Re: Examining our military spending in Canada .....
sdgreen
"Karen Gordon" <ar...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA> wrote in message
news:dud95m$2dm$1...@theodyn.ncf.ca...
> (K): Updates from 2000 to now at end of this article.....
> _____________________________
>
>
>> (K): These are the numbers just up to the year 2000.....
>> _________________
>>
>> Date: February 29, 2000
>>
>> Corporations and NATO Dictate Canadian Military Spending
>>
>> Vancouver: Representatives of End the Arms Race, one of Canada's
>> largest and most active peace groups, say that Canada's $1.9 billion
>> military budget increase is determined by NATO and the global military
>> corporate lobby.
>>
>> "This budget clearly demonstrates that democracy means nothing," says
>> Peter Coombes National Organizer for End the Arms Race. "The demand
>> for increased military spending is coming from the United States, NATO
>> and the corporate military lobby. It's blatantly obvious that Chretien
>> and Martin have abandoned the needs of Canadians in favour of the
>> pro-militarist lobby."
>>
>> Coombes was referring to an Angus Reid poll that shows Canadians rank
>> military spending as the lowest priority and prefer increased funding
>> for social programs, including health care and education.
>>
>> This year's increase of $350 million puts Canada's military budget
>> back up to mid-1980 Cold War levels. Over the next four years Canada's
>> military will get an extra $1.9 billion dollars ($350 million 2000,
>> $400 for 2001, $550 for 2002 and $600 for 2003).
>>
>> During the 1980s Canada more than doubled its military spending in
>> just ten years from $5.3 billon in 1980 to $11.9 in 1989, in real
>> dollar amounts. Even when accounting for inflation Canada's military
>> budget could be more than 10% greater than 1980. Procurement costs
>> nearly tripled during this period while the number of personnel fell
>> from 80,000 to 60,000. "Over the past decade Canadian tax payers and
>> soldiers paid for the mechanization of war including new frigates,
>> 'smart bombs', and other toys for the generals," said Coombes
>>
>> Canada's military spending ranks average or higher when compared in
>> real dollar terms to our allies and global military spending. Prime
>> Minister Chretien acknowledged to reporters recently that Canada is
>> the sixth largest military spender within NATO when ranked by real <==
>> dollars. This was a response to NATO's Secretary General who was
>> pressuring Canada to increase military spending. From 1980 to 1995
>> Canada's share of world military spending nearly doubled and with
>> dramatic increases last year and this year the trend will continue.
>>
>> "The drive for new equipment for the military has been a tag-team
>> effort by Canadian weapons corporations and the military. Powerful
>> industry organizations such as the Aerospace Industries Association of
>> Canada and the Canadian Defence Industries Association have lobbied
>> intensely for more government contracts to replace Canada's 'crumbling'
>> military equipment," says Steve Staples, peace researcher and an End the
>> Arms Race executive member.
>>
>> The beneficiaries of the $1.2 billion needed to upgrade cockpit
>> electronics of CF-18s so that they can use the latest in 'smart bombs'
>> include corporate giants Bombardier Aerospace, CAE Electronics, Litton
>> Systems Canada, and Hughes Aircraft.
>>
>> Canada's newly acquired Upholder submarines, which were purchased from
>> Britain will also require expensive upgrades. The costs of installing
>> new torpedo systems, sonar and communication equipment will costs
>> hundreds of millions of dollars. Corporate beneficiaries of the
>> program include Ballard Power Systems, which could be contracted to
>> install fuel cell technology to give the subs a 'near-nuclear'
>> capability.
>>
>> The largest contract expected to be announced this year is the $2 to $3
>> billion Maritime Helicopter Program to buy up to 32 new submarine-attack
>> helicopters for the Navy's patrol frigates.
>>
>> "Increasing Canada's military spending now, ten years after the Cold
>> War, simply makes no sense. Military spending is being used as a
>> corporate subsidy at the expense of the public good," added Staples.
> ===================================
>
> Update on our military spending:
>
> Military expenditure
>
> Canada's defence budget for 2004: $13 billion.
> Promised budget boost: $12.8 billion over the next five years.
>
> Armed Forces
>
> Today: 62,000 military personnel including 9,500 sailors, 19,500 soldiers,
> 14,500 air force personnel and 20,000 administrative and support
> personnel. There are also about 22,000 reservists.
>
> Second World War: 60,000 men and women enlisted in Canada's armed forces
> in one month (September 1939) after the declaration of war.
>
> First World War: More than 600,000 Canadians enlisted to fight in the
> First World War from 1914-1918.
>
> Navy
>
> Today: There are 30 surface ships, four submarines and 9,500 sailors in
> Canada's navy.
>
> Second World War: At the end of the war, Canada had the third-largest
> fleet in the world, after the U.S. and the U.K. 23 Canadian ships were
> sunk by German U-Boats in the Battle of St. Lawrence alone.
>
> First World War: During the course of the First World War, Canada's naval
> service grew to a force of 9,000 men and 100 ships.
>
> Canadians on the front lines
>
> Today: More than 1,200 members of the Armed Forces are deployed overseas.
>
> Second World War: More than one million served and approximately 45,000
> died.
>
> First World War: Almost 620,000 Canadians served in First World War and
> 66,000 died.
>
> Canada in NATO: Of NATO's 19 member countries, Canada is...First in land
> area (9,093,507 sq. km), and sixth in total military spending ($13
> billion)
>
>
>> """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
>> War is when the government tells you who the bad guy is.
>> Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.
>> """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
>
The Liberal governments of recent and in the past starved the Canadian
Forces to a point where large expenditures are now necessary. Furthermore,
the Liberals created a huge civilian administrative element which by in
large is not necessary.
The Canadian Forces uniformed personnel should be about 100,000 in total,
and we should prepare them as augmentary quick reaction multi-roll units to
respond to national and international catastophes, or peace keeping fighting
forces. As long as there are terrorists and those who create human tragedy
(like Saddam Hussien) there is a need for a military. Even then it is
necessary to have a discipline force prepared to assist in national
disasters.
The Conservatives are on the right track.
Spokesman
"sdgreen" <sd.g...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:440a4...@news.tm.net.my...
Does this increase go to pay for repairs on the burned out hulk of the
canadian submarine?
>
>
Mountain Goat
As did the Baloney government
>The Canadian Forces uniformed personnel should be about 100,000 in total,
>and we should prepare them as augmentary quick reaction multi-roll units to
>respond to national and international catastophes, or peace keeping fighting
>forces. As long as there are terrorists and those who create human tragedy
>(like Saddam Hussien) there is a need for a military. Even then it is
>necessary to have a discipline force prepared to assist in national
>disasters.
>
The Canadian Forces were 100,000 in the 1950s and early 60s, the cuts
started under Diefenbaker and continued under Pearson and every Prime
Minister since. There has been no public pressure to reverse this
until recently.
--
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement
of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent
encroachments of those in power than by violent and
sudden usurpations." - US President James Madison
"To be a social conservative is to believe that the
poor have too much money, and the rich don't have
enough." - J.K. Galbraith
"You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get
yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days
is to go about repeating the very phrases which our
founding fathers used in the struggle for independence."
- Charles Austin Beard