Harper's surprise visit to Baghdad

[PIK]

It is like paying off the mortgage with every cent, and when it is paid you have to re mortgage it again to fix it up. What did chretien and martin do for infrastructure and gutting the military by 30% and harper had to rebuild that up. And everybody knew they wanted to gut the military so bad that it could not be rebuilt.

[On Guard for Thee]

It is like paying off the mortgage with every cent, and when it is paid you have to re mortgage it again to fix it up. What did chretien and martin do for infrastructure and gutting the military by 30% and harper had to rebuild that up. And everybody knew they wanted to gut the military so bad that it could not be rebuilt.

What makes you think Harper has, or intends to, rebuild the military.

[Smallc]

What makes you think Harper has, or intends to, rebuild the military.

The funding, adjusted for inflation, is still higher than it was. It's also important to note tha without heavy lift aircraft, we couldn't be doing what we are right now in Nepal.

[PIK]

Or we would be renting old Russian planes, like chretien loved to do. So I wonder what chretien been saying to putin ,now that he has said he has held many meetings with him. I think maybe a investigation might be in order.

[Big Guy]

Those folks running Harper's campaign have to be airheads. Apparently, the photo-op of Harper that were released included pictures of active Canadian special forces personnel Nice to let ISIS and Al Qaeda know who these folks are.

When initially questioned, government spokesmen claimed the DOD had authorised to taking and showing these videos. The DOD says no. Scramble time and lots of tap dancing going on in Ottawa.

[Big Guy]

Latest reports are that the DOD will be pulling these folks out of the theatre of war. The camera and video people were not military but were a Conservative party publicity team and decided what would make good video for the election. I feel sorry for Harper. It was a good idea but I do not think he will now be using these pictures - but the opposition may.

"The best laid plans of mice and men ...."

[On Guard for Thee]

You would think at least the minister of defence, would have some idea of defence protocols. Harper should as well because this can very well put people in a higher level of harms way. But anything for a promo shot I guess.

[poochy]

I guess when your zeal to turn everything into a party advertisement is too strong this is what happens, really dumb move. For the second time in a month or so.

[Topaz]

I don't if you were around in the early 1990's but the PC left a hefty debt and the Liberals did what they thought was best and not hurt too many Canadians financially and Canada was a 'peacemaker" not a like they are now under Harper. I do believe under Harper he will in the future merger our military into one North American Unit.

[LemonPureLeaf]

Actually, all you have to do is have a chronic illness.

$1000/month and virtually no coverage of medical expenses needed to keep a person as healthy as possible. It's disgusting how Canada treats disabled people.

What are you talking about? Healthcare is up to the provinces. What's wrong with the way we treat the disabled?

[overthere]

Canada was a 'peacemaker"

complete and utter baloney.

Canad is not and never has been unaligned. We are not and never have been a neutral country.

We have been on occasion part of peacemaking ventures when peacemaking is possible, but far more often we fight in concordance with our allies.

Very very few Canadians believe this stupid 'we are the blessed peacemakers' nonsense.

[Keepitsimple]

I don't if you were around in the early 1990's but the PC left a hefty debt and the Liberals did what they thought was best and not hurt too many Canadians financially and Canada was a 'peacemaker" not a like they are now under Harper. I do believe under Harper he will in the future merger our military into one North American Unit.

Another re-write of history flavoured with Science Fiction from the planet Topaz. Pierre Trudeau was PM from 1968 to 1985 with one "blink of an eye" interlude. He single-handedly took Canada's debt from virtually nothing to over $200 billion by the time he left - bloating government and leaving a structural deficit that continued to mount up debt. Mulroney couldn't tame the deficit/debt in his first two majorities and neither could Chretien in his first. While it's true that Chretien and Martin eventually balanced the budget in a future mandate, critics still question the wisdom of their methods.

That said, Debt should be seen through the lens of our GDP and the ability to finance debt - the debt to GDP ratio. Our economy has been expanding and Canada is in relatively good shape at this point - countries would die to have a ratio as strong as Canada's. As long as the economy keeps growing, our debt becomes less of a priority - with continued balanced budgets and no craziness on interest rates.

Debt % of GDP GDP

1962 14.8 (113.8) 33.0% 44.9

1971 20.3 (116.6) 20.6 98.4

1981 91.9 (219.1) 25.5% 60.5

1991 377.7 (557.7) 55.1% 685.4

1997 562.9 (765.1) 63.8% 882.7

2002 511.9 (620.3) 44.4% 1,152.9

2008 457.6 (493.3) 31.4% 1,453.6

2009 463.7 (495.1) 32.8% 1,413.3

2010 519.1 (543.4) 35.5% 1,458.8

2011 551.4 (561.0) 36.9% 1,495.7

2012 583.6 (588.8) 38.3% 1,521.3

2013 602.4 33.0% 1,825.0

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_public_debt

Edited May 7, 2015 by Keepitsimple

[Je suis Omar]

Everyone is whining about money. Is there no one at all concerned that now Canada has joined the Americans in the war crimes being perpetrated against the people of Iraq?

[bush_cheney2004]

Everyone is whining about money. Is there no one at all concerned that now Canada has joined the Americans in the war crimes being perpetrated against the people of Iraq?

How do you think Canada gets GDP numbers like that....75% of exports go to the U.S., including war materials.

Even Iraq wants a piece of the action.