Dale W Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 My insite comes from canada, a place with no nukes ( that i am aware of ). Heres my take on the whole thing. I don't believe any leader except those middle eastern nutbars have the balls to drop a nuke in todays world. It's just not feasible and would spell certian disaster world wide. Now you have old goerge bushy down there that has the mentality that he has the biggest "stick" on the block so he's the bully and world economics should revolve around what suits him. ( BULLSH#T) My way of thinking is like gun control, eithier everyone has one (nuke) or no one. Then were all on even ground. You hit me with yours i'll hit you with mine. But old goerge has the mentality that olny he can have the stick (nukes) and no one else should be holding a trump card. I think your president should mind his own dam business and worry less about who else has what weapons. 911 taught him nothing and he's looking for a repeat of that event, the usa economic policy and meddling in the affairs of other countrys is what started this whole mess from the start. It's almost laughable that american troop were being fired apon in afganistan by weapons given to them by passed american administrations. Who picked this fight from the start ?? and whats it over ? The control of " oil ". Sound pretty petty when you sum it all up. The american administration continues to wreek havoc on the rest of the world economics by subsidizing the crap out of it's own goods and driving the price down to the point of other countrys suffering ie : soft wood lumber dispute with canada : grain prices ??? thats a 2 pager. etc etc etc This whole thing is one big mess and will never be resolved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 Uh-oh, I thought this was being an informally-voted "lite" thread ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 I'm sorry chris and others, i don't mean to open a big can of crap that we'll all never agree on anyway but i'm one of those people suffering from the trade policies right now. ALBERTA: started shipping our natual gas down south, now we have a market demand price level. My monthly natural gas bill has jumped from $60.00 a month in the winter to over $300.00 our seniors can hardly affort to keep there homes heated. same goes for power, we now help supply the american grid so up goes that as well 150% in the last 2 years. Not to mention the usa's bogus inflation of there own currency to make ours and others allmost worthless . you guys don't give a crap but i pay double for what i buy than you do. Now the usa wants our supply of fresh drinking water ?? It's all BS and the usa looking after #1 them selves. Were all going to suffer down the road with oil prices, because the usa is buying and stockpiling with very little drilling and exploration on its soil. Once the rest of the world is tapped out you know who is going to ask what ever price they want for oil. It's the western greed that makes us all look so bad to the rest of the world. canada just signed on the kyoto accord to try cut down on world emmisions, Bush wants nothing to do with it !!! so this is going to cost us billions in taxes were going to cut pollution like the rest of the countries and whats the biggest polluter doing ?? NOT A DAM THING . Starting to see what your country looks like from the other side of the fence yet ?? It's easy to look out at the world and call apon there short comings but try seeing how you look from someone elses eyes. It's nothing personal against any of you or the citizens of the united states, it's your goverment that makes you all look like fools and targets for world terrorism. I myself feel sorry for you people. I'd be scared to holiday in certian places and even open my mouth about where i was from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 Why the hell would canada need nukes?or an army?with the US protecting the whole damm world from its stupid a$$ self.I wish the hell I could get somebody else to defend my country and pay for it while I b!tch and moan.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 ---------------- On 3/6/2003 5:59:07 PM Fish wrote: Why the hell would canada need nukes?or an army?with the US protecting the whole damm world from its stupid a$$ self.I wish the hell I could get somebody else to defend my country and pay for it while I b!tch and moan.. ---------------- What exactly is the usa protecting all of us from ?? Do you really think there is another country out there that wants world domination ? The aggessors right now are trying to protect there own culture and way of life not take over. They are sick and tyred of outside intervention and some other country stock piling there oppositions with arms . The middle east has a population explosion and these people have no home land or place to go. But someone is over there taking sides and pooring cash into one side of the disspute to look after there intrest here at home. It's dirty , deep and you and i will never know for sure who's behind all the devious politics. " moaning" no , stating facts "yes" Canada is in no need of a big military because we don't play those games with other countries and we have more than enough oil to supply ourselves. But we will also suffer the fallout of an attack on american soil. As will mexico Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 Dale, I count you among the friends I have in Canada, and there are many since it's been part of my sales territory since 1985. I visit frequently and enjoy my stays there. One thing I consistently hear from them are complaints about the onerous tax system that supports a highly socialized society. Medical benefits are great, women get maternity leaves that we haven't seen down here in twenty five years (hell, maybe never), jobless benefits that run forever. The pure overhead costs to small businesses of taxation and benefits makes it very difficult for companies to compete internationally. I've watched many electronics companies who manufacture there have to leave for Mexico and places beyond since its costs were just plain too high. Part of those taxes, I would imagine, went to subsidizing natural gas, i.e., putting price controls on them ($60 per month). When those controls are removed, they float with the market as you point out. The problem becomes when a country is part capitalist and part socialist; the socialist side is taxing the citizens heavily, but the capitalist side is creating higher natural gas prices because the market's demand exceeds supply. You just have a hard time putting both those whammies on the average Canadian citizen. If business leaves the country because taxes are too high (i.e., loaded labor costs are too high because of taxes, et al.), unemployment rises and the drain on cash (from taxes)reserves is depleted. Market subsidies for things like natural gas can't be continued when the cash isn't there. You wind up having to pass costs along to consumers. Same deal with electricity. You're exporting it to us because we're willing to pay a price per KW that is acceptable to you. It may be painful from your side, but I don't think we're putting the hurt on you intentionally. Canada has border control issues just like we do; I heard recently from a Canadian that if someone can just get into their country, they can go on welfare. I haven't verified this, but if it is even half-way true, there will be a lot of people coming in (and not all desireable) and enjoying a free lunch. It's not a long walk from Montreal to Vermont and on to Boston. I don't mean this to be an economics rant, but I don't think our economic policies towards Canada are intended to be predatory. Why would we play that game with our largest trading partner? I do think though that when Canadians feel the pain of keeping $0.35 of their hard-earned dollar after paying taxes, and then have to pay utility bills based on open market prices, there is a lot of desire to place blame. As for the Canadian vs. US dollar, those are determined by the market as well. I'm not sure if you're asserting that the US is cooking or falsifying its economic (inflationary) figures, but if that were true, the world would know it and our Treasury Bonds would have junk ratings. I actually think the Canadian dollar has been very stable. I watched the dollar vs. yen change 25% in one year, and that's not unusual. The dollar has floated considerably against the Euro as well which is saying a lot since it is, by definition, a diversified basket of currencies. All the while, however, the Canadian dollar is just about where it's always been. I've believed in the Canadian economy, and as evidence I'll say that I lost a lot in the Canadian stock market last year. The companies' cost structures just couldn't cut it which was sad. I'd like to see Canada lower its taxes, get its cost structure lowered, draw business and manufacturing back, and get the economy cooking again! Sorry for the run-on ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 "ALBERTA: started shipping our natual gas down south, now we have a market demand price level. My monthly natural gas bill has jumped from $60.00 a month in the winter to over $300.00 our seniors can hardly affort to keep there homes heated. same goes for power, we now help supply the american grid so up goes that as well 150% in the last 2 years." LOL...here's a canadian *****ing about the united states because the canadian power companies are looking to make a buck by selling us natural gas and electricity....instead of *****ing at the u.s., tell your own power companies to stop selling to us....or ask your own government to support you some more with more subsidies.... DEFENSE....u.s taxpayers have paid for the defense of this hemisphere (canada, united states, mexico and all south america) for all the years of the cold war when there was a chance of nuclear war with the soviet union or china...... ECONOMICS....if you have any kind of education concerning economics, you would realize that the u.s dollar's value is determined by many factors and the u.s. government has very little control over its value compared to the currencies of other countries.....maybe if you got your own economy in shape your canadian dollar would be worth something....and you could stop *****ing about how much you have to pay for everything..... at least canada is still good for a fishing trip..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 These issues are so deep and have so many levels there is not a hope in hell of covering even 1/1000 of these topics here. major highlite : Our goverment is based in ottawa if you know anything at all about canada you know thats the oppisite end of the country. All they care about is the east. Our federal goverment is spineless to say the least and bow down to most requests buy the americans. Our economy sucks !! why do you think they are selling our resources ?? Did you acually read the part i said about subsidized goods ? Our grain is hardly worth taking off the field. Were getting 1960 prices , do you think our goverment gives the farmers anything " no ". whats screwing us is the NAFTA that means we cannot sell to you for a higher price than is sold here. so that means us citizens have to pay more for our utilities so our goverment can sell to you. Now i'd think you would be a little thankfull for that because if you can't get it from us then you the tax payer will have to pay to construct your own power plants and drill for your own gas. unemployment insurance is next to impossible to collect yet i pay $126.50 per month on my check. You cannot collect if your fired or quit. You must be layed off and even then you have a waiting period then benifits for a few months ( " not indefinate not even a year" ) WE pay thru the nose for health care it's a joke. you go to the hospital and service right away we have people dying before surgury. I was in a bad accident 3 years ago and broke both my arms and 3/4 of my face. I layed in the truama ward for 6 days waiting for surgery , morphine around the clock. DON'T even bother talking about health care to me. If the usa is protecting all of us from evil then why are these terrorist coming to canada via the usa ? Then returning after ploting there evil deeds. You guys dump all your trash on our door step and we take in the people you kick out and care for them. Backwards indeed I never said our country was flawless but getting along with the guy's next door costs each of us dearly. Your taxes are a joke compared to what we pay . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 dale, alot of your rant against your own government has alot of merit...so why attack the u.s.??? you mentioned earlier about natural gas prices....welcome to the real world...i was paying over $250 a month in the winter two years ago for natural gas..(and that is in U.S. dollars).... why do we have to fortify our border with canada agaionst terrorists??? because your government doesn't do anything to keep them out of your country....it seems that anyone can come to canada....terrorists included... NAFTA....all i hear about it here in minnesota is how companies are closing down their u.s. operations and opening up in mexico where the wages are so much lower.... you're right....there are a million issues here.....but we should not be attacking each other.... Saddam and the nutcase in North Korea just love the fact that this whole debate is dragging out longer and longer and alot of people are voicing their opinions against war...including the french, germans, and russians.... what's the saying?....divide and conquer.... peace.... russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 Sorry Chris Some truth in what you say but there too many half truths and distortions about Canada to ignore in your comments: "One thing I consistently hear from them are complaints about the onerous tax system that supports a highly socialized society." Yes I am sure you hear a lot ofcarping and whining about taxes in Canada but the reality is that overall the tax burden here in Canada is no worse than most industrialised countries in the world and is in fact lower than some. Part of the apparent difference between U.S. and Canadian taxation levels can be attributed to the fact that here in Canada the taxation is more centralised - ie. We have Federal taxes , Provincial taxes , and City Realty Taxes - admittedly of various sorts. In the U.S. you have Federal Income Tax, State Income Tax, County Real Estate Taxes,City Realt Estate Taxes. In addition you in some places have city sales taxes etc. In fairness taxpayer whining occurs on both sides of our common border. Some of that whining is justifiable but much of it is of the " Anything that goes to the government is being stolen from me ! variety" When we Canadians pay our income taxes the total amount can seem unreasonably high but a large part of that is simply that the dollars are going into fewer pots for distribution to agencies and governmental levels that would otherwise be collecting directly from the taxpayer. I don't deny that the overall tax load in the US is lower than in Canada but given the level of services that we purchase with those tax dollars the load is simply not that horrendous. Bear in mind also that we have a much smaller population base and therefore each taxpayer is required to pay a somewhat higher portion of the cost of providing the services we use. "jobless benefits that run forever" Please define "Forever" - Maximum benefit periods here in Canada range from 32 weeks to 44 weeks depending on region - EI can and does reduce the benefit amount payable on a case by case basis - and Trust me - Accessing those jobless benefits is frequently very nearly impossible. The benefit levels are not especially high and applicants are often subjected to treatment by the EI agency that would simply not be tolerated from any non-governmental agency. In fact the EI agency would likely find itself in front of the courts were it not a government agency and therefore nearly exempt from prosecution in civil court. There is so much effort put into denying workers their legitimately earned and paid for benefits ( Employment Insurance in Canada is an insurance program for which Canadian workers pay significant premiums) that some Canadian workers having been repeatedly burned will actually consult a lawyer or a private EI consultant before filling out the application forms; ( I am personally aware of a case wherein the claimant was asked in a questionnaire as to whether she would accept a 2 day a week job in a Northern community near Thompson Manitoba (look on the map guys - Find Winnipeg and then go 500 mi. directly north to Thompson and then find Pik which is 100 mi +/- away). The village was accessible by air twice weekly and by rail once weekly. In either case the fare was virtually the entire amount of the gross pay specified in the questionnaire. The claimant said no she would have to decline that offer as it meant that she would not be able to care for her family as the cost of travel would exceed her net income. Her benefits were "permanently disallowed" because she "had placed an unreasonable geographic limitation on her availability for employment." "I've watched many electronics companies who manufacture there have to leave for Mexico and places beyond since its costs were just plain too high." That's called Globalisation mi amigo ! Canadian companies are no more inclined or less inclined to ship jobs offshore than US companies . You'll surely have noticed that "Made in the U.S.A." labels are becoming an endangered species of late also. In real terms companies ship jobs not because they cannot make a profit in Canada or the US. but because they can make much larger profits by producing offshore. "Part of those taxes, I would imagine, went to subsidizing natural gas, " I see nothing intrinsically evil about subsidies if judiciously and fairly applied. Canadian governments both Federal and Provincial have on occasion subsidised various costs for Canadian consumers and companies. Sometimes those subsidies have been wisely applied and sometimes not so wisely applied. At times those subsidies have amounted to nothing more than Pork Barreling by governments about to face a restive populace at election time. Lest this be seen as a Left vs. Right comment I would point out that while every example of this I have been subjected to or benefitted from has been at the hands of what can be reasonably described as right wing governments I am well aware of situations where Left wing administrations have been the pissors. That said everything you have said about Canadian subsidies applies equally to the U.S. Your agricultural sector is the most highly subsidised in North America and is one of the most highly subsidised in the entire world. In addition virtually anybody in the U.S. who has a mortgage on their home gets to write off the interest on that mortgage. That is a "subsidy" that most Canadians homebuyers,(not to mention Canadian banks and mortgage lenders), would dearly love to have in place. The down side of that particular subsidy is that it encourages ever higher levels of mortgage debt and further disadvantages the first time buyer by artificially inflating housing prices - simply because buyers can borrow more against the price of a house. "I heard recently from a Canadian that if someone can just get into their country, they can go on welfare. I haven't verified this" That statement is no more valid about Canada than it is about the U.S. It carries the same validity as almost any "Everybody Knows" statement about any group that is generally despised within our respective societies. In other words it is a "They INSERT NAME OF GROUP TO BE SLANDERED use their bathtubs as coal bins and keep the girls pregnant for beer money - type of story. As you point out you haven't verified it and if you were to attempt to verify it you would find that there is little truth to the comment.There will always be some who take advantage of any system but typically most in North America who are on welfare would rather be working and enjoying a decent living standard. Welfare rates here in Alberta are less than 70% of what is considered the poverty level in Canada. BTW - Regarding Border Controls This past Saturday night my wife and I flew into LA in transit from Mexico to Canada and at one point had the need to walk from one security checkpoint to another. Doing so required that we leave the International Terminal and walk outside the building and mingle with whoever was out there on our way to the terminal we needed to go to in order to continue our flight.We passed at least 50 L.A. taxis that would have taken us anywhere we wanted to go had we chosen to enter the U.S. under false pretences rather than simply pass through. Beyond the wasted airline fares and cab fare the only immediate cost for us to slip into the US would have been the loss of our luggage which had already been checked through to Calgary,( with the attendant hazards that suggests). My point is not that Canada's Border Controls are perfect but simply that US security controls - Rigid though they are overall - also have holes. I frankly get more than a little sick of hearing American Politicians and Media experts B*tching about lax Canadian Security as if we are a bunch of non-American Rubes. "I don't mean this to be an economics rant, but I don't think our economic policies towards Canada are intended to be predatory. Why would we play that game with our largest trading partner? I do think though that when Canadians feel the pain of keeping $0.35 of their hard-earned dollar after paying taxes, and then have to pay utility bills based on open market prices, there is a lot of desire to place blame." Re: Predatory Practices: Look into the Softwood Lumber Dispute , the Agricultural Subsidies , and the USDA's discriminatory inspections at the US border and frequently unreasonable rejection of Canadian Beef exports to the US. I am not suggesting that the US should not guard its economic well being and food safety but the reality is that the US has been cited for unfair practices not only by the Canadian Government but by the WTO and the BiLateral Commission on Free Trade ( a joint US/Canada trade tribunal) on these and other matters. The suggestion that the average Canadian worker gets to keep 35 cents on the dollar is absolute nonsense. My take home pay is approximately 78% of my gross income and some of that "missing" 22% has diddly to do with taxation but relates to optional insurances etc. that I have elected to acquire. "As for the Canadian vs. US dollar, those are determined by the market as well. I'm not sure if you're asserting that the US is cooking or falsifying its economic (inflationary) figures, but if that were true, the world would know it and our Treasury Bonds would have junk ratings." The above statement implies that the market value of any given currency bears a strictly logical relationship to its economic performance . In reality given the per capita debt of the US, The resolute refusal of the US Government to control its spending - with the concomittant neverending rise in the deficit , and the overall lacklustre performance of the US economy over the past few years - the US dollar should in fact be much lower than it is. The inflated value has admittedly less to do with the manipulations of your Fed than with the manipulations of the currency marketers. The Canadian dollar conversely has been much lower in relation to the US than is reasonable for the past several years. Our economy has performed relatively better than the US over the past couple of years, (I am talking performance here - not size),and in fact our Federal Government has faced demands for lower taxation and higher spending because of what is seen by some as an unnecessarily large budget surplus over the last couple of years. This is not meant to be seen as a whine about the unfairness of it all because in the last week our dollar has climbed 7% against the US dollar primarily on the basis of the Bank of Canada raising its Overnight Lending Rate by 1/4 % - This in spite of the fact that that much larger adjustments in the past have had little or no impact on the US/Canada dollar exchange rate ! Maybe George's obsession with Iraq is getting expensive already! In other words the value of our respective dollars is not totally reliant upon economics. "I've believed in the Canadian economy, and as evidence I'll say that I lost a lot in the Canadian stock market last year. The companies' cost structures just couldn't cut it which was sad. I'd like to see Canada lower its taxes, get its cost structure lowered, draw business and manufacturing back, and get the economy cooking again! See my comments above re Globalisation,Taxation etc. P.S. My Retirement Funds took one Hello of a beating over the past 2 years because they were too heavily weighted in American Equities - To the extent that my financial planner has told me to get the hello out of US based investments for at least 24 months. None of the above is meant as an attack on the US or Americans other to point out that Americans would do well to consider that the fact that America is a first-rate country does not mean that everyone and everything that is not American is by definition second-rate. Furthermore Don't make the mistake of believing your own press releases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 7, 2003 Share Posted March 7, 2003 Lynn, no offense taken. Thanks for taking the time to expound on all that and clarify. I don't disagree with much you've said at all; I was merely mixing what I've heard from Canadians with what I inferred from reading and personal experience. I have assumed (sometimes mistakenly) that Canadians are the most expert on what's happening in their back yard. As far as globalization, I've lived and breathed it for twenty years. I think I've done (literally) 25 laps around this planet chasing electronics business from Taiwan to Kaula Lumpur. You're right, it's not just a Canadian issue but is also a US issue (and European issue, and UK issue, etc.). It's tough. I manage the Canadian sales territory (and eastern 2/3 of the USA) and the business is gone (although design work is still done there). I jokingly mentioned to my wife last night that if I can get two more years out of this industry, I'll be lucky. Maybe it wasn't a joke afterall, sadly enough. Dale, I've sometimes thought (usually after a few cocktails on the plane coming back from Canada) that a USA-Canadian merger would have some merit if both parties were willing. We're a lot alike, and nationalism aside (and Quebec would balk probably since they want their own country to start with), we'd make a helluva union. It'll never happen, but it would make sense, at least as a talking point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horonzak Posted March 7, 2003 Share Posted March 7, 2003 Canada.s price of natural gas is still cheaper than the price of a bottle of whiskey. Plus it will make you forget why you want to live in that cold miserable waste land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted March 7, 2003 Share Posted March 7, 2003 If the government of your particular country is screwing you, change it. If the corporate structures of the country in which you live are screwing you, refuse to purchase their products. But don't blame another country for any of this...instead, put the blame where it belongs. Sure...some Canadian power is sold in the northern US...because the companies who produce it in Canada want to sell their excess. Where it is sold is no big deal, as long as it gets sold. If Canadians have to pay higher prices, it isn't the fault of the US...it is the fault of somebody in Canada. Pretty simple. Two years ago I had natural gas in my home for heat...my bills were over 300 bucks a month(US dollars)...I didn't like it...but I had to deal with it. Did I blame Mexico or Canada? Nope! Why not? Because it wasn't their fault..pretty simple! I have no health insurance...so every medication and doctor visit comes right out of my pocket...and it is NOT cheap!! Do I blame Mexico or Canada? nope! Why not? because it is not their fault...pretty simple! Do I like things being this way? Nope! So...what do I do about it? I pizz and moan...and pay it...and "suck it up and drive on!!" Others need to do the same! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted March 7, 2003 Share Posted March 7, 2003 All valid point of view by all. Funny how in north america we have goverments for the people by the poeple but these probllem areas continue. I have nothing against you guy's or the usa, i'm thankfull for such a heavy military force next door, needed or not. Seems we all bare the cost of wastefull spending and political grandstanding and yes my ranting must sound like wining and yes it's my own fault for not lobbying against our goverment, just gets to be to much some days and it all comes out. The olny good in all of this is i and we can talk about it here, get it off our chests a bit and hopefully no one harbours any hard feelings. I don't mean to sound like an *** and hope you don't see me or my point of view this way. Thanx guy's for not chewing me a new a$$hole over this . Both our countries are strong and safe lets hope thats in our kids future. yours truely : Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 7, 2003 Share Posted March 7, 2003 Hug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted March 7, 2003 Share Posted March 7, 2003 Dale, You guys have an outstanding military for its size too...the 1st Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry(Airborne) at London, Ontario is NO SLOUCH! I have worked with them NUMEROUS TIMES! Even though a bit weird at times, the Royal 22nd Regiment of Infantry at Quebec is also a tough bunch! I have worked with those "Van-Dooz" numerous times too! And if it wasn't for Canadian artillery units, lots of Americans living today would not be doing so!! Neither would alot of Brits!! So...for its size, the Canadian Army is NO SLOUCH!! Never has been! Another case in point...the First Canadian-American Special Service Force of WWII! Talk about SLOUCH-FREE!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted March 7, 2003 Share Posted March 7, 2003 ANDY : I have a fair amount of knowledge with regards to our own forces as well. My uncle just retired from the air force he was a captian and flew everything from fighters to choppers. His last post was search and rescue, flying the twin otter. He spent 5 years training survival / land - sea - arctic. Lots of your american pilots were trained by him and his group. I've been out to jarvis lake where they train for ground survival ( real cool stuff) as well as up in the NWT where they train for arctic ( build snow shelters then igloos)plus spent some time with the sar-techs ( not sure about the spelling) these are the guys that repell from the choppers or drop in and are first to the accident seen. Namao is our " big " base here in edmonton. A few years ago they shut down the air force and converted the base for our ground troops. I live 20 miles from the base and almost every morning i pass road tanks and troops on training manouvers. Our little town is full of military familys and the accident in afganistan was felt right here in my home town. I've heard that bunch from quebec are some serious soldiers and are not to be taken lightly , But like most things the french people do they do it well. I've also been told many times that the canadian f-18 pilots are amoung the best flighers and recieve more training than most other countries provide. Too bad we have a limited amount of jets or our boys would be a lot more helpfull. You can see why our goverment tends not to spend the money as the usa does on defence when big brother is right next door. I don't agree with that and think our part should be more active if called apon but then again thats just my opinion. We are a soft spoken and reserved people but if called apon we'd all fight to the death to protect the north american way of like. We just don't wave the flag as much but it's in our hearts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted March 7, 2003 Share Posted March 7, 2003 Dale, When I was at the Joint Readiness Training Center(JRTC)...I was the Opposing Forces (OPFOR) augmentation unit coordinator. During Desert Shield, when the OPFOR had nobody able to come from U.S. forces to augment them on the JRTC battlefield(because they were all being deployed to Saudi)...the Canadians voluntarily "stepped right up to the plate" to fill-in as augmentation elements. And I worked VERY closely with both the 1RCR, AND the "Van-Dooz" during that time period in fall-winter of 1990-91! They were excellent soldiers, did everything asked of them and more...in an extremely fast-paced and grueling battlefield scenario...and I would work with them in any situation at any time! Not only that...but their participation at JRTC as OPFOR augmentees likely led to the eventual saving of many AMERICAN lives in those BLUE FORCE(BLUFOR) units being pushed through JRTC immediately prior to their deployment to Saudi Arabia! Nuff Said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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