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Everybody seems to be yipping and yapping about Saddam, or other foreign "dictators".
But what about Canada?
I had the pleasure of hearing MGen (ret'd) Lew MacKenzie speak at the Royal Canadian Military Institute annual Infantry Luncheon on Friday, and one point struck home:
Increasingly, Members of Parliament, journalists, academics, and even the government's own Committee on Defence have agreed that the Canadian Forces desperately need as much as two billion dollars in increased spending for the next five years.
But, none of that matters, due to one, single individual - Papa Doc Crouton (to whom a "third lane" for the Trans-Canada Highway has a higher priority than an adequate defence budget, in order to assure Canada's sovereignty ... some legacy, eh?)
Here's an article in this vein which prompted a wry chuckle (as in "too bad it would never happen ..."):
Government should be sued over decimation of military
Paul Blissett
The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, October 11, 2002
The underfunding of Canada's military violates the Charter right to security of the person, says Paul Blissett.
Re: A military on the verge of collapse, Oct. 5.
Our obsolete Sea King helicopters desperately need to be replaced and CF-18 fighters, many already taken out of service, are approaching the same status.
Military experts estimate our total ground, sea and air force personnel at 52,000, a number that would easily fit in the Skydome. The number of highly trained, battle-ready troops would probably be outnumbered by the Toronto police force.
The Canadian Forces have progressively lost the ability to protect Canadians against domestic and international threats as well as assist in the protection of our natural resources.
For the first time in our history, Canada is now a recipient of foreign aid for our military. Canada is no longer capable of meeting its responsibilities in NATO, NORAD and United Nations' initiatives.
We are viewed by our allies as "freeloaders," and other nations are taking up the slack. The United States routinely assists and supports our military in its missions.
Should the United States determine that the Canadian military is not capable of protecting its coasts, borders and air space and the situation presents a threat to the U.S.'s own security, it would not hesitate to do the job for us.
Who could blame the U.S. if the safety and security of North America were at risk?
Canada's Constitution, in particular the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, guarantees to all Canadians the right to "life, liberty and the security of the person and the right not to be deprived of these." Our government, by placing the security and sovereignty of our country at risk, is violating and compromising these fundamental rights.
A military expert, such as retired Maj.-Gen. Lewis MacKenzie, in conjunction with a prominent law firm, should launch a multi-billion-dollar class-action suit against the government on behalf of all Canadians.
The premise of the suit would be that the severe underfunding of the military violates the fundamental constitutional rights of all Canadians. If successful, the proceeds should be diverted to the Department of National Defence and spent in accordance with the latest Defence White Paper.
Without adequate funding for our military, the legacy of Prime Minister Jean Chré'©en will be crystal-clear to all historians. He was the prime minister who failed to guarantee the security of Canadians, our sovereignty and our status as a nation state.
Paul Blissett,
Orlé¡®s
But what about Canada?
I had the pleasure of hearing MGen (ret'd) Lew MacKenzie speak at the Royal Canadian Military Institute annual Infantry Luncheon on Friday, and one point struck home:
Increasingly, Members of Parliament, journalists, academics, and even the government's own Committee on Defence have agreed that the Canadian Forces desperately need as much as two billion dollars in increased spending for the next five years.
But, none of that matters, due to one, single individual - Papa Doc Crouton (to whom a "third lane" for the Trans-Canada Highway has a higher priority than an adequate defence budget, in order to assure Canada's sovereignty ... some legacy, eh?)
Here's an article in this vein which prompted a wry chuckle (as in "too bad it would never happen ..."):
Government should be sued over decimation of military
Paul Blissett
The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, October 11, 2002
The underfunding of Canada's military violates the Charter right to security of the person, says Paul Blissett.
Re: A military on the verge of collapse, Oct. 5.
Our obsolete Sea King helicopters desperately need to be replaced and CF-18 fighters, many already taken out of service, are approaching the same status.
Military experts estimate our total ground, sea and air force personnel at 52,000, a number that would easily fit in the Skydome. The number of highly trained, battle-ready troops would probably be outnumbered by the Toronto police force.
The Canadian Forces have progressively lost the ability to protect Canadians against domestic and international threats as well as assist in the protection of our natural resources.
For the first time in our history, Canada is now a recipient of foreign aid for our military. Canada is no longer capable of meeting its responsibilities in NATO, NORAD and United Nations' initiatives.
We are viewed by our allies as "freeloaders," and other nations are taking up the slack. The United States routinely assists and supports our military in its missions.
Should the United States determine that the Canadian military is not capable of protecting its coasts, borders and air space and the situation presents a threat to the U.S.'s own security, it would not hesitate to do the job for us.
Who could blame the U.S. if the safety and security of North America were at risk?
Canada's Constitution, in particular the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, guarantees to all Canadians the right to "life, liberty and the security of the person and the right not to be deprived of these." Our government, by placing the security and sovereignty of our country at risk, is violating and compromising these fundamental rights.
A military expert, such as retired Maj.-Gen. Lewis MacKenzie, in conjunction with a prominent law firm, should launch a multi-billion-dollar class-action suit against the government on behalf of all Canadians.
The premise of the suit would be that the severe underfunding of the military violates the fundamental constitutional rights of all Canadians. If successful, the proceeds should be diverted to the Department of National Defence and spent in accordance with the latest Defence White Paper.
Without adequate funding for our military, the legacy of Prime Minister Jean Chré'©en will be crystal-clear to all historians. He was the prime minister who failed to guarantee the security of Canadians, our sovereignty and our status as a nation state.
Paul Blissett,
Orlé¡®s
