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[Fishin Freak]

As i'm sure most of you have heard Paul Martin has choosen for Canada not to join the missle defence system. Do you think his decision is in the best interest for Canada?
We hear all this talk of the 'weaponization of space' which Canada has already essentially taken part in by joining NORAD. The missle defence shield does not shoot down any missles from space but shoots them off the ground and guides them by satellites.
Personally I think Paul is letting politics getting in the way of good judgement. By not joining he gains politically in Quebec who is so opposed to it. Not surprising since there no where near North Korea and don't have to worry until they learn Iran has missle capable of hitting them. What do you think?

[keithr]

I think he is right not to join.  We (down here) are just pouring money down a rat hole on this one.

[Fish Assassin]

I concur. I rather see our money be spent on our neglected military instead of funnelling it to Quebec and firms friendly to the Liberal Party.

[reach]

Everything I've heard from the scientific side of things indicates that the system being proposed can't possibly work, no matter how much money is put into it.  So I'd rather spend it on something else.

[The Gilly]

From what I understand, We would only provide land mass for missiles.  Much like the DEW line after WWII.  We would pitch in very little cash.  The U.S. would bring the cash and better yet, they would be dropping it in Canadian northern communities.  This is a politically correct decision.  I'd rether have missile debris falling over the water somewhere than falling on our heads which is what will happen.  Do we really think that George W. will call Paul and ask for permission to fire a missile over Canada.  Do we really think that he'll wait for an incoming lissile to get into U.S. air space before they intercept it?  I'm no war monger, but, I do think that this is a way to show our support for the U.S. right to defend them selves and use their money to defend us too.  That said, I think that the possibility of a missile coming from N. Korea is pretty remote.  We all know what happened when Chamberlain was nice to Hitler.  Please note...I am most deffinately NOT a supporter of U.S. international bully tatics.  So, please don't missinterpret my opinion on this matter to believe that I support the U.S. carte blanche.  I AM CANADIAN!

[keithr]

hey, the gilly,
so it is ok with you if we put some bases up north?  we'll have to man those bases, of course, and we'll want some security from the bad guys, too, so we'll be fortifying those bases, and we'll have to have a bunch of soldiers there too, and maybe some planes and armor.  still sound like a good idea to you as a CANADIAN?

[The Gilly]

Yes, we'll have to help out a bit, but most of the onus is on the U.S.  It's their system, were only allowing them to use our land mass as a staging point.  We are part of NATO aren't we?  Wouldn't this be good for keeping our guy's trained?  What should we do, sit around Edmonton waiting for something to happen?  In my oppinion, we have the best trained soldiers going.  We may not have the best equipment or enough of it, but, if we are not the best, then we are amoung the best.  Why is it the U.S. employed our snipers in Afganistan?  We are the best.  Yes, our millitary has been depleted to discusting levels.  I, in no way, suggest that we as Canadians should be war mongers like the U.S. gov't.  But, we need a military and it needs to be prepared for anything.  Why not use the U.S. resources to assist our own goals.  I think you missed my point that I'm not a war monger.  I do, however, think that we need to be prepared for any possibility and this is an easy way to show good will to our closest neighbour without great expense on our part.  Believe me, if some country fires at the U.S. they won't give a rats a**  about our feelings.  I say that this is better than the alternative.  We thankfully have  free speach and freadom of thought in this country.  I don't ask that you agree with everything I say, just that you'll listen.  In turn, I listen too.  Sometimes I even change my mind because of what other people tell me.  Just my opinion.    Lets go fishin'.

[Athezone]

I am absolutely against being a party to George Bush's war-mongering and bullying tactics in an endeavor to gain another piece of the planet earth. They were absolutely wrong in attacking Iraq, they have 1500 dead US. soldiers so far and who knows how many left mangled for life and living in wheel chairs not even to mention the number of innocent civillians killed and mangled. Now we have good old George Bush willing to spend billions on a space missille escapade that more than likely will never work properly if you listen to all the scientists. Remember the US. is about controlling the world and profiting from it. Does any one here wish to gain the reputation that the Yanks have where when they travel abroad they say their Canadian and have a little Canadian flag pin to prove it. Hey, we could just use an accent and say were from Australia, hey mate. I say if the US. wants to be a bully and fight with the world let them. What goes around comes around and believe me if you think 911 was something, huh, you aint seen nothing yet. Their time will come, again and again. You watch.

[rerigger]

so athezone if bush is profiting from the war in iraq ,how?
and how about all the dead and maimed iraquis suffering under sadman insane
are they not worth anything ?
did i not see elections held in iraq ?
and mate lets all pretend to be aussie no one blows them up in bali !!
and if 9 11 can happen again why not here remeber the planes in nariata airport in japan and the other in england
wasn't that something to do with us. i believe we are having a big trial right now.
be careful what you wish for it might come true in your back yard.

oh we are and continue to be involved in the missle defense shield
its all inour norad comitments
martin is huffing and puffing about not being in but he is just playing politics
canada's comitment is already forged

[keithr]

rerigger:  a lot of bush cronies are doing just fine (making money) in Iraq, thank you.  as a consequence we are watching the dollar go down the tubes, but from the point of view of the people profiting from this war, this is just a rather messy way of transferring wealth from the country in gerneral to the pockets of large corportations.

"how about all the dead and maimed iraquis suffering under sadman insane"?  There is no shortage of this stuff in the world.  Just throw a dart at a map of Africa and wherever it lands chances are you will find abuses to make Iraq look like disneyland in comparison.  Saddam may be an SOB, but for many years he was OUR SOB and we thought it was just fine when he was gassing Iranis, and we were at least willing to look the other way when he gassed as many Kurds as he could.  There are probably more people repressed and suppressed in China right now than ever were in Iraq, and we are all for China.  Tibet, N. Korea, on and on and on . . .

[Sandy]

Martin as done the right thing, I think It's more of a budget and self survival thing, this is a very touchy subject and when you lead a minority government you can only back winners.
As for the DEW line there was/are U.S. armed service personnel on sovereign Canadian territory (though the U.S. and the old USSR disputed Canada's Territorial claim)
I have personally seen the aftermath of some of the shut down stations, Garbage/toxic waste everywhere,permafrost thawed out for hundreds of feet when the order to close a station was given they only took what was considered a security risk everything else was left. some was buried close by causing more of a problem later.
Martin did the right thing for the wrong reasons

[The Gilly]

This started off all about missile defence and it's changed to U.S. bashing.  So lets see where they were right and wrong.
Wrong - Iraq
Wrong - Vietnam
Wrong - Nicaragua
Wrong - Isreal
Wrong - Panama
Wrong - Etc.
Right - Japan

I'd say they're usually wrong.  I do think, however, that if I lived next to the Hells Angels club house that I might be worried a little that one of their enemies might miss.  If they offered to front the vast majority of cash and people to bullet proof my house, I'd gladdly accept the offer.  This of course assumes that it is imposible to move.  Yes, the DEW line is discusting, but so are most commercial ventures of the same era.

[Sandy]

It's hard not appear to be U.S. bashing, when in the last half of the 20th century they have went against world opinion.
I don't think that Canada can afford to be seen to be an Allie of the U.S.especially with such a controversial subject,not if it wishes to keep it's reputation as a neutral and compasionate player in the world political arena.
The U.S. will find out as has other empire builders that they cannot afford to be involved in constant conflict and it will be far more beneficial to be seen as a genuine benefactor in the eyes of it's trading partners. there has to be threat of the big stick should a countries security be threatend.I have seen my fair share of conflict in the world and am now in the oppinion that in most cases it solved nothing other than getting politicians re-elected.

[rerigger]

of course our largest trading partner happens to be the good old us of a
so we better not piss off the french
canada's number one spectator sport american bashing

oh mr.gilley
if you say it was wrong for the u s to be in vietnam
have you ever talked to south veitnamese people about the war and their view on the us and communists ?
how about life in that region after the americans left in 1975 ?
you might be singing a defferent tune

lets go fishing this hurts my brain

[The Gilly]

Tight lines