[Newsbot]

Title: Harper gears up for another round of Arctic chest-thumping
Category: World
Posted By: Hyack
Date: 2011-07-20 00:53:40
Canadian

[Arctic_Menace]

We should be doing this posturing in winter; not in the summer time when it's warmer and there's little to no ice.

[Arctic_Menace]

And something very telling from the article:

$1:

As a Wikileaks cable from the American embassy in Ottawa revealed, Washington looks on all this with condescending amusement, noting that, though Mr. Harper is forever making announcements � An Arctic deep sea port! Armed patrol vessels! A new icebreaker! � his government rarely actually cuts a cheque.

Russia is actually DOING things; Canada just plans and proposes.

[DerbyX]

Arctic_Menace Arctic_Menace:

And something very telling from the article:

$1:

As a Wikileaks cable from the American embassy in Ottawa revealed, Washington looks on all this with condescending amusement, noting that, though Mr. Harper is forever making announcements � An Arctic deep sea port! Armed patrol vessels! A new icebreaker! � his government rarely actually cuts a cheque.

Russia is actually DOING things; Canada just plans and proposes.

That is because the Liberals hate the military. Just today the liberal government screwed over Veterans in terms of benefits.

Oh wait.

[bootlegga]

Arctic_Menace Arctic_Menace:

We should be doing this posturing in winter; not in the summer time when it's warmer and there's little to no ice.

We can't because we lack the equipment to do so - and despite Conservative rhetoric to the contrary - we don't even have Arctic capable equipment on the drawing board yet.

[andyt]

bootlegga bootlegga:

We can't because we lack the equipment to do so

What, flash bulbs so we can take pics in the winter dark?

[EyeBrock]

DerbyX DerbyX:

Arctic_Menace Arctic_Menace:

And something very telling from the article:

$1:

As a Wikileaks cable from the American embassy in Ottawa revealed, Washington looks on all this with condescending amusement, noting that, though Mr. Harper is forever making announcements � An Arctic deep sea port! Armed patrol vessels! A new icebreaker! � his government rarely actually cuts a cheque.

Russia is actually DOING things; Canada just plans and proposes.

That is because the Liberals hate the military. Just today the liberal government screwed over Veterans in terms of benefits.

Oh wait.

The Liberals? Who are they?

[bootlegga]

For one thing, not one of our naval vessels is capable of dealing with ANY ice, so a similar exercise would be without ships, which carry a lot of the equipment and supplies for such an exercise. Also, most airfields in the Arctic are not year round strips, so landing and taking off would represent a potential problem. Logistics/operations would also be difficult due to the extreme cold.

Even when we do get Harper's Arctic Patrol Vessels (called slushbreakers by the opposition), they will only be able to operate for an extra couple of months in the Arctic - leaving at least have of the year without a Canadian naval presence at all. It's no different than it is now, but Harper has used the Arctic to duck international conferences, complain about Russia, etc, and yet five years into his time in office, he still hasn't done anything about it.

And that's not even a complaint that we haven't built anything yet - it would be silly to complain that we haven't built anything in five years - military procurement routinely takes a decade (or more). But we don't even have finalized plans for any of his big Arctic military dreams. At this point, his posturing over the Arctic is beginning to resemble the Liberals indifference on replacing the Sea Kings.

No, despite being an Arctic nation, Canada is not prepared to fight even a small conflict over a large chunk of our nation.

[Arctic_Menace]

DerbyX DerbyX:

Arctic_Menace Arctic_Menace:

And something very telling from the article:

$1:

As a Wikileaks cable from the American embassy in Ottawa revealed, Washington looks on all this with condescending amusement, noting that, though Mr. Harper is forever making announcements � An Arctic deep sea port! Armed patrol vessels! A new icebreaker! � his government rarely actually cuts a cheque.

Russia is actually DOING things; Canada just plans and proposes.

That is because the Liberals hate the military. Just today the liberal government screwed over Veterans in terms of benefits.

Oh wait.

[BartSimpson]

Obama wants to cut the US Navy down to just four carrier battle groups. Seems to me that leaves us with a few in mothballs. We got four spare carriers alongside at Bremerton, maybe Obama will cut you a deal?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=47 ... 3&t=h&z=16

[Arctic_Menace]

bootlegga bootlegga:

For one thing, not one of our naval vessels is capable of dealing with ANY ice, so a similar exercise would be without ships, which carry a lot of the equipment and supplies for such an exercise. Also, most airfields in the Arctic are not year round strips, so landing and taking off would represent a potential problem. Logistics/operations would also be difficult due to the extreme cold.

Even when we do get Harper's Arctic Patrol Vessels (called slushbreakers by the opposition), they will only be able to operate for an extra couple of months in the Arctic - leaving at least have of the year without a Canadian naval presence at all. It's no different than it is now, but Harper has used the Arctic to duck international conferences, complain about Russia, etc, and yet five years into his time in office, he still hasn't done anything about it.

And that's not even a complaint that we haven't built anything yet - it would be silly to complain that we haven't built anything in five years - military procurement routinely takes a decade (or more). But we don't even have finalized plans for any of his big Arctic military dreams. At this point, his posturing over the Arctic is beginning to resemble the Liberals indifference on replacing the Sea Kings.

No, despite being an Arctic nation, Canada is not prepared to fight even a small conflict over a large chunk of our nation.

Woefully true. It also sucks that the Arctic is a pretty major subject on Canadians minds after the economy, the environment and crime.

*Sigh*

[DerbyX]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Obama wants to cut the US Navy down to just four carrier battle groups. Seems to me that leaves us with a few in mothballs. We got four spare carriers alongside at Bremerton, maybe Obama will cut you a deal?

Only if she comes in the deal.

[bootlegga]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Obama wants to cut the US Navy down to just four carrier battle groups. Seems to me that leaves us with a few in mothballs. We got four spare carriers alongside at Bremerton, maybe Obama will cut you a deal?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=47 ... 3&t=h&z=16

Naw, I'd rather buy some Los Angeles/Seawolf subs...

[BartSimpson]

DerbyX DerbyX:

Only if she comes in the deal.

Double entendre much?

[BartSimpson]

bootlegga bootlegga:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Obama wants to cut the US Navy down to just four carrier battle groups. Seems to me that leaves us with a few in mothballs. We got four spare carriers alongside at Bremerton, maybe Obama will cut you a deal?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=47 ... 3&t=h&z=16

Naw, I'd rather buy some Los Angeles/Seawolf subs...

C'mon, you know the carriers would make the Brits jealous!