

There's that american bravado again.. thinking the world can't get along without them.


Now tell me.. who's stuck in an endless unwinnable war in the desert? Oh that's right.. America. Thought you could win that one, eh? No american, especially you, can tell the world that you're better.

[Krom]

China and Russia would stand no chance whatsoever of being able to annex Canada even if the United States did absolutely nothing about it. Have a little faith in your allies, or at the very least in geography.

[Nightshade]

China and Russia would stand no chance whatsoever of being able to annex Canada even if the United States did absolutely nothing about it. Have a little faith in your allies, or at the very least in geography.

Geography? The Russians are coveting that geography as you read this sentence. They've already claimed the continental shelf, dropping little metal Russian flags from a sub under the icecap https://freebeacon.com/national-securit ... tic-ocean/ .

So who is going to stop them from pulling a 'China 9-dashed line' in the arctic? It's not going to be Canada.

[Top Gun]

Funny how you're super-paranoid about Russia invading Canada while simultaneously ignoring Russia directly interfering in US elections and almost certainly holding huge amounts of dirt on the current president.

[Nightshade]

...holding huge amounts of dirt on the current president.

That's yet to be seen.

[Ferno]

Look at the amount of indictments and cooperation deals that's surrounding this probe.

You're going to have a ★■◆● ton of egg on your face when it finally drops.

[Vander]

When Canada gets invaded, they will be saved by a plucky band of high school students.

[Spidey]

Russia is not going to invade Canada anytime soon, but it does look like they have designs on some of Canada’s North Sea resources. I’m pretty sure the biggest deterrent there is the American sub marine force.

But yea…I would love to see the rest of the world brag about how much money they spend on social programs without the worlds bully on their side.

[vision]

They've already claimed the continental shelf, dropping little metal Russian flags from a sub under the icecap https://freebeacon.com/national-securit ... tic-ocean/

LOL

[Top Gun]

But yea…I would love to see the rest of the world brag about how much money they spend on social programs without the worlds bully on their side.

Well then let's stop being a ★■◆●ing bully and start worrying about our own ★■◆●.