Military Spending: So Good or No Good? (by Chris Im)

Should Canada spend more on its military? One group will answer with a resounding YES while a second crowd will reply with a strong NO. Both sides may have a good argument, but the former has an undeniably stronger one. In fact, in a poll taken by The London Free Press, 81% of the total 219 people polled said that they think the Canadian government should spend more while a mere 19% disagreed. A military is a key component of the foundation of any country. It is the means by which a government is able to provide national security, civil assistance, and contribute to peace efforts or crises overseas. Canada's military has been deteriorating since the Trudeau era, yet this dilemma faces many countries, not only Canada. If the Canadian government does not attend to this matter immediately, there are dire consequences ahead.

History teaches us that being nice just doesn't cut it anymore. Terrorism and hate will spring up anywhere for any reason. It is a scary world we are living in. Near the end of the Cold War, Americans had grown quite close to Osama Bin Laden. In fact, the rich and powerful Bin Laden family helped to fund Bush's first venture into oil in the 1970s. This cozy friendship went on for decades. The Americans even trained Afghan soldiers, paid Bin Laden and gave him weapons to defeat the Soviets. However, this came back to haunt them as Bin Laden used the training and money to fund terrorist activities, including the tragedy of 9/11. This proves that even a seemingly friendly relation can turn sour quickly. Canada, with all of its humanitarian aid and peacekeeping had better watch its back or else the same fate awaits it. In fact, much of the humanitarian aid sent to war-torn countries ends up in the hands of leaders who do not give it to the citizens who need it, but to the soldiers who are fighting against the so-called good guys. This was a real-life scenario in Somalia. How can Canada support those in need without backing it up with a show of force? Canada had one of the largest and most effective armies in the world during the Great Wars; nearly 120,000 in uniform. It's time to get the military juice flowing again.

The Trudeau government of the early 1970s first froze and then slashed the budget on the defense forces. Since then, the trend has continued despite brief periods of respite. The recent Chretien government cut the defense budget by a whopping 23% between 1993 and 1998! This was in spite of the fact that the budget was already too small. Canada now spends only 1.1% of it's GDP on defense. This under-spending on military draws criticism from our neighbors to the south and even from our ‘mother country', England. This not only excludes Canada from major military decisions, but they miss out on the profitable rebuilding of countries. A recent example is the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Due to the fact that Canada did not take part in the actual fighting, America and Britain have excluded Canada from helping to rebuild the country. This results in millions of dollars in lost revenue for Canadian corporations. As well, Canadians lose face within the international community. In fact, U.S. President George Bush neglected to thank Canada for their war efforts in Afghanistan. The lack of military firepower is at the root of the problem.

The G7 nations, consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, England, and America are the most industrialized countries on the globe. They are considered the major powers of the world. However, with great power comes great responsibility. Canada has been shirking its duty to the international community. For the past thirty years, Canada has been avoiding contributing its fair share of international defense. Canada is known primarily as a peaceful nation and may not feel that it requires a large army; however, wars aren't the only thing the military addresses. It also helps in civil affairs and matters of national crises as well. In the famous Quebec ice storm of 1998, the army was called in to fix the power lines as well as shovel the snow. Canada needs an adequate military to not only help others but to help itself. It isn't even that Canada needs a world-class military like that of the United States, but it requires one that is capable of taking part in international as well as domestic problems. Defense forces are an essential foundation of any nation to aid civilians and property in times of need.

In conclusion, a nation that does not meet its defense obligations suffers the consequences. Canada's international influence and wellbeing have declined. This is a direct response to its failing military capabilities in the recent years. The myth of peacekeeping is not a substitute as it was never Canada's top priority, and it does not pay the bills in the eyes of our key allies and trading partners. As retired colonel Sean Henry says, "the insurance premium we pay in the form of the defense budget guarantees our free and prosperous way of life".

Sources

Mathews, Robin. "Canada/US Relations" Canadian Foundations. 18 Dec 2005. <http://www.ola.bc.ca/online/cf/module-4/usrel.html#RTFToC35 >.

Henry, Sean. "SHOULD CANADA SPEND MORE ON MILITARY HARDWARE?." The London Free Press. 15 Dec 2005. <http://www.cda-cdai.ca/library/milhardware.htm >.

"CONSPIRACY OR COINCIDENCE?." CBC. 29 Oct 2003. 15 Dec 2005. <http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/conspiracytheories/saudi.html >.

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