Editorial on the state of the Canadian Armed Forces

This op-ed piece by Scott Taylor is depressing reading. And it points out nothing that was not already known five years ago. And that is perhaps the most depressing part: he's right that no political party in Canada has any real idea about what to do with the Canadian Armed Forces, and how (or whether) to pull them out of the funding death-spiral they've been in for the last three governments.

Although he doesn't directly address the idea, we may end up following in the path of New Zealand, who recently abolished their air force, rather than pay the cost of replacing their existing fleet of fighter jets. Canada, with more land area than any other country except Russia, can't do that, although the US Air Force probably has the capability to formally take over the defence of Canadian airspace (just in their own interests of self-defence). Or perhaps just let the remnants of the navy sink at their moorings. The US Navy can easily take up the slack.

If (when?) that happens, Canada will no longer be an independant country...or even willing to pretend to be. We'll just be a bigger, colder Puerto Rico, with no votes or influence in Washington.

And some would say that this is already true...