Politics

[RLD]

Trump saying that NATO and Canada weren’t needed in Afghanistan was indeed wrong but much of the article is off base.

JD Vance and Hegseth lamenting the state of the modern Canadian military has nothing to do with the honorable service of Canadians in Afghanistan. Could the Canadian military even deploy to Afghanistan today like they did in the early 2000s if necessary?

And pointing out the ridiculousness of the Canadian coast guard sailing in a pride event is also irrelevant to the service of Canadian veterans. I’m guessing the guardian went searching for the right responses because I just can’t see the majority of Canadian vets being thrilled that the military that they served in is now woefully underfunded and being used for woke political messaging rather than honing a keen edge that makes potential enemies think twice.

I don't think you have a good understanding of the history of Canadian military funding.

By way of background I held the Queen's commission and served in the mid 80's.

Nobdy in the CF can remember a time we have not been underfunded. Very few vets alive can remember Canada with a properly funded military. The slide started in the 70's and continued until very recently, under both major federal parties. It was generationally long problem that has only recently changed.

However, we are now less underfunded and more ready to deploy than we were when we served in Afghanistan. It has always been a source of pride that we performed well despite funding issues. But anyone who closely follows the CF nows that we are now significantly better funded than we were when we went into Afghanistan.

Also I don't see why anyone should be all wound up about Canadian Coast Guard participation in a gay pride event...they are almost the navy FFS.

But more seriously, our military exists to serve all Canadians, gay and straight, and the homophobia of Hegseth and his ilk is just kind of disgusting. But nobody can really take that guy seriously can they?

 

[Brent in Az]

Didn't Perfesser diesel sniffer tell us that Trump, Rubio, and the rest of us were crazy for thinking it was a terror plot?
I guess that's why they evacuated all the bombers from that U.K base.

 

[spike.t]

Donald winding up newsom me thinks....

Watch Trump on Iran: 'Let them take out LA, let them take out San Diego'

US President Donald Trump said higher gas prices and even Tehran "taking out" Los Angeles or San Diego would be a "small price to pay for keeping the world safe".

www.bbc.com

 

[spike.t]

So this defense pact has been activated.....Saudis hitting Yemen along with the government forces claiming to have retaken some lost areas on the coast.....Ethiopia demanding access to the red sea, with realations deteriorating with Eritrea ....so how's this going to go....?....whole area is ticking...

Turkiye, Pakistan agree Saudi Arabia military deployment under Mecca pact

The three countries agree to trigger collective defence measures in response to 'heinous attacks' by Yemen's Houthis.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[spike.t]

Finally happened.....

Kenya confirms first case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus

The patient had been living in DR Congo, where more than 4,000 people have died from the disease this year.

www.bbc.com

 

[mdwest]

Every Canadian soldier I worked with in Iraq and Afghanistan (former soldiers as contractors in Iraq and active soldiers in Afghanistan) were solid professionals…

They were just getting fucked by their government and not provided the tools or the training to to their jobs properly..

I sort of looked at them like our USMC.. doing the best they could with whatever they could get their hands on… hard working and professional… just extremely limited resources…

And it’s only gotten worse since I last worked with them in the 2009-2010 time frame..

Hopefully recent changes have started pushing them back in the right direction

 

[Aaron N]

How tight who is with China?

1. The last state visit by China to Canada as over two decades ago. The last state visit by China to the US was two weeks ago. And no one, other than perhaps the UK, puts on a state visit and dinner like the US. What a show that was! The elite of American politics, business and technology were all out in force to celebrate China and its leader.

2. No leader of Canada has ever held hands with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, as President Trump did during that visit.

3. Mainland China holds about $620 billion of US Treasury securities. Only two countries rank higher. China holds about 6% of Canadian federal debt. Not a big creditor.

4. The value of the US’s trade with China is more than three times the value of China’s trade with Canada. So while the US is brow than three times bigger than Canada, I suggest that it’s absolute dollars that are important here, not relative dollars.

It seems the US is far tighter with China than Canada is.

Having said that, I’m not sure why Canadians and Americans should be slamming each other’s countries. There are not two more natural allies in the world.

This does not line up the the information Boyd gets from Facebook

 

[fourfive8]

Carney traveled to Beijing January 2026 to establish trade deals and guidelines for strategic agreements between Canada and China. Carney met with Xi Jinping, li Qiang and Zhao Leji among other key Chinese business leaders. Canada continues those negotiations to the present time making trade and strategic military deals with China. Hank2211, if heading down an agenda path, please tell the whole story, not a selectively doctored version.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[Brent in Az]

 

[fourfive8]

View attachment 797812

I can’t help it!
The bombardier yells, “Hook ‘em high” then swoosh….
Like this Nidal Hasan, aka Jihadi Slim

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I can’t help it!
The bombardier yells, “Hook ‘em high” then swoosh….
Like this Nidal Hasan, aka Jihadi Slim

View attachment 797825

Call it the Major Kong treatment. IYKYK

 

[Brent in Az]

I can’t help it!
The bombardier yells, “Hook ‘em high” then swoosh….
Like this Nidal Hasan, aka Jihadi Slim

View attachment 797825

Slim Pickens in Dr Strangelove.....he rode it all the way down.

 

[spike.t]

Namibia gave rural communities wildlife rights; elephant numbers rose from about 7,500 in 1995 to 22,800 in 2016 as communal conservancies expanded

Namibia took an unusual approach to wildlife conservation by giving rural communities a direct stake in protecting the wildlife around them. Instead of treating wildlife only as a government resource, the country created communal conservancies where local people could manage wildlife and receive...

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

[spike.t]

Germany’s ‘Dad’s Army’ spies put Britain’s trust to the test https://share.google/p0nbpzRWU4Fmpibq8

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[Altitude sickness]

Even though the military is not what it was. MI6 and SAS are still pretty formidable.

But still nowhere near the capability of our equivalent groups.

But you won’t see videos or hear any word of what “The Activity” (ISA) is up to.

 

[PARA45]

 

[MD Driver]

Trump saying that NATO and Canada weren’t needed in Afghanistan was indeed wrong but much of the article is off base.

JD Vance and Hegseth lamenting the state of the modern Canadian military has nothing to do with the honorable service of Canadians in Afghanistan. Could the Canadian military even deploy to Afghanistan today like they did in the early 2000s if necessary?

And pointing out the ridiculousness of the Canadian coast guard sailing in a pride event is also irrelevant to the service of Canadian veterans. I’m guessing the guardian went searching for the right responses because I just can’t see the majority of Canadian vets being thrilled that the military that they served in is now woefully underfunded and being used for woke political messaging rather than honing a keen edge that makes potential enemies think twice.

I’ll just share a couple of anecdotes, as one person’s truths are shaped by what he encounters and sees. As a cadet many years ago, a group of Canadian Defense Force cadets came to the Academy for a visit. Lots of pomp, and it started off well. Then the very vocal critics in their group started in with acid rain, Reagan, and American arrogance in foreign policy. We were stunned and looked at each other wondering how to respond. Years later was Green Flag, with the Canadian pilots speaking in French to each other, denigrating the U.S. during times when they should have been more concerned with flying their Hornets well. In joint operations overseas, there were many fine Canadian officers, but others were not shy about the snide remarks that served no purpose at all. The small man behaviors were embarrassing even to us.

Don’t know…. forgive and forget until someone like Carney comes along and reacts with a lot of emotion to Trump who everyone knows is a lot to handle, but with whom might do enormous good for Canada’s economy if barriers on both sides are removed. Canada deserves the prosperity potential.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

I don't think you have a good understanding of the history of Canadian military funding.

By way of background I held the Queen's commission and served in the mid 80's.

Nobdy in the CF can remember a time we have not been underfunded. Very few vets alive can remember Canada with a properly funded military. The slide started in the 70's and continued until very recently, under both major federal parties. It was generationally long problem that has only recently changed.

However, we are now less underfunded and more ready to deploy than we were when we served in Afghanistan. It has always been a source of pride that we performed well despite funding issues. But anyone who closely follows the CF nows that we are now significantly better funded than we were when we went into Afghanistan.

Also I don't see why anyone should be all wound up about Canadian Coast Guard participation in a gay pride event...they are almost the navy FFS.

But more seriously, our military exists to serve all Canadians, gay and straight, and the homophobia of Hegseth and his ilk is just kind of disgusting. But nobody can really take that guy seriously can they?

I wasn’t in the Canadian military half a century ago but Google suggests that roughly 45-50% of Canada’s military equipment across all services is serviceable due to chronic underfunding. If it was worse in 2001, I’d be shocked.

As for Hegseth’s supposed homophobia, I’m unimpressed. The primary function of a very expensive military is to destroy a nation’s enemies or discourage them from attacking by threat of that destruction. Does participating in a pride event do that? Does it project strength to Russia or China (or Trump if you’d like)?

Of course it’s your country. Your tax dollars. But think about it, consider all the old ladies you could have euthanized with the money they spent on operational costs that day.