Keep Politics Away From Forces

[Edward Campbell]

Despite the formal apolitical approach the forces takes its no secret that the good majority are conservative ideologically and partisan wise. Same goes for other western countries

Yes, if you read Samuel Huntington's The Soldier and the Sate, you will see that the professional military is conservative but not, necessarily, Conservative - and Sam Huntington was careful to use conservative in its correct, old fashioned sense, not as it is misused in 2011. Conservatives, like the military, value institutions and rules and are suspicious of individualism - most military men are not attracted to Ayn Rand, they prefer Edmund Burke.

That many Canadian military men are suspicious of the Liberal Party of Canada and the NDP is, I suggest, not ideological, but, rather it is based on experience (e.g. Trudeau, etc) and public statements (e.g. Libby Davies).

 

[ProudNewfoundlander]

I believe that that in part the military has a conservative bent due to the instillation of tradtion and order into its structure and ethos, but one must also consider that the military derives its personnel primarily from rural areas, which have a conservative bent. And finally, in what you made reference to, conservative parties being the only parties in the last generation to properly equip the military and to take it seriously

 

[Infanteer]

but one must also consider that the military derives its personnel primarily from rural areas

Is this true?  What are you basing this assessment on?

 

[PuckChaser]

I believe that that in part the military has a conservative bent due to the instillation of tradtion and order into its structure and ethos, but one must also consider that the military derives its personnel primarily from rural areas, which have a conservative bent. And finally, in what you made reference to, conservative parties being the only parties in the last generation to properly equip the military and to take it seriously

I was born in Toronto and I like to think I have conservative values. :facepalm:

 

[ProudNewfoundlander]

Is this true?  What are you basing this assessment on?

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/90296.0.html

 

[Infanteer]

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/90296.0.html

Unless I missed it, that thread says that "rural" Canada had a disproportianate share of casualties.  Nowhere does this state that more serving members of the CF are from rural as opposed to urban areas.

One would need some stats on the entire CF population to argue that its members mostly hail from rural Canada.

 

[mariomike]

"Conclusion":
( Second paragraph. )
"Based upon the recruit patterns provided, it is evident that the majority of CF members now come from small urban centres or rural areas. Since the majority of the Canadian population lives in large cities, it is clear that there is little in the manner of proportional representation based upon geographic distribution.":
http://www.journal.dnd.ca/vo8/no3/jung-eng.asp

Edit to add highlighted.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Unless I missed it, that thread says that "rural" Canada had a disproportianate share of casualties.  Nowhere does this state that more serving members of the CF are from rural as opposed to urban areas.

One would need some stats on the entire CF population to argue that its members mostly hail from rural Canada.

Further: we have debated this urban/rural 'split' a few times and there are serious problems with various definitions, including with those used by the Government of Canada. It is a fruitless argument.

 

[Infanteer]

Standard Mariomike Cut-and-Paste

You could have looked a little harder and given the actual data:

Based upon the data available, the recruitment pool for the CF traditionally has been fit young men between the ages of 17 and 24, coming from rural areas or from urban areas with a population of less than 100,000. Recruits generally have been white males with previous familial CF ties, possessing a high school education or less.

The source for this statement is Tracey Wait, Canadian Demographic and Social Values at a Glance: Impact on Strategic HR Planning (Ottawa, Canada: Department of National Defence, 2002).  My brief google couldn't find it, but I don't doubt the authors veracity; I would be interested in seeing figures which would be from one of three sources:

1.  Recruit Center numbers (could be inaccurate as not everybody taken in by a RC becomes a member of the CF;

2.  Survey of personnel databases (for example, all MPRRs have a birthplace - but a birthplace isn't necessary where someone is "from"); or

3.  Self-identification by members as to where they are "from".

As Edward points out, the definition of "urban" and "rural" is tough, but if the data puts a cut-off line of cities under or over 100,000 people, you can get a fairly decent picture.

 

[2Charlie]

Hmmm, the legislated extension of the will of the elected Canadian Government.  Canadian Armed Forces?

 

[Muttenthaler]

We all have our own individual, unalienable rights, as natural humans. To say that we are not allowed to flaunt our political status is as bad as the US military "don't ask, don't tell" policy. I, myself, do not have any political status, just adding my 2-cents......before taxes.

Politics, itself, does not have a place in an army. Adding beurocracy to a fighting force is completely redundant, which is why we have a government. Let them take political "action". The army is a tool for the people, to defend their rights and lives. If politics becomes a factor in the army's decision-making process, it will slow down the effifciency of the force, thereby heavily restricting its effectiveness.

Leave the political bull.... to the Defense Minister and his aide(s). Just shut up and do your job.