Army Guy

How do you tie this to the con's, The liberals also have a record of buying US, why because it's cheaper to buy rather than concieve a new piece of equipment. Canada can not have it's cake and eat it as well...Military R&D takes 3 to 4 times the amount to produce a viable piece of equipment...It's hard enough to peurchase equipment already, can you imigine the pill the Canadian tax payer would have to swallow if we designed and built our own equipment here in Canada... What would be a perfect size for our military, with just over 36 million as a population base...and while i will agree with you that we don't need a huge military but if you put it into context we have only 15,000 pers in the army of which only 7500 are in combat trades, thats only 7500 combat troops for the 2 and largest nation in the world...So your right Canada does need to rationalize it's approach to our military....

Paul martin did do alot more than any liberal party in regards to the military....but that was easy to do when you've been starved for so long by previous governments. But really what projects did Paul start and complete during his riegn...

This whole post is some what twisted don't you think...when you get right done to it..but i truely believe that most here really don't have a single clue on what war is really like, they're perception of a battlefield is like being on the rifle range or back in the 1700's when we used to use line abreast, taking turns shooting at each other at close range....with the town folks turning out on the high ground to watch the slaughter below.... Todays modern battlefield is your worse nightmare x 1000, everything a soldier is taught, or is armed with is for one reason only to close with and destroy the enemy, with any means nessicary...it's full of death and destruction, turning someone into a fine pink mist is not just a colorful military expression it's what happens when a human is hit with a 25 mm round or an RPG...thats right War is our own invention on turning hell into reality.... Soldiers rarely have the luxury of sitting down and comtemplating a problem,for days on end.... should i fire should i wait, is the house occupied by civilians etc etc...no we have split seconds to make decisions....that will effect us all for the rest of our lives....In reality our main goal in life is to take enemies lives, to survive the day, or operation to fight another day...so you look around at all your comrads faces which are as close to you as your own brothers and sisters, and you decide...taking out that mud hut with all those machine guns inside and perhaps some civilians as well ...by fast air or arty strike....or see all your comrads die in the rush to overwhelm the bad guys on foot....you got a split second....times up did you grab the radio, or are you looking into thier eyes for the last time while you shout charge, that postion.....hopefully you'll survive to write all those letters home dear miss bloggins i regret to inform you that your husband , father of your children has died in a heroic dash to kill the enemy....in order to save some civilians that the bad guys had taken hostage....and while it does happen, it's not the norm.... I'll tell you what i did i grabed the radio... I am an instrument of my government and it's people...I've been given orders to limit collatoral damage, but when the lives of my men are at stake, and there is no other chioce to be made, inocent people may die...and i will have to live with that for the rest of my life...every time i close my eyes and drift of to sleep, those moments will replay over and over in my mind... My piont is this there is NO such thing as a clean and concise war....never will be...when we as Canadians send our troops into combat , we are going to kill, bad guys and inocent civilians it's a fact of war....you either don't send us or come to the conclusion that war sucks and people on all sides are going to die....Until you've been in combat you'll never understand, and without that understanding i find it hard for you to judge me or any soldiers decission on the battle field...

I just read the below article and it got me wondering, what was the piont of this article, to have Tax payers start to think what it costs us to have a modern military, or was it just a plug to cause some stir, having taxpayers rethink our entire national defense complex....then i thought it must must of been a slow day in our nations media centers....Here is the opening quote... My linknews.globaltv.com/ Here is what i find thats just wrong or not very objective... Do we all really expect the conservatives to be in office for the next 20 years...not really and with each new government change comes an entirely different plan....so is there cause for concern.... Lets just say the cons do remain in office for the next 20 years, "hey it's my post" and i'm making the rules...Cons are in for the next 20 years....over that time it will cost Canadians a grand total of 7300.00 dollars to keep our current military somewhat modern, but what does that really mean.... It means each tax payer will have to pay 365.00 dollars of his or hers total tax bill each year to keep our current military, and all they provide Canadians... I know what your thinking 365.00 dollars is a shit load of cash...but is it really, shit it would not even cover what most of spend on beer, in fact it does not even average out to one case a month... Still nervous.... Well lets see what we pay on health care, Canadians favorite topic.... My linken.wikipedia.org/wiki/ I know wiki is not the best source, but it does check out with other links...that 5452.00 is per year, so in 20 years thats 109,040.00 dollars per tax payer, and thats not adjusted for inflation or increases, last year alone health care costs rose 5 %....now does that make you nervous... The rest of the article talks about SUbs, and navy helo's ....both purchases were made by polictical parties, trying to be seen as saving a few dollars, was the military even consulted...lets remember that these purchases were made when DND was starving for funds, or any new equipment....when the same old questions came up....We really need AOR's , and destroyers...not Subs....we had a navy helo picked out and contracts signed....all cancelled...in favour of another which is still not delivered...was it the helo the military wanted , were they consulted, or where they just saying just get us something the ones we have are falling out of the sky.... So what is the piont of the whole article, that governmant should stay out of buying military equipment...when they do they make bad decisions, or is it we don't spend enough on our military,

I don't know what is with our olympic mens hockey game....we end up choking ...The swiss should have won that last game...i mean who in the hell are the swiss when it comes to ice hockey anyways ....They had the team to beat last olympics and they almost beat us again this year...should have given the womens team the guys jerseys....would have been a better game...or better yet have the guys wear the girls jerseys...seeing how they play like girls.... Now perhaps the Toronto Maple leafs should send thier scouts to check out the swiss teams.... The mens team will be lucky to see a medal this time out as well....looks good on them....

I think if you took the time and read the entire letter, or article, it might give us all some insite into what is like to be a soldiers wife...a tough task, harder than being a soldier, no hero's welcome, no pat on the back, nobody buying you a beer and saying thanks...just them and the kids being carted around the country from one shit hole to another, lets face it military bases are rarely in the nice to vist areas of the country...left to be both parents...i can relate, my first marriage ended pretty much that way...it's just the way it is when you chose to serve...i takes a very understanding women to put up with the shit a soldiers wife puts up with....God bless them all, even the bitches

This is common practice in the Military, spending for the sake of spending and it needs to stop...

Your right it's not a CPP claw back but a pension claw back. My linkwww.rcmpvetsnb.ca/

I'd be curious to know exactly what immune status PS employees have...Lets just talk about the military for a second, Not that many years ago even the military was told to trim down personal, anyone with any military experience can tell you of the old FRP program, where thousands of military personal where either asked or forced out of the military...even today with manpoower restrictions at it's peak, there is no monies to fill vacant civilian PS jobs, and many reserves have been told they're contracts are being looked at, with alot not being renewed or being canceled... I'm sure that this is the story across the entire government.... As for PS jobs take a look at the most common ones, they are making any where in the neibourhood of 23 k to 36 k annually....and while yes there is jobs in the PS that pay more they are not common or entry level...so not many are getting rich of our tax dollars.... As far as i know every Canadian citizen is entiltled to apply for a PS job, meaning even you could apply and become one of those we love to hate...

Which is exactly what happened in those 73 other cases...Our justice system heard from all the experts, and made thier judgements accordly....and now we have 73 youths serving a max of 10 years for thier crimes, crimes i might add that are deemed very serious....such as Omars.... I do not avocate public setiment guide anything....shit we would never get anything done, much like our governmental sys we have now, if the polls say the people are for it then it gets done.. ....what i do advocate is that justice be served regardless of age within reason of course....

WOW, can you ever feel the love for the public service employees here....But i wonder just who in the public service will be effected....well good question, our military, RCMP, coast gaurd, CSIS,pretty much our entire security appartus....not to mention all those other public servents we all love to hate... Well i can honestly say that after 30 years service to my country, i will not be eating Cat food as a main meal...nor will i be eating steak tar tar or cavier either....I'd like to think that during my service i gave alot more than i received... ask anyone already on a military service pension, and they are probably still working, suplimenting it with another wage....I'm not complaining just stating that nobody ever got rich working for the public service....atleast not down in the trenches, like most of us... perhaps we should all take some time and suck back and reload, the Public services pension fund was raped already from 1999 until 2006 for a total of 29.18 bil dollars....where did that money go ? well it funded most of debt repayment....And while the liberals will lay claim to the deficit reduction, really it was thier idea, but public service funds...as far as i know most Canadians approved of this adventure, but like the liberals really failed to give credit were credit was do....yes those damn public service employees we love to hate....How much of your pension went into debt repayment ? And while we all love to say we pay your wages, though our taxes...yes you do...thank you, but lets also not forget we pay the same taxes as you do, we wait in those same line ups as you do, only add to the list we pay the national debt down as well.... What remains of this pension plan is just over 12.97 bil dollars held in limbo, as the public service had to change thier pension plan so it would not get robbed once again....Lets not forget that each employee pays into that plan as well, most of it is employee monies, I think we would all agree that the government paid portion, or as some have put it "tax payers" portion has been recovered....by the liberals... The new pension plan is still a governmental plan invested in the markets, for what purpose i ask SO that goverment can dip into when they want....to create a larger surplus, in a shorter time space...why even have a pension fund why not call it the deficit plan....and pay our retired public service members straight out of the yearly budget...man we could really pay that down in quick time... I guess to sum up, we should'nt be screwing with anyones pension plan...even the public services plan...

Canada's history is written in blood, our blood, and the blood of our enemies. Canada has a long list of things that would make people blush or little girls pee in thier pants....in fact one would be hard pressed to find any one nation within this world of ours that has not got blood still dripping from thier hands....To sum it all up "what is the piont" ? we are not perfect, lets concede to that piont now, nobody is....All that is left is trying to better our selfs day by day, year by year....to which i think for the most part we do all right....But as long as man roams this great earth, there will be a need for wpns and there will be blood split.... We do what is needed to be done for survival, to protect our current freedoms and rights, our way of life, to preserve our postion within the world, we do it for alot of reasons....we don't have to understand them all completely, and there will be times when yes our hands will get bloody, and those standing next to us will reak of death and destruction... But Canadians will continue to wake up in the mornings fill thier faces with egg mac muffins, timmies coffeee , and go to work and make very decent wages....I don't here of anyone saying holly shit look at what we've done to get here....thats it i quit i'm going to the south pole to live the clean life...

They are not tried as an adult but rather under the youth justice system. Maple leaf forums actually did an article on the youth justice system it's a good read. For some reason today it won't allow me access, but below is the link. My linkwww.mapleleafweb.com

Not 73 wrongs, those 73 are currently serving time, there as been thousands that have been tried and that have served "life sentences " for crimes they have commited....found guilty by a jury, sentenced by a judge. i guess your blanket statement holds no water...or our justice system is completely broken...

I think the justice system has already answered that question , As provided by AM "currently" there are 73 persons that have been held responsiable and accountable for thier crimes that were committed as youths. What makes Omar any different than these 73 ?, his upbringing ?...your not suggesting that we only sentence those with good upbringing are you ? That is not what is spelled out under the child soldier defination, provided by the UN, or it's creator. It does leave provisions for the child to be held accountable and responsible for thier actions....no were does it say they are not culpable, in the legal sense.. What does that mean exactly....he gets to spend his time in a hospital...and those other 73 get to spend thier time behind bars....not because thier crimes where more deserving but rather Omar is a child soldier, and gets a free ride ?

Feds appeal some of the sentences given to toronto 18. This may be good news. My linkwww.thestar.com/news

Some info to ponder on.... My linkwww.theglobeandmail.

So basically we are saying that we have an inter-national law, that Canada has agreed to and signed on to but has no teeth, nor do we have the will to enforce it. but rather it's total purpose is to allow the accused an out, to claim "they are child soldiers" and should be treated with kid gloves...given light sentences and set free with some guidence from his family.....I can't wait until this is made into a movie...how does it end...Does arnold get a part, maybe sly stone, can play the final Rambo.. When the author of this law states it's intentions are NOT so much as to punish the child, but rather he gets all the help they need, but does preclude holding that child responsiable for his crimes....he also states the main intention of the law is to go after and punish those involved in recruiting , brain washing and forcing these children into that life....or is this last statement just a bunch of BS.... Reading that in which is being thrown around here like a bad joke, means that YES we can hold the child responsiable for his own actions...And YES we can go after dear mother, for bringing up her son, for her part in his brain washing...which at one piont she tried to convince serveral of her sons to become suicide bombers....leaves me shaking my head...Is there an historical precedence i'm not aware of...can mothers indoc thier children into this terrorist life , then asked them to take there own lives and murder others, thats acceptable today ?

You made the comment , it was you that made the comparison, you explain how we can comapre the 2...this is your quote below is it not....It clearly indicates that you do not have a firm grasp on the defination of freedom fighter or terrorist. Suggesting that a terrorist has a moral code and is guided by it is what i'm interested in hearing about. DO you think our culture is debased and immoral because our women run around half naked, have sex on video, let homosexuals run free ? Are you also stating that all the muslim countries that these people or accusers are from, are free of all the above accusations... How American troops got into this topic is beyond me, But we know the conversation is going well when "someone yells" the Americans do it...But i think the key words in your post are "Found guilty" meaning they broke a law, you know the laws that are somewhat based on the morals and values of the country putting them in place...Suggesting that we uphold our morals and values though our laws, and do not tolerate those actions within our communities....Are we perfect ...far from it...are we evolving to become better i think so.... Another reason why we must ensure we remain the dominant power then...I don't think our women folk would take to kindly to wearing burkas in public, being whipped for showing some ankle, becoming pocessions with no rights, no education , the list goes on ....are these the morals and values you subscribe to....that are really better than ours...Sorry i'll take thongs , porn, and gay rights any day before i'll excuse grown men cutting the hands off a small girl for going to school, throwing acid in young girls faces....because they want to read and write ....thats some group you route for...

Argus i actually had to sit down and regroup my thoughts before i posted the first time, I like you was pissed,that within our military system we missed everything...Then i was pised at the Col for tarnishing a great organization, which people have bled for, just to be a part of it.... It is true that all miliatary pers are evaluated, for leadership skills ,supervision abilities, job knowledge,intiative,and many more all designed to give a brief outlook on how that person performed that year, concentrating on performance...not detecting any mental problems...His superiors have said many times he was a rising star....and while he may have been good at his job, he was better at hiding his problem "what ever that may be" he kept it from his wife, his family, his co workers, his neibours everyone.... I once had a crusty old SGT Major, a left over from the Korean war....ya it's going back to the day....had a personality of a bulldog, rarely smiled, always barking at someone...and yet when the shit hit the fan, like the opening days of Bosina he was the one we wanted in charge...He knew his shit and saved many lives that tour...I know there is not much of a comparison here but rather to show you it's preformance driven. And no, this is not like a construction worker. This is the frigging base commander. As someone said on one of the newscasts, it's like the police wind up arresting the mayor as a serial killer. And where does that ever happen outside bad television?

True enough. No a freedom fighter that engages in terrorist activities is still a terrorist Oh please explain, how a terrorist has morals? ethics...would you say cutting off a young girls hands is having morals and ethics...would you say killing her father in front of her was having moral or ethics...would you say skinning a man alive , leavehim to bake in the sun is having morals and ethics.... or are you just saying they have them. and have not explained them yet.... As for morals and ethics of a murder i'm not going to even try. i, like you have no time for them....unlike you i have no time for terrorist either....

Your not comparing the too are you ? ....A murderer and rapist to a terrorist....

Do you read any of your posts....just curious first you quote on read about our secret airbase in the middle east ....then say it's not secret any more....then ask where is it....nobody knows those two guys in black suits and sun glasses show up just before take off with them they're fance bick pens with the shinney caps...all i remember is smile....and poof...you wake up in the middle of the atlantic, croaking a smoke and a good stiff drink....shit, even the stewardess is wearing green...can't seem to catch a break...

One question are Murder and rape within the genva convention, have we a rubber stamp that we smack each soldier as he gets on the plane for overseas "cleared for rape and murder" no we don't it's not tolerated at all...This guy drove planes for a living....and would not have been subjected to any "ARMY traing" with exception of waving goodbye as we exited the ramp, or during his escape and evasion training... Your wrong here, operators of drones get to see one piece of the battle, in a black and white image, or hazed green, Grunts on the ground get the full screen color addition...in slow mo...ankles deep in what ever those drones happened to turn into pink mist....and while i'm not saying some airforce wienie drinking fresh hortins from just outside a nice safe base in Canada is not stressed or can get stressed....what i'm saying is you can not compare the 2....giving orders to kill anyone is stressfull, give that order and assist in it being carried out that is where the rubbber hits the road....Pulling that trigger is the most important decision of your entire life...it is you and you alone that will carry that for the rest of your life, every time you close your eyes they are going to be there like some cheap b movie....and while the guy who may of ordered it happen may say he feels your pain...he's full of shit...it's not the same...

I would have thought that a better example of power though fear and intimidation would have seen the Kid drop his crack at the end of the driveway as he would have been terrified to gwet caught inside by the old man with it....here it shows the kid really did not fear him and took the risk anyways.... I think a better example would have been in the days when the mafia ruled most of NA, or perhaps, stalin in mother Russia...Hilter and germany...