Army Guy

Yes, it's a great idea...But could we trust the defense of our country to merc's......An organization of that size what would stop them from siezing full control over all our assets....the RCMP....Or what would prevent them from switching sides to the highest bidder.... Would it be cheaper.... Perhaps we could pay the US...and have them project their values or foriegn policy on Canada. What ever we as Canadians decide i hope we do it soon...support DND or scrap it .....

sorry double post

Brainw: I think your a young guy, with a knot on for the world ,who needs to get a job, and a life... and to stop blaming others for your problems or for problems that don't really exist.... Yes i am a member of the Canadian military...Yes i've used force to stop dictators from slaughtering thier people in the death camps in bosina to the killing fields in Rwanda......And i've done so with the blessing of my country and most of her tax payers...all while guys like you sit in their chairs and do nothing to help or improve thier own situation, except ridacule those that have....I want you to remember this one little thing the next time your whinning ...every right that you have today was paid for in blood by a soldier.

Brainw: Man.... you have a huge axe to grind.... Look, you know as well as i do ...you work you pay taxes..you spend money you pay taxes...you own property or a home you pay taxes, everything in life has taxes attached to it somehow... you get a vote just like everyone here... don't like something then work to change it.... What have you personally done to change this problem that you think exists..... So you've picked one dept within the goverment to blame all your problems on...and have decided just DND is responsable for all your's and the rest of the countries problems. I like to here why? Correct me if i'm wrong but taxes on your home are levied by the town or city and "do not support" DND at all. if not paid yes you are going to lose your home.... Not being able to pay the bank is another way to lose your home....Not being able to mange "your" money. How is that the Gov'ts fault. No i don't know what it is like to be thrown from my home. I ensure that my taxes are paid and all my bills are looked after. You must have lived this first hand again i think this is unfortunate and regardless of what i say you'll be right and i'll be wrong... But i've been to places in the world that your worst day is someones best day of thier lives.... I've seen our tax dollars save lives of thousands of starving people I've seen our tax dollars save hundards of infants lives from starvation, or being sold into slavery... I've seen our tax dollars save thousands of people from being slaughtered in thier homes. If you doubt what i say then trot on down to your local recruiting cell and join up. Walk a mile in my boots.

Brainw: In many areas of Canada women and children are being thrown out of their homes by the government for not being able to meet the ever increasing "debt to society". How can you advocate this in favour of having a "force to be reckond with"? Not being able to pay your taxes, is unfortunate,That being said Canada does have programs and services to ensure that these people do not end up in the street, as you suggest discarded.... On the other hand having a moderate sized military ensures Canada can enforce it foreign policy bringing peace to the areas like Dafur, ethopia, Somolia and feed millions...of staving men,women, and children...you can't do that without a strong,well equiped military... QUOTE DART sat around for a week while they figured out how to get Canadian equipment to the places it was needed. "no" it did not .....it sat around will our gov't took it's time to decide to send it.... And the equipment would sit around for years until it is needed again and by that time it would be too old to be of any use. Makes sense. "No" everything in the Dart is used for training regularly and replaced regularily when it's broken or to old...the Dart uses the same equipment as the Army...New equipment is purchased when the gov't decides....

Fortunata: I think that with the present budget it is perhaps the "only" direction available...one has to remember that 12 bil sounds like alot, but not all that is DND's to spend...only approx 8 bil and out of that and DND pays for every deployment the gov't sends us on....at the end of the day there is only peanuts left...not enough for equipment purchases that are very much needed. Do i agree with the changes "NO" i firmly believe our Gov't has let us all down.... It means that Canada will get the amount of protection it pays for....for it's peace keeping forces only....it should be noted that this new equipment is not available in any numbers that would be needed to protect or provide any defense within Canada....

The reason i asked this question is this "everyone i've talked to outside the military realm has got a very lengthy list for DND to do...however these are the same people who do not support a tax increase"niether do i " but are also not willing to cut any other existing programs. It is very frustrating to most soldiers to hear that most of the country supports us and the work we do...upto a piont...they will not support a major increase in our budget.... Do you think our present Gov't is living upto it's present responsiability's in providing enough internal and external defense need's.... And where would defense needs place on your list of priorties...today knowing DND's current condition.

You'll have to excuse me for not knowing all the forum lingo this is my first post. I'm a soldier in the Canadian Armed forces. This post caught my eye for obivious reasons. I think before you ask what can be done to help DND, We should first ask the people of Canada what is it you want DND to do ? It is really easy to make out a long and well thought out list of things or missions you would like to see DND to do or take on. But to do so we has Canadian tax payers will have to give up something, as money makes the world go round.