http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnist ... 11224.html
Wed, April 7, 2004
No military power means no respect
By PETER WORTHINGTON
HOW ESSENTIAL is the military to Canada?
Even before the Soviet Union imploded to end the Cold War, there were many who felt the military was an unnecessary expense. The defence budget was invariably the first to be cut in times of financial concern.
Today, Canada has proportionately the smallest, least well-equipped army in the developed world.
As far as our national security is concerned, the anti-militarists are right - we don't need a military. If we face grave danger from some alien invader, the Americans will protect us for their own security reasons.
They will scorn us, too.
However, if Canada wants to be respected, or have any substantial influence in the society of nations, a small, professional, well-equipped and competent military is absolutely essential. It may be a sorry comment on the real world, but no country without a serious military has anything but negligible influence.
Throughout the Jean Chretien years especially, Canada's military was mostly stagnant - and our influence as a country declined accordingly. With an army of 20,000, of whom barely 4,000 could be termed "combat"troops, we are capable only of limited operations for short periods. We've joined four wars since the 1990s - the first Gulf war, Somalia, Kosovo and Afghanistan. In these our only casualties from enemy action were caused by mines or bombs in Kabul.
Our army was unfit to participate in the war against Iraq's Saddam Hussein, even had the PM wanted it to.
Politically we made a virtue of not joining our traditional allies - the U.S., Britain, Australia - in that war.
Morale of our military is at a low ebb. And no wonder. For years, a succession of federal governments have short-changed the military, while expecting them to excel on demand. Paradoxically, the quality of our troops remains high.
Training is superior to the equipment, with most soldiers younger than the helicopters, tanks, ships, aircraft they are saddled with.
When overseas, our troops are Canada's best ambassadors. Invariably they plunge into humanitarian good works in the countries in which they are stationed.
All of us want Canada to play a role in the future.
All of us want to be worthy of respect. But we will exert no influence and command no respect, if we let our military wither, as has been going on for too long.
The dangers today are different and more varied than in the past. The need for Canadian soldiers will increase - unless we abdicate responsibility and freeload on others.
everywhere else in the world but this sad little country. Typical Canada, turn the Foreign office into just one more government department. 
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