I Just Got This Survey In the Mail

[babicma]

It reads as follows:

Hercules Airplanes

The Canadian military depends on old Hercules airplanes to get troops, ammunition and equipment to war zones around the world.

Years of Chretien-Martin cuts to our military have left the Air Force in a crisis. Over 20 of the 32 Canadian Hercules airplanes are broken and grounded at any time.

The Liberal solution is to buy used planes, minus landing gear and engines.

Stephan Harper believes Canada‘s military deserves proper funding. Stephan Harper would restore much-needed funds to our military.

Is Stephan Harper on the right track?

Yes No

Distribution of this survey was made possible by:
Chuck Cadman, MP for Surrey North

Postage Paid

Stephan Harper, M.P.
Office of the Leader of the Opposition
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A OA6


Did anyone else get this?

Im replying with a yes!

 

[stukirkpatrick]

hmmmm.......just by reading this, it sounds good at first, but if the Alliance really wants to show they care, they should provide more detail to their plan to improve the military, rather than merely stating they will support improvements. Statements of that type are quite open-ended, making them appealing to politicians, if they ever need to go back on their word.

"We didn‘t lie, we improved the military budget by 0.001 per cent!"

Show us a working, possible plan (not involving aircraft carriers )

 

[pvandoremalen]

The CF does deserve/require more spending to develop a more combat effective force to meet the modern requirements of deploying overseas. I don‘t believe buying used gear is the right way of dealing with the problem of replacing aged equipment. If we go by that line of thinking the forces will be dealing with the same problem ten years from now. On a personel level I have no problem with the equipment we use now but I can see how signal and armour units would require constant upgrades to maintain their effectiveness.

 

[gate_guard]

That "survey" is just a campaigning tool. Political parties and lobby groups use them all the time under the guise of surveys when their real intent is to sway public opinion in their favor. Just look at the wording. A proper survey would not provide leading questions, nor give opinionated information. But don‘t get me wrong, I do agree with more spending for the military.

 

[Infanteer]

Sounds a little too political. As a soldier, I stay away from things like that out of principle (and the QR&O as well).

 

[RCD]

It‘s a savy way to say let‘s (RENT an ARMY).They do it with everything now a days.

 

[Gunnar]

"Sounds a little too political. As a soldier, I stay away from things like that out of principle (and the QR&O as well). "

Political opinions, from a political party? Imagine that!

The ARMY isn‘t political, and as long as you‘re not "on", you don‘t have political opinions...but are you not entitled to think for yourself the rest of the time? What is the QR&O‘s take on it? I‘ve never been in, so the whole "shut up and soldier" mentality only makes sense to me during the "working hours" if you take my meaning.

Saw an excellent example of this during the OKA crisis...some reporter asked a slanted, political question to one of the NCM‘s on the barricades, and he answered "I can‘t answer that question, and you **** well know I can‘t." I loved it...the perfect soldier‘s answer.

But I don‘t see a public bulletin board as a place where your opinions could possibly be confused for those of the CF. Maybe you could explain to me.

 

[albu]

Now, we have in germany the same problem - our troops in kabul/termes use from frankfurt to termes part. airbus - from termes to kabul transall...
Now the DoD has decided to buy about 40 Special-Airbus - but that costs some billion Euros...and that in a time, where the visit(!) to the doctor‘s house costs 10 Euros (or you can call for a date for 25 Euros, because there is no money for the social-system...

 

[bubba]

never trust politicians,lawyers or bankers///(just bubbas tree cents troops)

 

[East Side Soprano]

I tend to trust right-wing parties more when it comes to military issues, and everything else for that matter.

 

[kaspacanada]

I am inclined to agree with Gate_Gaurd entirely here. On the other hand, I would also be wary about what right wing parties are likely to do to our health care and education systems. The Alliance were generally made up of people who get as close to laissez-faire as possible, and most of the modern Mulroney type conservatives are not much better. I have a suspicion that they would cut vulnerable social-welfare programs even if they increased the military budget. What‘s more important to Canadians? I would like to say us, but I am gonna go with the social-welfare programs.