Do Canadians really want to build up their military to meet US demands? Our tradition is to keep peace.?
826416
Got this e-mail today.  This is a good read - funny how it took someone in England to put it into words...\n\nSunday Telegraph Article\nFrom today's UK wires: Salute to a brave and modest nation\nKevin Myers, The Sunday Telegraph\n\n    LONDON - Until the deaths last week of four Canadian soldiers accidentally killed by a U.S. warplane in Afghanistan, probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops were deployed in the region.  And as always, Canada will now bury its dead, just as the rest of the world as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does.\n\n    It seems that Canada's historic mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored. Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries.  But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again.\n \n    That is the price Canada pays for sharing the North American continent with the United States, and for being a selfless friend of Britain in two global conflicts. For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two different directions: It seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an  address in the new one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully got the gratitude it deserved.\n \n    Yet its purely voluntary contribution to the cause of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of any democracy. Almost 10% of Canada's entire population of seven million people served in the armed forces during the First World War, and nearly 60,000 died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded by Canadian troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire British order of battle.\n \n    Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by downright neglect, its unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the popular Memory as somehow or other the work of the "British." \n\n     The Second World War provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a half dozen vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic against U-boat attack. More than 120 Canadian warships participated in the Normandy landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went ashore on D-Day alone. Canada finished the war with the third-largest navy and  the fourth-largest air force in the world.\n\n    The world thanked Canada with the same sublime indifference as it had the previous time. Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film only if it was necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign in which the United States had clearly not participated - a touching scrupulousness which, of ourse, Hollywood has since abandoned, as it has any notion of a separate Canadian identity.\n\n    So it is a general rule that actors and filmmakers arriving in Hollywood keep their nationality - unless, that is, they are Canadian. Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, Michael J. Fox, William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg, Alex Trebek, Art Linkletter and Dan Aykroyd have in the popular perception become American, and Christopher Plummer, British. It is as if, in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian ceases to be Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as unshakably Canadian as a moose, or Celine Dion, for whom Canada has proved quite unable to find any takers.\n\n    Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously alert to the achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the world is completely unaware of them. The Canadians proudly say of themselves - and are unheard by anyone else - that 1
546185
No.  Canada is known for their quality.  They help to keep other countries in check.  They are peace keepers.  They help to keep our brothers and sisters south of the border from getting blamed for things they haven't done.  USA may be the brute force of combat but, they also need Canada as peace keepers to help smooth over a countries' people from the upset of military conflict.  This in general has given Canada a respect that other countries cannot obtain.  Things maybe disturbing in Afghanistan and as peace keepers there will always be a cost.  Remember Canada's Prime Minister is also answerable to the Queen of England and if the Queen wants us there, we are there.
683185
We aren't open to attack on our borders.  We have many military installations on the Canadian as well as Mexican borders.  We still have more troops here than in Iraq.
1154795
I am a Canadian who has American roots, and have brothers and sisters in the States.  I also lived there for a couple of years.  Both countries have their up and down sides.  Medical treatment in Canada is far easier to obtain whether you are rich or poor. No one is denied treatment just because they cannot afford it.  Our social programs are better for those less fortunate. Freedom of speech is strongly endorsed and supported here, and we feel quite free to voice our opinions to our government.  Hate propaganda is not tolerated and carrying weapons will land you to jail.  The scenery is beautiful and if the cold weather bothers you there's always the west coast which rarely sees snow.  Although the crimes stats and drug problem has escalated in recent years it's still one of the safest countries to live in. Our peace keeping efforts are well known and respected around the world . In the past month our government has allocated a large amount of money towards tightening up our security to combat terrorism and our immigration laws are to be tightened up immensly.  We have realized that our immigration laws have been too lax and a much more vigilent screening process is being put in place.  I may be a little biased but my vote goes to Canada.
818528
well, that might be a good idea, if canada and america worked together with the military, to protect the bourders, not really thinking so much of immigrants but more of terrorist , sneaking in that way
844751
Last time it didn't go so well..\n\n\nThere is the problem that Canada is still a part of the commonwealth which means that you would not only be contending with Canada, but the military forces of all the commonwealth members.  \n\nYou would also need to bring back a serious draft before doing it.   Let's face it the first thing Canada will do to defend it's boarders is conscription.     So is it really worth it,  the cost of actually invading it  and the potential of it not going well are quite great.
599356
Good Question, I am not an athority on Canadan History but to answer your question I need to know a few things?\n\nWhen does it start being Canada and stop being a british taritory?  The United States fought British Troops in both attempts to attack northword (I am sure some of the troops may have considerd themselves to be Canadan)\n\nyou said "attacked Canada"  Do you include the Germans attacking Canadan units in france in WW1 and WW2?  The 3rd Canadain Infatry Divison stormed Juno Beach in Normandy on D-Day.\n\nBut if you only mean the mainland than I have no new information to add.
1052229
Hello, Canada!  Have you forgotten all the troops we prematurely pulled out of Afghanistan and sent into Iraq? Tell you what. Why don't some of you nice Canadian boys step up and take some of the load in Iraq, and then we can send some of our guys back into Afghanistan to finish that little job, or haven't you heard? Since we had to cover two fronts without much help from our northern buddies, we kind of let the Taliban regroup, so now we've got to go back and knock 'em back down again.  Who knows? Maybe second time's a charm and we'll get old bin Ladin this go round, eh?\n\nUpdate:  For those of you apparently residing on a different planet, here's a link to yesterday's news out of Afghanistan (excuse me, this ABC report was filed on June 20.) This is the ABC Blog site.\n\nhttp://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/06/us_back_at_full.html
696075
we appologise for tryign to be the world police and evacuate our military presencse from any place that doesn't want us to be there. \nthen if any thing else happnes to us retaliate with a random nuclear missle strike in teh suspected location of the source. use surpluss military to gaurd airports and border.
464051
You're startin' to rile the natives...\nBut to answer your question, If they keep it up, the whole damn world will be addicted, so there won't be time for wars. \n\nGOOD JOB Y!A Team!!!!
259295
As a Canadian, I have to say, we are a strong Country.  But we are not srong because we can push over other governments, or blow people up; we are strong because of our citizens and our faith in humankind.  Canadians are educated, healthy and generally most of us are able to be not only wise but objective when making decisions that influence the world's population.  We are not oppressing other nations due to any lack of power, but because we have no desire to oppress anyone.  \n\nCanada sends aid, in many forms to countries all over the world, including the US when they require assistance. \n\nDusty made a few comments, that need a bit of clarification because I dont want him or anyone else to feel pity for us Canadians.  \n\n1  We have customs problems because your US government implemented huge taxes, legislation, and conditions during the free trade agreement from 1988-89.  Also, since 9/11 your US Governemnt stiffened customs fees for all forest products.  (I live on Vancouver Island, and we have 200 trucks leaving every day from logging camps, directly exporting those logs to your side of the border, 2hours away) and shamefully the companies were sold to US firms under trade agreements, and those raw log exports have crushed the 3 communities that depended on the manufacturing of those raw logs. aside from the fact that those logs were clear cut in the first place, going against all logging practices in other areas of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia at that! we are not a Country to be pitied.  Actually, I pity the US citizens, your Goverment does an excellent job of oppressing you, its benefactors, maintaining the widening gap between rich and a poor, a poorer job of educating and encouraging its youth. \n\n2 our dollar value may hover at $.78 or whatever, but if we actually claimed full value for our dollar, many of our citizens would be crushed by the rise of inflation, the Countries we support would not be able to receive our aid, many variables affect our dollar value, with the intention of 'the good for all' not the 'good for me' mentality that coexists next to us.
682952
No. I think that's a horrible idea. We want military troops who are Americans and are willing to die for their own country, not forced or coerced...that would not only mean they wouldn't do a good job for us, but it would be another thing for them to cry about..."My son went to war for you...so now you have to let all fifty of his closest relatives in for free and in the front of the line!" \nNO THANKS!
259514
No, as Canada is becoming progressively more moderate/conservative (see the election of Steven Harper), it's ties with the US through Bush should only become more friendly.\n\nHeh, unless the US decides to go nuts and bomb everyone.
813039
WE don't want trouble makers we have enough of our own lol.\n\nI guess they need permission not just from P.O. but from Canada too.\n\nwww.canada.gc.ca
626115
Well, if I had the choice... I would use the US Airforce to napalm the Canadians. Then we have a better view of the North Pole!!!
695059
Canada is sticking ti its guns, why can'f the US.
1007418
Your are so right!\nThis is a WAR and we can not hold back.\nWe need to operate within the confines of the Geneva Convention, yes.  But we have so far and there is no reason to think that will change.\nThe simple fact is, as simple as it sounds, either fight them there or fight them here.\nWho would not prefer there!\nNo living American remembers but during the War of 1812 we were invaded.  The White House was burned, many Americans died here on their home soil.\nLet us do what we must to prevent the same happening again!