The U.S. Military
Canada's Big Bro'?

Barbara Yaffe is often like a breath of fresh air at the Vancouver Stunned, as she often writes about relevant issues while actually acknowledging reality. She tends to get a bit stunned herself if Israel is the issue, but that seems to be required to maintain employment with the Mainstream Propaganda Machine. I must admit, I felt she strayed a bit off the reality-based reservation with her recent piece Symbiosis: We have energy, the U.S. can defend us. Granted though, much of what she says here is accepted as common wisdom, in spite of the weaknesses of many of the assumptions. Her piece begins:

A compelling dynamic increasingly is at play in Canada-U.S. relations: Symbiosis.

The United States is going to find itself more and more beholden to Canada for energy supplies, as Canada has always leaned on Uncle Sam for for military protection.

Not a bad arrangement, when you think about it.

The U.S. is the world's greatest military power and its defensive shield, built in its own best interest, has been designed to protect the continent.

Why would we spend billions when we couldn't hope to defend ourselves against the Americans, and the Americans would protect northern soil from any outside invader?

Indeed why should we spend "billions" on defense, when we can't defend ourselves from the country MOST LIKELY to invade us, indeed the only country that has engaged Canadians in battle on the North American continent. Mexico has oil also, but theUS hasn't invaded them lately. Indeed Mexico seems to be getting even nowadays, though their occupation of the US is much less violent than the US occupation of Iraq. But, really, why accept the bully most likely to roll you as your protector.

Perhaps Canada should consider the Swiss model. The Swiss have survived centuries of warfare among the "powers" of Europe, often being in the center of the action, yet have managed to stay above the fray and un-invaded. Perhaps if it were common knowledge that Canada would have to be won house by house, by farm, by ranch and logging camp rather than by capturing Stephen Harper and making him say "uncle" it would be more convenient to deal with Canada honourably when seeking say...resources.

There is no question that the United States of Greed covets what Canada has - the oil, the timber, the minerals, the agricultural bounty AND soon maybe most importantly the DRINKABLE water. Of course maybe I'm giving the U.S. more credit than they deserve and should just admit that they will just take what they want by military conquest if they can't get it through economic swindling - which is working pretty darn well for them at the moment. If Stephen Harper gets his coveted majority in Parliament and stays at the helm very long, he will probably retire as the governor of the largest state in the union.

Ms. Yaffe is right when she says:

To be sure, in saving on military spending, we have certainly expended some political capital; there has been a psychological price to pay in that the U.S. has always resented Canada for freeloading on its defense capacity.

Former U.S. ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci went so far as to say so in 2005, when he publicly urged this country to start investing in its own military.

I agree with the angry Italian who preceded the idiot missing from a village in the Carolinas, but Canada should invest in a military to defend its own territory and interests. Canada needs a high-tech air and sea oriented defense to patrol and protect its immense borders, all of which are shorelines, except that with our biggest threat, the bully down south. Our military shouldn't be designed to help the US and its Global Corporate interests in exploiting the rest of the world. Needless to say, there is little that Canada should emulate that characterizes the US, especially the US of Bush the Lesser.

Right now the United States is trying to corral all the resources of the globe by scam or by the gun, using money borrowed from people who don't necessarily like them and won't necessarily continue to fund their dreams of empire. Canada should remember that it is a sovereign nation, with its own interests, which aren't necessarily the same as those of Amerika. I know the US is the biggest customer for Canadian exports, but all of the riches that Canada has are just as valuable everywhere on the planet. Making the US pay for Canadian goods in Euros might be something to think about in the meantime.

It seems to me like Canada should re-consider the whole idea of being the bum boy to the biggest arsehole on the block.