Polite Canadian society does not like to admit, though it is perfectly understood, that Canada’s presence is but dust in the military balance. It’s been about half a century since anyone regarded the Canadian military as a significant player. Current events in Iraq are not, whatever some conservatives might imagine, a replay of World War Two. This is a minor policing operation in which the middle powers are providing diplomatic cover for the actions of the Great Powers.
Among the relatively large nations of human history Canada is almost unique in one respect: We don’t strictly speaking need a military. There has not been a direct existential threat to Canada in more than a century. The only nation capable of invading is the one nation that would never try. Our security has been under written by either Britain or the United States for over two centuries. Tomorrow we could dispense with the whole of the Canadian Forces and, leaving aside the communities in which our few military bases are located, I doubt anyone would notice.
So why have a military when we don’t really need one?
Richard Anderson, “Macho Man”, The Gods of the Copybook Headings, 2014-10-10.
September 19, 2015
QotD: Why do we have armed forces?
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Because one just never knows. Putin has just laid out the whole EU artiface as a fraud. Might still makes right and talking shops are still no match for tanks. It makes sense not to have an armed forces when every country in the world has disarmed themselves. While there are still rogue nations and conflicting political systems, it is best to still have a back up – just in case.
Comment by Wallhouse Wart — September 19, 2015 @ 07:22