5 ms·

The Canadian defense budget is quite small (30bn). 4bn is a big number compared to that but in general this is quite small compared to most developed countries.

The Canadian defense budget is quite small (30bn). 4bn is a big number compared to that but in general this is quite small compared to most developed countries. I believe Canada has been quiet thanks to their neighbors protecting them but with that changing I’m wondering whether there will be a shift in defense spending. This will also create new jobs and a market which the economy probably needs.

huxley 8mo ago
There are only 15 countries worldwide with a higher defence budget than Canada so the budget is hardly tiny, it just doesn’t meet the arbitrary and obscene targets of 2/5% GDP. In actuality, Canada spends more than twice as much per capita than the world average. The only realistic threat to Canada is the new one from Donald Trump, but it would take closer to 30% GDP to protect from that one.
- k12sosse 8mo ago
  Would be cheaper to just buy a billion worth of his crypto and then he'll be offering us all the bubba treatment, eh?
- palmotea 8mo ago
  > There are only 15 countries worldwide with a higher defence budget than Canada so the budget is hardly tiny... Canada is pretty big: it's the second-largest country by land-area. Surely there must be certain defense expenditures that need to scale with that? > In actuality, Canada spends more than twice as much per capita than the world average. That seems like a twisted measure, due to 1) the land-area issue I mentioned above, and 2) there are a lot of countries in the world that are small and poor, and thus cannot afford a military that can actually defend themselves. > The only realistic threat to Canada is the new one from Donald Trump... That's actually not a realistic threat, either.
  - watwut 8mo ago
    How is USA not realistic threat? They are already going out of their way to harm and weaken Canada. They are openly talking about expanding. They are already commiting war crimes in pacific and have fascist leadership. With president likely having alzeihmer or dementia or other mental healt issue
    - palmotea 8mo ago
      Trump says a lot of things, but he pretty much always chickens out. I am certain he'd chicken out of invading Canada, if that's something he was ever seriously considering. And I doubt he's seriously considering it: he appears to believe being "unpredictable" gives him advantage in negotiations, saying outrageous things makes him "unpredictable."
      - lenkite 8mo ago
        He is not chickening out in committing international piracy and abduction. Annexation is just a step away from that. Greenland is a soft, conquerable target - can hoist the Stars&Stripes and stomp the natives under boots without much trouble. Canada, on the other hand, is bloody hard and conquest won't happen.
        palmotea 8mo ago
        > He is not chickening out in committing international piracy and abduction. The boat attacks are small actions, unlikely to result in any consequences. Also I haven't followed it super-closely, but I believe the claim is those are cartel drug-smuggling boats, and I haven't seen anything indicating that's wrong (e.g. they bombed an innocent fishing boat). No one cries for the poor, grotesquely guilty cartels. Trump will do low-cost stuff like that. Also piracy requires plunder. Blowing boats up isn't piracy, because there's no plunder. No one liked Maduro, and he probably stole his last election (at least), so no one's really crying for him. Are you? > Greenland is a soft, conquerable target - can hoist the Stars&Stripes and stomp the natives under boots without much trouble. Didn't Trump already back down on that? > Canada, on the other hand, is bloody hard and conquest won't happen. So you concede my point? Even with Canada's military exactly as it is right now, there's no realistic military threat to it from Trump, because he's never going to commit to anything that costly.

huxley 8mo ago

There are only 15 countries worldwide with a higher defence budget than Canada so the budget is hardly tiny, it just doesn’t meet the arbitrary and obscene targets of 2/5% GDP. In actuality, Canada spends more than twice as much per capita than the world average. The only realistic threat to Canada is the new one from Donald Trump, but it would take closer to 30% GDP to protect from that one.

k12sosse 8mo ago
Would be cheaper to just buy a billion worth of his crypto and then he'll be offering us all the bubba treatment, eh?
palmotea 8mo ago
> There are only 15 countries worldwide with a higher defence budget than Canada so the budget is hardly tiny... Canada is pretty big: it's the second-largest country by land-area. Surely there must be certain defense expenditures that need to scale with that? > In actuality, Canada spends more than twice as much per capita than the world average. That seems like a twisted measure, due to 1) the land-area issue I mentioned above, and 2) there are a lot of countries in the world that are small and poor, and thus cannot afford a military that can actually defend themselves. > The only realistic threat to Canada is the new one from Donald Trump... That's actually not a realistic threat, either.
- watwut 8mo ago
  How is USA not realistic threat? They are already going out of their way to harm and weaken Canada. They are openly talking about expanding. They are already commiting war crimes in pacific and have fascist leadership. With president likely having alzeihmer or dementia or other mental healt issue
  - palmotea 8mo ago
    Trump says a lot of things, but he pretty much always chickens out. I am certain he'd chicken out of invading Canada, if that's something he was ever seriously considering. And I doubt he's seriously considering it: he appears to believe being "unpredictable" gives him advantage in negotiations, saying outrageous things makes him "unpredictable."
    - lenkite 8mo ago
      He is not chickening out in committing international piracy and abduction. Annexation is just a step away from that. Greenland is a soft, conquerable target - can hoist the Stars&Stripes and stomp the natives under boots without much trouble. Canada, on the other hand, is bloody hard and conquest won't happen.
      - palmotea 8mo ago
        > He is not chickening out in committing international piracy and abduction. The boat attacks are small actions, unlikely to result in any consequences. Also I haven't followed it super-closely, but I believe the claim is those are cartel drug-smuggling boats, and I haven't seen anything indicating that's wrong (e.g. they bombed an innocent fishing boat). No one cries for the poor, grotesquely guilty cartels. Trump will do low-cost stuff like that. Also piracy requires plunder. Blowing boats up isn't piracy, because there's no plunder. No one liked Maduro, and he probably stole his last election (at least), so no one's really crying for him. Are you? > Greenland is a soft, conquerable target - can hoist the Stars&Stripes and stomp the natives under boots without much trouble. Didn't Trump already back down on that? > Canada, on the other hand, is bloody hard and conquest won't happen. So you concede my point? Even with Canada's military exactly as it is right now, there's no realistic military threat to it from Trump, because he's never going to commit to anything that costly.