Until 1970, Canada still had an aircraft carrier.
Today they have no ship larger than a frigate and they are all over 20 years old.
Posted on 07/10/2018 3:55:26 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Canada is a welsher state.
(Hold your outrage, that adjective has nothing to do with the Welsh.)
I am speaking specifically about this country’s financial contribution to NATO, the international alliance formed after World War II, constructed around the principle of collective defence. Article 5 of the establishing charter declares that “an attack on one is an attack on all.”
Originally and for four decades the thrust of NATO’s raison d’être was deterring Soviet aggression. With the end of the Cold War, NATO shifted toward helping former Soviet-bloc countries embrace democracy and the market economy.
But now it’s come full circle. Once again, under the militancy of President Vladimir Putin — annexing a chunk of Ukraine, sending troops into the Georgian civil war, intervening on the side of the Assad regime in Syria — Russia is a regional belligerent. Global even, in an era of cyber meddling and mischief and electoral interference.
With leaders of the 29 member nations meeting in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, the agenda includes countering that Russian bellicosity, introducing a new training mission in Iraq and counterterrorism support for Afghanistan, Jordan and Tunisia.
President Donald Trump, however, clearly intends to pick up where he left off at their last confab a year ago — knocking ally heads together to shame them into meeting dollar commitments made three years ago (actually the target was first set in 2002): contributing two per cent of GDP toward spending on national defence within a decade.
The whole world was bracing for grenades Trump was expected to toss at the summit, against some of America’s staunchest friends. Before leaving Washington on Tuesday, the president got in a couple of pre-emptive shots across the bow. “NATO has not treated us fairly but I think we’ll work something out. We have paid far too much and they have paid for too little.”
Meaning Europe and Canada.
Less antagonistic than previous declarations Trump has made about NATO allies, such as last month characterizing the U.S. as “the piggy bank that (NATO) likes to take from”. He also recently sent hectoring letters to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other NATO leaders complaining that too many countries were not humping their fair share of the collective cost and investing too little in their own militaries, a commitment of tax dollars that just doesn’t square well with domestic populations.
Trump wrote that it will “become increasingly difficult to justify to American citizens why some countries continue to fail to meet our shared collective security commitments.”
It’s painful to say this but Trump is essentially correct.
The U.S. provides most of the NATO muscle in funding and troops, shouldering nearly three-quarters of the alliance’s operating budget. NATO’s current annual operating budget is $1.38 billion, $252 million for the civilian budget, and $704 million for its Security Investment Program.
The president somewhat conflates — and misleads — by conflating national defence spending with NATO support. But the point is fundamentally well taken. The combined defence budget of NATO nations has grown by $14.4 billion since 2016, with all but one of the countries increasing their spending and 26 contributing troops to NATO missions. “Sixteen — but not Canada — are on track to spend the NATO target of two per cent of their gross domestic product on defence by 2024,” notes a primer for the summit released by the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
Canada, sturdy participant in combat and security operations, including a 12-year boots on the ground campaign in Afghanistan and a Canadian lieutenant-general who directed the air campaign that toppled the Gadhafi regime in 2011, is in the middling middle of defence spending, currently at 1.29 per cent of GDP, with a projected target of 1.4 per cent by 2026.
On his way to Brussels, Trudeau doubled down on his Trump resistance by reiterating that Canada has no plans to almost double-up on its defence budget, maintaining that the two per cent target is “an easy shorthand” but also “a limited tool” for measuring a nation’s commitment to NATO.
In his usual rhetorically obtuse way, Trudeau said: “There are always perspectives on doing more, and that’s fine, that’s an important conversation to have. But the reality is, the way NATO has been having a meaningful impact wherever it goes continues to be a really important thing, and that’s certainly at the heart of the message I’ll be bringing.”
Trudeau made his remarks whilst visiting Canadian troops at a military base outside Riga, Latvia. A clever photo-op moment, jamming that drop-in on the eve of the NATO summit. Canada has 455 troops deployed to NATO’s mission in Latvia — the alliance’s buffering response to Russia’s annexation in Ukraine — and heads the seven-country battle group. Trudeau further announced that Canada is extending its Latvia mission for another four years, through to 2023, and boosting troop numbers to 540. The prime minister can burnish Canada’s international engagement by pointing to the new Mali mission, which is a UN peacekeeping operation.
Still, there is treasure in blood, potentially — which the Trudeau government has tried mightily to avoid — and treasure in hard dollars defence spending. And if Canada, an original NATO founding member, truly values the alliance in a turbulent contemporary world, then it needs to pony up its proportional share, along with the rest of the laggards. Canada loves multinational alliances; Trump, not so much. Only a year ago he called NATO “obsolete,” though he’s back off that rash dismissal. It’s ironic that some commentators with little appetite for NATO, even less stomach for military interventions — recoiling from Western geopolitical “interests” — actually found an unlikely ally in Trump’s initial NATO skepticism. The president has threatened to reduce the 70,000 American troops currently deployed on the continent if NATO members don’t live up to their spending avowals.
It should be noted, though, that even president Barack Obama urged Parliament: “NATO needs more Canada.”
European leaders were bracing for a showdown with Trump, amidst crises in Britain (Brexit) and Germany (migration and refugees).
Just as intriguing, from a Canadian perspective — insofar as we’re allowed a look-in — is how Trudeau and Trump will contend with each other in their first face-to-face since the disaster of the June G7 summit in Quebec City, wherein the president first agreed to a group communique on trade and then withdrew from it, calling the PM “dishonest” and “weak” in a Twitter tirade.
In any event, Trump seems more dazzled about his one-on-one sit-down in Helsinki next week with Putin. Putin he respects, NATO leaders he doesn’t. He’ll be travelling to the U.K. in between.
“I have NATO. I have the U.K., which is in somewhat turmoil. And I have Putin. Putin may be the easiest of them all. Who would think?”
Who indeed.
When a Trudeau(2 of them) needs money he takes it from the Military
On behalf of decent Canadians, my apologies for our Jackass in Chief. I hope President Trump makes Lil Justin cry like a girl this time.
We'll end up politer for sure !
I hope his eyebrows fall off...again.
Canadian lieutenant-general who directed the air campaign that toppled the Gadhafi regime in 2011
What a disaster it has proved to be.
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), headed by the Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, includes 28 warships and submarines deployed in two fleets: Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) at CFB Esquimalt on the west coast, and Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) at Her Majesty's Canadian Dockyard in Halifax on the east coast, as well as one formation: the Naval Reserve Headquarters (NAVRESHQ) at Quebec City, Quebec.
The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2013, operating 258 manned aircraft and 9 unmanned aerial vehicles, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 14,500 Regular Force and 2,600 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 2,500 civilians.
The Canadian Army is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2018 the Army has 23,000 regular soldiers, about 17,000 reserve soldiers, including 5,000 rangers, for a total of 40,000 soldiers.
Canada has a population about a tenth of the US population. It spends 1.29% of its GDP on defense.
We have been the worlds welfare distributor and world protector, pony up boys time we take care of us
Trudeau acts like the French Canucks I recall in upstate NY in the early 50’s. He also is a punk.
Until 1970, Canada still had an aircraft carrier.
Today they have no ship larger than a frigate and they are all over 20 years old.
“On behalf of decent Canadians, my apologies for our Jackass in Chief. I hope President Trump makes Lil Justin cry like a girl this time.”
Well Judy, the cold hard fact of the matter is that Canada, along with the host of deadbeats in Europe, have been “happy” to let the American Taxpayer shoulder an inordinate percentage of the NATO budget since NATO’s inception. But it’s been our fault for letting all of you get away with not paying your agreed upon share.
So not the question becomes, are you and Europe willing to test Trump’s resolve and not pony up? In reality, America has “paid” for you all to run your socialist governments. We have been your “other people’s money.” So if Trump, and I hope he does, make substantial cuts to our country’s contribution to NATO, what will all of you do? Are you still betting that we will continue to pay out of our own “self interest,” because if you are, I think you are in for a surprise. I hope we’re done being the world’s financial nanny and supplier of the blood for all the world’s wars.
And frankly, I view Canada as a major freeloader, in many areas including tariffs. America will win the “trade war” with all of you!
I am well aware that the protection afforded us by the strong defense of America is what pays for a lot of our social programs, including the “free” health care. I don’t blame your president one iota for righting these wrongs. I hope Trump wins this battle on tariffs as well. I would love to see American dairy products up here. We are paying high prices for our cheese/butter/milk etc., to keep our farms earning good money, rather than having to sell in a free market.
I will fault your politicians for one thing - and that is letting things go, completely unchallenged, for years. That goes mostly for the illegal immigration. Those slimy politicians have made it very difficult for the law to be enforced now. After people have been in the country for 20 years or so, albeit illegally, it’s pretty hard to get them out. Your “leaders” of the past have made life pretty tough for your president. Same thing with getting countries to pony up their agreed upon and fair share of NATO. They never should have been allowed to skate for years. God bless your president, and a pox on my pathetic prime minister.
The Toronto Police Force is larger than the Canadian Army. A friend attended the Canadian Staff College. The entire course visited Ft. Hood and was taken on a tour of motor pool row (back when we had two armored divisions and one armored cavalry regiment garrisoned there). The bus was strangely silent as they made the drive with motor pool after motor pool all in a row.
NATO is obsolete. It’s become a defense welfare program for Europe. I think we should withdraw from NATO. — Besides, I’m guessing western Europe descends into moslem immigrant lead civil war before 2030/40. We don’t need our soldiers there for that mess.
The RCN consists of 11 outdated Frigates, the newest of which is 25 years old, and a dozen 20+ year old coastal defense patrol boats. Their 5 submarines are even more ancient with the youngest boat being 28 years old. Their navy is a laughingstock, and they would be completely dependent on us if attacked. Canada has not built a warship in 25 years, and is a perfect example of a country taking advantage of the security of NATO membership without paying the bills.
Canada contributes to NATO? What, a few bird blinds and Eskimos with shotguns?
Ya, I agree. Get rid of NATO. Tired of these other nations using us as their piggy bank and shrieking about nukes on their territories.
The Canadian military is a joke. My suggestion is that Canada work with the US and create a military force that complements ours and can be integrated into the overall defense of North America.
See my response #19.
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