CAF Should Stay Home! (Split from CDN/US Covid-related political discussion)

[stellarpanther]

I know this probably isn't popular with some but for a long time I've felt that Canada shouldn't be pushing for a big role on the world scene and instead be more like Switzerland.  We can use our small military for defense at home and for domestic operations when required. 

 

[Quirky]

I know this probably isn't popular with some but for a long time I've felt that Canada shouldn't be pushing for a big role on the world scene and instead be more like Switzerland.  We can use our small military for defense at home and for domestic operations when required.

We pretty much do that already. Not like we are building carrier battle groups.

 

[stellarpanther]

We pretty much do that already. Not like we are building carrier battle groups.

I'm talking about ending OP's in Iraq, Ukraine etc.  Stay in Canada.  Japan for example has a large military, Germany has a large military.  Up until fairly recently, those countries don't deploy much outside of their country.

 

[GR66]

I'm talking about ending OP's in Iraq, Ukraine etc.  Stay in Canada.  Japan for example has a large military, Germany has a large military.  Up until fairly recently, those countries don't deploy much outside of their country.

That's because just before that "fairly recently" they DID deploy much outside their country....

 

[PuckChaser]

I know this probably isn't popular with some but for a long time I've felt that Canada shouldn't be pushing for a big role on the world scene and instead be more like Switzerland.  We can use our small military for defense at home and for domestic operations when required.

How is this on topic at all?

 

[daftandbarmy]

How is this on topic at all?

IMHO, it's not... at all.

(Resists temptation to go into some kind of half crafted explanation about how Germany and Japan's constitutions were drafted to prevent their armies from ever going to war outside their national boundaries again, after WW2, and Switzerland has always been neutral .... oops... there, I did it).

 

[stellarpanther]

How is this on topic at all?

I believe it is on topic because we will need the money currently being spent abroad for other sectors of the economy that will need to be repaired once this pandemic is over.  The money should be spent in Canada.  It's important to have a military for domestic operations but it doesn't mean money needs to be spent rebuilding or acting as a tripwire in other countries such as Latvia.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I believe it is on topic because we will need the money currently being spent abroad for other sectors of the economy that will need to be repaired once this pandemic is over.  The money should be spent in Canada.  It's important to have a military for domestic operations but it doesn't mean money needs to be spent rebuilding or acting as a tripwire in other countries such as Latvia.

Without trying to sound sarcastic not all trades are essentially "civilians wearing a uniform" doing 8-4 office jobs. From a military perspective deploying abroad gives a lot of trades an opportunity to do things for real in challenging and dangerous environments. Interoperability with our allies and also gives us an environment where shitty performers are more easily identified and fired. Lots of people join the military to deploy and travel. Recruiting themes centering on filling sandbags for floods and putting out bush fires might backfire.

Politically, IMO, the ability to project some kind of military force around the globe is a make or break test whether people give a shit what a county says or not.