In 1939, Canada only had a population of 11.5 million people. Tiny army, non-existant airforce, and the navy could only put out a half dozen ships. By 1944 though, Canada had 1 million soldiers, not bad coming from only a population of 11.5 million people, hundreds of warplanes, and it's navy was the third largest in the world. Canada's stature on D-Day was clear. Of the five invasion beaches: Ohaha, Utah, Gold, Juno and Sword-four were the responsibility of the U.S. and Britain, the superpowers of the day, but the fifth, Juno, was all Canadian. Get this now. By dusk, us, little Canada, had made the deepest penetrations inshore of all the attackers-this is for those of you who think that bigger is better. Most of the time, this is not the case. Canadians went on to free parts of Belgium, liberated the Netherlands and crossed the Rhine. Europeans know what happened that day, and so do our Canadian soldiers. Too bad some countries try to take all the credit. **cough** U.S.
Jealousy runs deep. Yes, Canada was admirable. But history is no excuse for the pathetic military we have right now.
Jerrek I know, and the idiots in Ottawa are going to have those Sea Kings aka Sinkings airborne for another 10 years! Jeesh, if they were cars, they would have been pulled off the road a long time ago. But history is no excuse for the pathetic military we have right now. Actually, we had nothing before the second world war started-read the post again. Therefore, if there was something big, which was threatening to Canada's freedom and way of life, I bet you that the military would be up to standards that I certainly haven't seen in my lifetime.
Canada looks ridiculous. I'd love to enlist in the Canadian Armed Forces, but I will not if they can't get their act together. A few decades of liberal rule is enough to take any country down on its knees.
I agree Canada's military right now is a joke, but did you see what a hole Canada was in 1994? Budget expenditures Million: 138.3 billion Budget revenues Million: 111,8 billion With the Cold War over did Canada really have to spend: Defense expenditures Million: 11.3 billion in 1992-3? Even the US experianced a decline in military spending, a overbloated military is not a good thing. Canada's military spending is too low I agree. But Canada has finally got it's act together with her budget, it was out of control back in the Conservative days. We were going backrupt and into the second world. Look at Canada now: Budget: revenues: $178.6 billion expenditures: $161.4 billion, i Not bad if you ask me, the only G7 country to have a surplus. Some ministries have to suffer. Remember what wins elections in a Canadian democracy is Healthcare. Defence spending has shrink to: Military expenditures - dollar figure: $7.8 billion That is a price one has to pay. Hopefully Canada's military will get a boost but let's not overbloat it either.
nico Yes, we need a boost in the military, but as you said, not too much. The really big boost in military spending will happen if Canada's shores are threatened.
59 years ago today, just in case some of you didn't know. Yes and we should remember all those fallen, if it wasn't for their sacrifice we wouldn't be able to talk so freely on this forum, some of us wouldn't have existed, and we are able to lead normal non-Aryan superman lives. God bless their souls. No matter what country, Canada, US, UK, USSR, etc.
Re: nico Don't worry too hard. The United States, regardless of the way we are treater her at this time, will come to our rescue. Surpluses happen when you budget $10,000 for a toilet seat and then spend $200 on one. Surpluses also happen when you tax people to death like in Ontario. *cough* 44% income tax anyone?
Surpluses happen when you budget $10,000 for a toilet seat and then spend $200 on one. Surpluses also happen when you tax people to death like in Ontario. *cough* 44% income tax anyone? Every government goes through excesses, but unlike you I find taxes a good thing, and look at the state of the US economy on those huge tax cuts. Sorry rather have a surplus then go bankrupt. Unlike you I like some government, a bear hug.
Funny yeah. Unemployment: 6.00% (US), 7.5% (Canada) Inflation (current): 3.0% (US), 4.3% (Canada) Inflation (2002): 1.6% (US), 2.0% (Canada) Prime rate: 4.25% (US), 5% (Canada) GDP Real Growth Rate: 1.6% (US), 1.6% (Canada) Yep, U.S. is doing baaaad. Real bad. Canada is doing sooo much better. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Jerrek, I'm curious - I know that the US deficet is $44 trillion dollars, including every spare piece of cash and future income the nation has. What's the Canadian figure?
Last time I checked... USA: GDP - real growth rate: 0.3% Population below poverty line: 13% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 31% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% Distribution of family income - Gini index: 41 Unemployment rate: 6.1% Budget: revenues: $1.828 trillion expenditures: $1.703 trillion Industrial production growth rate: -3.7% Exports: $723 billion Imports: $1.148 trillion Debt - external: $862 billion Canada: GDP - real growth rate: 3.4% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 24% Distribution of family income - Gini index: 32 Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% Unemployment rate: 7.6% Budget: revenues: $178.6 billion expenditures: $161.4 billion Industrial production growth rate: 2.2% Exports: $260.5 billion Imports: $229 billion Debt - external: $1.9 billion Canada smells like roses compared to the US, more equal distribution of wealth, and more growth, surpluses, in government and trade. A rising dollar, and healthy growth in inflation vs. a trend of deflation in the US, and we still have interest rates. Nice one, but it didn't work. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Which would seem to imply that you shouldn't be so sarcastic when you say "Yep, U.S. is doing baaaad. Real bad. Canada is doing sooo much better."...
There you go. My sources. Dated May 9, 2003. http://www.usembassycanada.gov/content/can_usa/US_CAN_econ_data.pdf
My source is the internationaly reconized CIA: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ It's up to you. (I'd trust the CIA)
Check the dates on yours My dates are fine, they compile all the relevent info over a year not a quarter. That's the difference, your info is very much centred on pure economics, it doesn't look at personal economics. Poverty levels, Gini index, etc.