Missile Defence: Canada says "No way!!"

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I still don't see the downside for Canada in participating in missile defense. They aren't expected to invest any money or do any of the research and yet they would reap all the benefits of a missile defense system if it ever becomes a reality. Seems pretty silly to waste a good opportunity just to prove you aren't American...

Too bad you haven't read a word I ****ing wrote then. There are no direct negative consequences for Canada. There are larger considerations. Particularly China's position and the proliferation of missile and nuclear tech. MD is a bad idea in my mind. If we as a country agree that it's a bad idea in our minds then this is one issue on which we need to make our position clear.

As I've already written, I have no problem with cooperating with the US on shared defence. This defence needs to take a form acceptable to both of us, however.

[Drake Tungsten]

Let them holler all they want. They can't have our lunch money.

We don't want your lunch money. That's why I find Canada's decison to be baffling. You have the possibilty of getting a missile defence system in the future for nothing, but you turned it down.

MD is a bad idea in my mind.

I'm not a big missile defense fan myself. Doesn't make Canada's decision anymore logical, though.

[KrazyHorse]

Would you please read my ****ing posts then?

Do you really think that, in a vacuum, I would care if you wanted to waste 100 billion dollars of your own money?

[KrazyHorse]

MD is a bad idea, in my mind independent of the financial cost associated with it

[KrazyHorse]

I'd care a lot less if the US wanted to patrol the Arctic archipelago for dragons than if they wanted our cooperation in building MD...

[Drake Tungsten]

I just don't understand how you think this decison by Canada will change anything. America is still going to go ahead with deploying a missile defense system. If China decides to expand its ICBM fleet because of this, it will happen whether or not Canada is on board or not. Canada hasn't changed the dynamics of the situation at all by refusing to participate in missile defense; all they've done is potentially denied themselves access to and control over any American missile defense system. Dumb decision by Canada, IMO.

[KrazyHorse]

No **** we aren't going to change your minds solely by this. I said that about a page ago. Sometimes you have a responsibility to tell somebody when they're doing something stupid, though. This is one of those times. The consequences of the stupidity reach beyond the US to affect the entire world. Potential negative consequences are larger than those of the Iraq war (which, again, we could have gotten into the US's good books by giving a verbal message of support to with no real effort, as did most of the other notions in the "coalition of the willing").

We aren't going to go along with every bad idea just because it won't cost us anything.

[Kuciwalker]

Why not?

[KrazyHorse]

Because we're interested in keeping the neighbourhood clean of litter, not just our own property.

[Drake Tungsten]

Yeah, why not? I know Canada isn't really skilled at realpolitik, but I would expect you guys to make the wise call every now and then...

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Because we're interested in keeping the neighbourhood clean of litter, not just our own property.

It's not working.

[KrazyHorse]

Not skilled at realpolitik? We have a lot more influence in a lot of places in the world than we have any right to by virtue of economic or military power.

Some people appreciate honest voices. I hope that Canada retains its image as one.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


It's not working.

It's hard to when you've got a pig for a neighbour.

[KrazyHorse]

Anyway, like I said: it's hard to understand the level of anger from the US over a nonissue like this. We make a statement which has virtually no impact on US security and they go ballistic (if you'll pardon the expression).

Whatever...

[Drake Tungsten]

Go ballistic?