Government hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[FJAG]

I used to tell people at my work, that drinking instant coffee was how I bought my house. Now it's just cruel to say that, as much as they save, the more the houses cost.

I said the same vis a vis being a non smoker.

 

[FSTO]

All this talk of getting us to 2% which will be a massive spending increase, does that mean a rethink of ONSF?

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

All this talk of getting us to 2% which will be a massive spending increase, does that mean a rethink of ONSF?

To rethink something, wouldn't that require you to have thought it one time first?

I mean, as far as I am concerned, not much thought went into ONSF.

 

[FSTO]

To rethink something, wouldn't that require you to have thought it one time first?

I mean, as far as I am concerned, not much thought went into ONSF.

Doesn’t help that there hasn’t been a Foreign Policy review since forever.

 

[PuckChaser]

All this talk of getting us to 2% which will be a massive spending increase, does that mean a rethink of ONSF?

There's was thought put into ONSF?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Another thing to add to that order from South Korea

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[PPCLI Guy]

I said the same vis a vis being a non smoker.

Both approaches require an assumption that smoking or drinking coffee is undesirable or in some way questionable. The whole "five bucks a day" thing is fraught with social judgement. One could just as easily cast shade based on meat consumption, internet access, having children, driving at the speed limit vice below, remittances to family abroad, saving for education, collecting weapons etc.

 

[RangerRay]

Both approaches require an assumption that smoking or drinking coffee is undesirable or in some way questionable. The whole "five bucks a day" thing is fraught with social judgement. One could just as easily cast shade based on meat consumption, internet access, having children, driving at the speed limit vice below, remittances to family abroad, saving for education, collecting weapons etc.

Hunting, fishing, skiing, vacations, etc.

“If you don’t spend your money on that frivolous stuff, you’d be rich”

 

[rmc_wannabe]

Hunting, fishing, skiing, vacations, etc.

“If you don’t spend your money on that frivolous stuff, you’d be rich”

Unfortunately, economics has turned that on it's head.

While this was true for young folks 50 years ago, wages havent kept up with inflation, real estate has exploded 10 fold, and frivolities have become drastically cheaper due to globalization.

In relation to an average salary, it would be 6 months rent to buy a new TV in the 1970s. Now, a new TV is half a paycheck. A Starbucks coffee is still attainable to most, only going up a modest 6 dollars a latte from where prices were 20 years ago.

Meanwhile, rent has gone from 20-25% of monthly salary to 40-50% depending on market. Home prices have increased 200-300% in some areas and the upfront cost is insurmountable for a down payment. An average couple could tighten the belt for 15 years and come close; but would still require additional support from generational wealth. With that, those are a miserable 15 years of pinching every penny and foregoing even the smallest of luxuries.

So no. Its not the latte, or smokes, or tech that is keeping the young kids from homeownership. Its that the market went inverted and those "luxuries" are now cheaper than necessities.

Its a comical allegory for where we are now with defense spending. We stalwartly refused to buy at the right time, and decided to put our money elsewhere because "we can always spend when we need it." Now, we have a massive undertaking ahead of us and are recoiling at the cost of things.

The only difference now is that inflation, defence inflation, and having to take from elsewhere are now necessary if we wish to face the challenges of tomorrow (because we certainly aren't equipped for facing them today).

 

[FJAG]

Both approaches require an assumption that smoking or drinking coffee is undesirable or in some way questionable. The whole "five bucks a day" thing is fraught with social judgement. One could just as easily cast shade based on meat consumption, internet access, having children, driving at the speed limit vice below, remittances to family abroad, saving for education, collecting weapons etc.

Yeah. It's more based on having a mother who was a two-pack a day smoker and watching her money and health go down the drain - and that was in the glory days when a pack only cost $0.20 but wages were in the low hundreds per month. Once a carton went up to $20.00 it just became unjustifiable. So at $18.00 for a pack nowadays, a two-pack habit comes to $13,140 per year. Several years of that and you have the down payment for a house and a good part of the mortgage covered each year.

Nothing is an absolute. One can cast shade on many things but on a scale running from "utterly useless and harmful" to "unnecessary but harmless indulgence," smoking leads the way on the left flank.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

Yeah. It's more based on having a mother who was a two-pack a day smoker and watching her money and health go down the drain - and that was in the glory days when a pack only cost $0.20 but wages were in the low hundreds per month. Once a carton went up to $20.00 it just became unjustifiable. So at $18.00 for a pack nowadays, a two-pack habit comes to $13,140 per year. Several years of that and you have the down payment for a house and a good part of the mortgage covered each year.

Nothing is an absolute. One can cast shade on many things but on a scale running from "utterly useless and harmful" to "unnecessary but harmless indulgence," smoking leads the way on the left flank.

My late mother spent roughly $100 a week on cigarettes, beer, and lottery tickets when I was a young lad growing up in the 1990s.

She was the assistant manager of a branch at a major bank. She knew about investing. She dealt with multiple million dollar accounts. I remember costing out her vices and doing up a portfolio for how much she would be able to a) save and b) see modest returns on even a moderately high savings account, if she quit those things and invested.

"I don't want to."

Addiction is a hell of a thing...