Serious Political Question
- Thread starter 47WimanND
- Start date
This "you need us to protect you" rhetoric is something I always laugh at. You do realize that that your aircraft carriers are not defensive tools right? They aren't designed to sit on the coast near Florida, Washington, California, Alaska, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, etc, etc... They are designed as a tool of aggression to police the world abroad and as a platform to attack the enemy... And may I add, it's not uncommon for Canadian warships to sail as part of your carrier task forces, as many of our technologies are integrated.
As a serving member of the Canadian Armed Forces (who have successfully participated in nearly every international conflict since Canada's inception), I find it both fascinating and comical that SOME Americans feel like we owe them something because they choose to spend more on their military than all other countries combined, while we choose to invest more of our money into other social programs. Canadians have answered the bell every time the world has needed them and that continues today as more than 3000 Canadian soldiers from Edmonton, Winnipeg and Pettawawa, as well as CF-18's from Cold Lake and Bagottville and various other military equipment are being deployed to Eastern Europe on rotation, as a part of NATO'S response to Russian aggression in the region. Just as Americans are being deployed to Ukraine and surrounding countries, so are Canadians. Every month, Russian bombers fly up over the Bearing Strait to the edge of U.S. / Canadian airspace in the Arctic over Alaska / Yukon to test NORAD's capabilities and reaction time. Who is responsible to turn them back everytime? The U.S. NORAD Command at Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado and fighters scrambled from a U.S. base in Alaska? Nope... That would be the Canadian NORAD Base in North Bay, Ontario, who tracks and identifies them and scrambles Canadian fighters from CFB Cold Lake in Northern Alberta. That's Canadian tax money being used in American / Canadian security...
Just like we were there with you at Korea, and at Normandy, and Hong Kong, in Afghanistan, as we marched towards Germany, when Northern Europe needed liberating, in Italy and Sicily, when they formed the Devil's Brigade, when they formed the United Nation's Peacekeeping Taskforce (a Canadian proposal), At Vimy Ridge, at The Somme, at Dieppe, in the war on piracy in Africa... I could go on and on.
We get it. Y'all have a massive military. But this idea that others (specifically Canadians) don't pull their weight in the world when crisis hits and international intervention is needed, is foolish... If you're inclined to learn more about it, let me know. I'll happily arrange to foot the bill so you can visit the Beachwood National Military Cemetery in Ottawa, or the two massive cemeteries near Flander's Field in France that are home to thousands of fallen Canadians. While you're there if you don't mind saying hello to my 3 fallen great uncles, I would appreciate it.
Lastly, some food for thought...
We saw what a nightmare it was to fight against poor farmers in Vietnam, a tiny country, severely lacking in resources. We saw the casualties that were racked up trying to police Afghanistan against insurgency and the logistical problems modern foreign armies (including the best equipped in the world) had trying to keep peace in the region when facing a third world country.
If the United States didn't have a massive military to protect Canada, first, who is invading us tomorrow? And secondly, what foreign force would stand a chance in of hell holding the largest country in the world, that has winters every bit as cold as the ones Hitler faced in Russia and whose population actually have more guns per capita than our American neighbors? The Russians would have to nuke us, otherwise they'd be sending their boys home to Moscow in bodybags faster than they could fly and sail them across the Bearing Strait... They'd want no part of putting boots on the ground, no more than the U.S. smartly wanted no part of putting boots on the ground in mainland Japan. The casualty toll on both sides would be astronomical.
Nobody said anything like that. I wasn't critical at all. The poster said it's annoying when Canadians tell Americans how to live. I pointed out that Canadians aren't telling Americans how to live. Americans (regardless if your opinion is that it's justified, or not) sail around the world telling many others how to live... I tend to feel that it's justified for the most part (that's just my opinion), but factually speaking, that is an American practice, not a Canadian one. Another poster pointed out that Canada doesn't have an aircraft carrier and that's the reason they don't sail the world exporting democracy.... Yet last I checked the Brits and the French both have those capabilities and they don't use them in that way, so I doubt Canadians would feel obligated to either.
America began to decline with the 1960's Sol Alinski Radicals, Draft Doggers, and Radical
University Professors. While our Soldiers were dying and bleeding, The Radicals were burning flags
And undermining our fighting men.
On one hand they were protesting against an illegal,undeclared war based on continuing lies by our own government.On the other hand they were protesting the fact that the sons of the wealthy did not have to serve in the military with the deferrment of going to College, having a "vitally necessary job" or as Dan Quayle and George Bush did by jumping the line and going into the National Guard by political pull. Seems strange that when those deferrments were ended so did the Draft.
As for employment based Health Care, why is Health Care still tied to employment? My Homeowners Insurance,Auto Insurance,Umbrella Insurance,Flood Insurance, Special Valuables Insurance aren't. If I move out of State or lose my job I still keep those policies,why not my Health Care? Why are we the only developed nation on earth without national health,are we so arrogant as to think the rest of the world is stupid. National Health has been used in other nations for over one hundred years so to say it is crumbling or that people do not like living with it is pure nonsense. The Health Industry,from the AMA through big Pharmaceuticals to Rehab to all the ancillary functions have done a masterful brainwashing of us by labelling it from the beginning as "Communism" in the '50's to "Socialism" to "totally Failing" today.
Our drugs,made in the USA and very expensive here are actually sold for less in other countries, why?
We spend hundreds of millions more per capita and have poorer oucomes,why?
Greed and propaganda are the answer.
I always thought Bush's Daughters should have served with all the crap they started.
Finally, a Federal Website where you can follow how your overtaxed earnings are spent:
The new website, Beta.USAspending.gov,
The new website, Beta.USAspending.gov,
Nothing like a few Libtard Hillary style kickbacks to help your retirement!
Obama Pockets $3.2 Million For Speaking Gig In Milan
President Obama, the preeminent crusader against the evils of Wall Street, took some heat from his Progressive pals a few weeks ago when it emerged that as his first paid speech appearance he would receive $400,000 for roughly an hour of his time from, well, Wall Street, or rather Cantor Fitzgerald.
But the irony didn't end there. In an effort to combat the public outcry, the beloved former President defended his efforts by arguing that the decision to take $400,000 from Cantor Fitzgerald couldn't possibly mean that he's a sellout because, well, he already sold out to Wall Street during his initial Presidential campaign back in 2008. You can't sell out again if you've already sold out before...come on people, it doesn't work that way. Here is part of his actual statement:
"With regard to this or any speech involving Wall Street sponsors, I'd just point out that in 2008, Barack Obama raised more money from Wall Street than any candidate in history - and still went on to successfully pass and implement the toughest reforms on Wall Street since FDR."
But, according to the Express, the $400,000 fee from Cantor is nothing compared to the $3.2 million that President Obama got for his speech in Milan at the Seeds and Chips gathering in Milan today, a conference on the impact that technology, innovation and climate change will have on food availability and production worldwide.
I'm sure the ROI was worth it!
Obama Pockets $3.2 Million For Speaking Gig In Milan
President Obama, the preeminent crusader against the evils of Wall Street, took some heat from his Progressive pals a few weeks ago when it emerged that as his first paid speech appearance he would receive $400,000 for roughly an hour of his time from, well, Wall Street, or rather Cantor Fitzgerald.
But the irony didn't end there. In an effort to combat the public outcry, the beloved former President defended his efforts by arguing that the decision to take $400,000 from Cantor Fitzgerald couldn't possibly mean that he's a sellout because, well, he already sold out to Wall Street during his initial Presidential campaign back in 2008. You can't sell out again if you've already sold out before...come on people, it doesn't work that way. Here is part of his actual statement:
"With regard to this or any speech involving Wall Street sponsors, I'd just point out that in 2008, Barack Obama raised more money from Wall Street than any candidate in history - and still went on to successfully pass and implement the toughest reforms on Wall Street since FDR."
But, according to the Express, the $400,000 fee from Cantor is nothing compared to the $3.2 million that President Obama got for his speech in Milan at the Seeds and Chips gathering in Milan today, a conference on the impact that technology, innovation and climate change will have on food availability and production worldwide.
I'm sure the ROI was worth it!
Who is this General Welfare you speak of ? Did you serve under his command ?
*** I have great respect for you rgc7.. My Grandfather was a Marine. My Dad was a Marine.RIP ! I am the last Marine in my family. I have always been in awe of Korean War Marines. BadA$$ !! Unbelievable brave under unbelievable harsh conditions and vastly outnumbered. You are a Hero ! I am just finishing up a book about Chesty Puller and his time in North Korea. Frozen Chosin ! Unreal ! Hell on Earth ! Semper Fi ! Hundred times over !
thank you Bodi for the kind words, and thank you and your family for your service to our great country.
Semper Fi, Brother !
Chesty Puller, I was with the 7th Marine Regiment, Chesty commanded the 1st Regiment. I came across
Him a couple of times, and it was just awesome. He was a legend and a really great American and a Marine's Marine !
Please let me know when your book is finished so that I can buy a copy !
Semper Fi , Til I Die !
The war protests eventually brought home those fighting men. Without people protesting, Viet Nam would have dragged into the 1980's.
WimanND,
I spent a couple minutes to put a realistic war scenario together in which Canada was attacked by Russia, and had no U.S. help. Let's say for the sake of this scenario, Russia was at the point of economic collapse and desperately needed Canada's vast resources and Putin went full crazy person and decided to sail and fly across the Bearing Strait in attempt to invade Canada mere months from now. In this scenario, let's say the United States chose to be an isolationist (the reason is not important) and lend no support to Canada, as long as the Russians inflicted no damage, in any way, inside U.S. territory. So no deterrence against Russia (i.e. help for Canada from our American neighbours)... No "umbrella" protection. Also, this is a conventional war because we all know if one country nukes another, shit is hitting the fan... So lets watch this play out.
Admiral Kuznetsov and her fleet are deployed into the North Atlantic and attack Western Canada with the help of the Russian submarine fleet and their long range bombers from the airforce. Canada's western navy and airforce are overwhelmed and Western Canada is under a full fledged seige as Russia prepares to land thousands of soldiers and all of their support personnel into British Columbia, as well as paratroopers into Alberta and the Yukon.
In response, Canada immediately draws a line at Winnipeg, to defend the Central and Eastern portions of the country. 2/3 of Canada's military are located in the central and Eastern parts of the country. All elements are mobilized and thousands of reservists are called into duty.
At the same time, NATO's emergency reaction force is mobilized in Europe and begins to head West across the Atlantic for support. Simultaneously, The British Prime Minister, and his counterparts in France, Australia, Japan, etc, etc immediately declare war on Russia and support for Canada. Within hours hundreds of British, Australian, South African and Kiwi SAS commandos are in the air, headed for Canada, as well as well as French commandos, South Korean SEALS, Japanese Tokushusakusengun and Israeli Sayaret. They'll join Canada's JTF-2 operatives in what will turn into a shadow war vs Russian Spetznaz. They'll outnumber (and out specialize) the Russians some 15-1.
Shortly thereafter, HMS Queen Elizabeth and her battle group, supported by every other element of the Royal Navy will prepare to leave Portsmouth, and head towards waters in the North Atlantic. Their armada will be joined on route by Dutch and Norwegian destroyers and frigates as as our northern European friends prepare to return the favour Canada did them in liberating them during WW2. Their airforces, would join the RAF, along with those of Denmark's, Sweden's and Finland's to fly overhead cover.
A 2nd fleet of carriers Charles De Gaulle (France), Cavour (Italy) and Juan Carlos (Spain) and their accompanying warships would make way North East, through the English Channel, where they would pick up additional British Naval elements to form a massive armada, heading towards Russia, through the Bearing Strait and towards Admiral Kuznetsov.
A third fleet would leave anchor from their ports as the heads of state in Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland sent a combined fleet across the Pacific to pincer the lone Russian carrier and to combat the Russian southern fleet along the way. They would pick up their air support from Japan, South Korea and later the Turks as they made their way up towards coastal Europe. Russia would be spread incredibly thin.
Meanwhile, thousands of British Royal Marines and Aussie and Kiwi army units would prepare to depart to support the Canadian Army on the ground.
We all know how important air superiority is in modern war theaters. The Russians would undoubtedly have it early on, but as the F-18's of RCAF rallied in eastern Canada, they'd soon be joined by hundreds of British Tornado and Typhoon, French Mirage and Rafale, Spanish F-18's and Eurofighters, Italian Eurofighters and F-35's, and Eurofighters and Tornadoes of the Luftwaffe... Their new temporary homes would be every available airfield (of which there are hundreds in Eastern and Central Canada.
That would just be the first few days... I like our chances, even without our U.S. friends.
Similar comments were made by the British about the Founding Fathers. It was nonsense then and still nonsense now.
I think tommika must have been quoting someone else in that paragraph and just forgot to use quotation marks, because the rest of his/her post was not consistent with those words at all.
Very interesting scenario, IIO. I agree that Russian power projection into North America would be highly problematic, and that would be the easy part. Trying to maintain a Russian occupying force in Canada for any length of time would be next to impossible.
You also have a variety of other factors in this scenario. Such as the fact that the vast majority of the Russian military is positioned on it's Western and Southern fronts to guard against a European invasion. If the majority of those elements had to be sent East to reinforce their Naval and Airforce attack on Canada's West Coast, who would be left to defend the skies over Western Russia when Germany, Turkey, Ukraine, and elements from the French and British armies start bombing the shit out of Western Russia, supported off shore by the massive Allied Naval armada in the North Atlantic?
Furthermore, there are other variables... Like what if our friends in New Delhi said "you know what, you had our backs last time the world went to war, and we're not fond of the Russians either"... All-of-a-sudden you have a billion pa
Pissed off Indians and their massive military, up in arms as well. Similarly, emerging world power, Brazil, could become involved.
Russia's problem is that they don't have any allies that can project any power without nuclear antics. The Chinese would be more than happy to watch Russia exhaust it's resources and maintain isolationist status, knowing that in the aftermath, they'd be the lone super power in that region. They aren't friends anyways. They've hated each other for centuries. Pakistan isn't doing a damn thing or the Indians would be counting their lucky Vishnus that their opportunity to turn their despised neighbours to dust would be presenting itself. Countries like Syria have no ability to project power and if they started anything the Saudis and Israelis would snuff them out overnight. The North Koreans could get crazy, but Seoul has that under control and any attack on them would draw America into that conflict and would garner immediate support from Japan as well.
Ontario,
Good well thought out writing. I really enjoyed all your possible scienarios ! It Would make a really interesting book.
Russia may be a bully and very opportunistic , but they are not fools. Their military ( not speaking
Nuclear ) can in no way compare with that of the US or Canada. Even if they could, their economy would
Collapse without their exports of Natural Gas to Western Europe,
Even though Canada and the US are certainly sovereign countries, they are like one country
United By culture and values. That is why Canadians feel completely at home living in the USA just as
US citizens of the US feel living in Canada.
I have absolutely no doubt that an attack on any one of our countries would bring immediate
Support from the other country.
But as I said, your writing is very interesting.
Good well thought out writing. I really enjoyed all your possible scienarios ! It Would make a really interesting book.
Russia may be a bully and very opportunistic , but they are not fools. Their military ( not speaking
Nuclear ) can in no way compare with that of the US or Canada. Even if they could, their economy would
Collapse without their exports of Natural Gas to Western Europe,
Even though Canada and the US are certainly sovereign countries, they are like one country
United By culture and values. That is why Canadians feel completely at home living in the USA just as
US citizens of the US feel living in Canada.
I have absolutely no doubt that an attack on any one of our countries would bring immediate
Support from the other country.
But as I said, your writing is very interesting.
Not only would either of us immediately come to the other's defense, but among other nations, our good friends in London would come to either of our aid immediately and the British remain among the most capable military minds in the world. By 2020, they'll have launched Queen Elizabeth's sister ship, Prince of Wales and they'll be the only country in the world outside of the United States able to deploy multiple carrier taskforces at one time. It's expected that our friends in Paris will add a 2nd carrier to their battle group by 2025 as well.
Your bringing up resources is also a very good point. Let's say a scenario in which the United States and Russia ended up in a conventional war were to take place. Russia is screwed from the beginning. It's poor infrastructure doesn't allow it take advantage of some it's resources in Siberia. The Finns would immediately cut off their natural gas to Russia. It's oil supply from Libya and Syria, etc, etc would come to an immediate halt when the Saudis and Israelis bombed the living hell out of the supply chain.
Meanwhile, even without one shred of military support another country, the U.S. would be just fine. Not only do they have a quality resource reserve of their own, the Alberta oil sands have enough reserves in them to fuel America for more than a century.
While Russia would be ostracized and cut off from much needed resources to fund and fuel and war, the United States would simply pipe all the oil, gas and even water (if that was ever an issue) they could ever need in from their neighbours to the north.
Bodizephax
I've posted how many times?
I meant I am finishing reading a book about Chesty not writing one. I am not a scholar like yourself. If I ever write a book it will have a lot of pictures and exclamation points !!
Go Irish !!Ontario,
One of my favorite poems from WWI, which the nuns taught us in elementary schools, is by a Canadian doctor, John Mc Crae, In Flanders Fields. It shows the great sacrifices that the Canadians
Made in the "Great War" , and expresses clearly the true sadness of seeing ones comrades die in battle !
It is a very moving poem!
One of my favorite poems from WWI, which the nuns taught us in elementary schools, is by a Canadian doctor, John Mc Crae, In Flanders Fields. It shows the great sacrifices that the Canadians
Made in the "Great War" , and expresses clearly the true sadness of seeing ones comrades die in battle !
It is a very moving poem!
I meant I am finishing reading a book about Chesty not writing one. I am not a scholar like yourself. If I ever write a book it will have a lot of pictures and exclamation points !!
Thanks Bodi for the correction.
Semper Fi, Go Irish !
I am not even close as you folks are in regards to what is happening in this country (I mean it ) .But I believe the system has about run its course, if the progressive, liberals take over in2020. They will suck the country dry . Wont be long before the guy in charge will be wearing a uniform.
I don't know that there is a Canadian kid out there who doesn't know Lieutenant Colonel McCrae was. He was a wonderful field surgeon and died, heroically, saving lives at Ypres.
We all learn the poem at a young age...
"In Flander's Field the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row..."
The Royal Canadian Legion still distributes poppies to nation leading up to remembrance day. They are pinned to Canadians shirts, jackets and lapels above their hearts and you'd be hard pressed to find a Canadian not wearing one on Remberance Day.
McCrae's poem and the symbol of the poppy is ingrained in our culture as much as beer and hockey
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Spinna,
Exactly, Trump must succeed and be reelected, I most likely will not be around to see it, but
A Liberal takeover of our country will be a disaster and maybe the last nail in the coffin of the
Greatest Country the World has ever seen.
My friend , Bodi, mentioned Chesty Puller in another post. Well here is a paraphrased quote
From Puller foreseeing the day if America became weaker: " One day a stronger emeny will come along,
Defeat us, take our women away, and enslave us."
In my view, general speaking, I believe that we are a lot weaker as a nation than the Greatest
Generation of my parents were. They were truly, in my lifetime, " the Greatest Generation" !
I don't know that there is a Canadian kid out there who doesn't know Lieutenant Colonel McCrae was. He was a wonderful field surgeon and died, heroically, saving lives at Ypres.
We all learn the poem at a young age...
"In Flander's Field the poppies grow,
Between the crosses, row on row..."
The Royal Canadian Legion still distributes poppies to nation leading up to remembrance day. They are pinned to Canadians shirts, jackets and lapels above their hearts and you'd be hard pressed to find a Canadian not wearing one on Remberance Day.
McCrae's poem and the symbol of the poppy is ingrained in our culture as much as beer and hockey
McCrae was also one of my boyhood heros, as well as my Great Uncle Frank, who served on the Western Front !
I'd like to think that this could happen but I don't think it will. The Dems will oppose everything the Rs do, just as the Rs opposed everything the Ds did for the past 8 years (Obama), just as the Ds did in the 8 years before that (W) and the R's did in the 8 years before that (Clinton). The plan that the House passed is horrible and was nothing but smoke and mirrors to get Trump and the Rs a win. Woo Hoo! Good for them!
I have no confidence that our politicians have the will or the interest to actually work together and come up with a true health care system, whether a single payer system or otherwise. Maybe I'm just being cynical but partisan politics is that nature of the beast these days.
Duck,
Unfortunately , you are somewhat correct ! Trump is right , " Time to drain the Swamp. " , and I mean the Career politicians in both parties, and clean out all the waste and fraud to get our financial house in order.
I know that you will disagree, but I think Trump will get his programs through congress and ,if so, the Democrats will become a minority party unless they move much more to the center.
There are number of Republicans that I would also like to see gone as well, but first things first.
There is one big fear that I have, and that is a major war that we will have to fight for our self preservation.
After 25 years of complete blunders on foreign policy ( Clinton, Bush, and Obama ) ,We are running out of time with both NK and Iran, not to mention Radical Islam.
It is a very bad time to have a country so completely divided, but it is what it is.
Unfortunately , you are somewhat correct ! Trump is right , " Time to drain the Swamp. " , and I mean the Career politicians in both parties, and clean out all the waste and fraud to get our financial house in order.
I know that you will disagree, but I think Trump will get his programs through congress and ,if so, the Democrats will become a minority party unless they move much more to the center.
There are number of Republicans that I would also like to see gone as well, but first things first.
There is one big fear that I have, and that is a major war that we will have to fight for our self preservation.
After 25 years of complete blunders on foreign policy ( Clinton, Bush, and Obama ) ,We are running out of time with both NK and Iran, not to mention Radical Islam.
It is a very bad time to have a country so completely divided, but it is what it is.
agree with you strongly as who were 2 best choices ( please no more Bushes or Clintons-FATIGUE) since I n Texas and like so many other strong blue or red states- my vote doesnt matter I wrote in myself- i knew either winner would be under investigation immediately
independent commision needs to draw up congressional districts- no more gerrymandering/safe districts no more black districts hispanic districts, tea party districts- ones that are mosstly competitive- 1 an independent moderate can win ( we are 1/3 of the population) I d do a split term limit on Senate 1 open ended 1 2 year term limit mix of seniority and fresh faces- also NO majority party Committee chairs are split between parties Reverse Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United no corp money or limited/ I d also limit money only can come from in your state or a set % from outside I get to vote for 2 Senator yet a Corporation gets to vote for 100 and if they get it wrong they immediately send money to they person that ran against who they wanted
The plan the House passed is miles better than the crap Barry O came up with. You can keep your plan and your doctor bs. Just what the country needed was another entitlement.
"You can keep your plan and your doctor bs."
Actually it was not BS at all,he spoke the truth. The problem was that all scam policies were banned by law.The kind that had too many outs for the Insurance companies,too much fine print that popped up when people tried to use them. When they were gone people had to find other policies that actually worked but naturally they cost some more and had different networks. People could still choose their plan and their doctor,but they had to change from the useless plans that they were sold.
I hope you are joking. He lied and knew exactly what he was doing.
I saw the US play China in the FIFA women's World Cup in Ottawa. The Canadian national war museum is absolutely fantastic. The bravery and commitment that that nation has shown over the years is truly exemplary. Fortunately, other than the two Canadian US conflicts (who knew), they have been on our side, often joining the fray before us. They are our partners not our wards--make no mistake about that.
One of my favourite spots in Ottawa. Gorgeous location down there on the banks of the Ottawa river in the LeBreton Flats neighbourhood.
Glad you enjoyed it and I hope you had a great overall experience in Ottawa.
Yeah, but if they have the internet we might still have Nocal in here.
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We drew a line when the Russians tried to base nukes in Cuba and came very close to a nuclear exchange. I agree that Russian leaders, despite hammering shoes on the podium of the UN, were more rational than the current leader of NK.
We can't allow NK to have a missile deliverable nuke because the concept of MAD means nothing to that madman. Trump needs to convince China to do the dirty work, but if they refuse we have to take action on our own. Either that or we should just pull out the US troops on the DMZ and let SK & Japan handle their o
I apologize if you took my post as an attack on Canadians. My deceased father-in-law served in the Canadian Navy escorting supplies and troops across the North Atlantic during WWII, just like my Dad served in Burma and my Uncle was with Patton on his race around Sicily. I was at Pearl Harbor for fleet week about 7 years ago and got to tour a state of art Canadian destroyer. So no offense intended.
I certainly agree that our carriers groups are offensive not defensive weapons and that they are used to project US power worldwide. I also agree that the US has made some dubious uses of this power projection in the years since the end of WWII. Vietnam was a senseless waste of young lives and Bush II's invasion of Iraq was a mistake that left a power vacuum that has allowed Radical Islam to grow in the whole region. Saddam was a bastard but he was not a religious fanatic and he was a buffer between Iran and Syria. Assad is a bastard too, but he also is not an religious fanatic and he allowed Christians to practice their faith in Syria.
One of the things that appealed to me about Trump was his insistence that the US should not be bearing the cost of protecting Europe from Russia or Iran or protecting SK & Japan from China & NK. We are stuck in a worldwide economy in which we have financial interests in other nations but are those financial interests worth US lives or Canadian lives, not to mention US tax dollars and defense expenditures.
The wild card in all this is if you have a madman in NK or a religious fanatic in Iran with the capability of delivering a nuke(s) to North America. Do we wait for that to happen and then respond or do we take action in those regions to prevent the initial event. I suspect that either decision will end badly. I hope China sees an advantage in shutting down NK. If war erupts on the Korean peninsula China has as much to lose as anyone.
I also suspect the Middle East is hopeless and ultimately Israel will face an existential threat and will use it's own nuclear weapons to make the region uninhabitable. I don't see how you compromise with pure hatred.
Has anyone found an objective side by side comparison of the two plans that was not written by a political group? I'm tired of all the BS from all sides.
Shhhhh.... You're going to viewed as a Leninist, socialist, borderline Communist traitor for even thinking about pointing out the huge purple elephant in the room.
Priority #1 for any nation is serious about high quality, serious, affordable, Universal Healthcare... Regulation. I know, I know. That's an evil word. It will lead to Darth Vader and the Empire forming in The United States.
In the history of this planet, there has never been a truly affordable (for everyone), quality, universal healthcare system in a nation that champions the idea of free markets to the point that they value money over the well being of the citizens of said nation. Drug companies, HMO'S, etc, etc can still get absolutely filthy rich, while capping what can be charged for medical care and setting the cap at numbers that make sense for Americans. In a country of well over 300 million people, every one of them needing a varying degrees of healthcare, the cost of healthcare (and quality higher education) in the USA is complete madness. Drug companies and Insurance companies can still be rolling in cash without putting you guys out of house and home and watching people die in the hospital because they have no coverage.
When money takes precedence over human life, there is a substantial problem.
