[DerbyX]

GreenTiger GreenTiger:

How about putting forces up in the Arctic before you start looking overseas. The Chinese want 20% of the arctic, the Russians are saying most of it is their whether it is under their territory or not.

That is not quite true. While many on here freaked out about China demanding 20% of the arctic what they really said was they considered international land and the resources therein to be for all the nations based on a population demographic.

In other words the western more technologically advanced nations should not be allowed to simply lay claim to those resources.

Russia isn't demanding land beyond their international claim. So far Canada has only had to contend with the US claiming our land is theirs based on land line extrapolation and the moronic Hans island crap.

[PimpBrewski123]

Better to pay for military bases than for some overpaid Canada Post employees.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

peck420 peck420:

I think I completely glossed over that part due to my distaste for states that project power needlessly...

I don't personally like where this is going.

Our government is making decision that may not represent what Canadians at large want.

Step 1: Decide if we are peace keepers or peace makers.

Don't like this idea at all. There have been times when we've sent peacekeepers into places more suitable for more heavily armed units, and areas that became substantially less peaceful as tensions rose again. I kind'a like the idea of our "peacekeepers" being able to call on some decent direct or indirect fire support fairly quickly if/when necessary and/or being able to shift at the very least, to a limited combat role, again if/when necessary.
If we're going to send peacekeepers to other countries, we owe them the ability to be able to kick some ass if they have to defend themselves for any reason.
If not, then might as well keep them at home.
No man ever won a war dying for his country. He sure ain't gonna win one needlessly dying for someone else's.

[Arctic_Menace]

While this would be great in the future, we have too much going on domestically to start setting up international bases "just because". Our forces need new equipment(especially the navy) and we should be focusing more on the arctic, the environment and properly fixing and expanding the economy.