Canada doesn’t matter to the rest of the world - and it’s our own fault

[DBNSG]

A direct retort to "diversity above all else". It's It's a long read but worth it:

Complex Systems Won’t Survive the Competence Crisis

www.palladiummag.com

I wonder if Harold the Author is still employed?

 

[Good2Golf]

You know you’re broken and irrelevant when a past well-respected Liberal foreign minister says you’re broken and irrelevant…

Former Liberal foreign minister says Canada no longer 'useful' in world affairs: 'We...lost our bearings'

nationalpost-com.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[OldSolduer]

You know you’re broken and irrelevant when a past well-respected Liberal foreign minister says you’re broken and irrelevant…

Former Liberal foreign minister says Canada no longer 'useful' in world affairs: 'We...lost our bearings'

nationalpost-com.cdn.ampproject.org

John Manley IMO was a decent, competent politician. Not colorful nor boastful.

 

[Cloud Cover]

John Manley IMO was a decent, competent politician. Not colorful nor boastful.

After he retired, he was on the board of directors of a company I worked at. When he attended our risk management briefings concerning federal government matters (this was after 2015) he became quite agitated and sometimes heavily involved in board management discussions relating to decisions. Several times we went to brief him again in person on the same matters, and his advice and insight was really quite useful. Most figurehead appointments to board of directors members of Canadian companies lack the skills that he has. (TRH David Johnson, for example).

 

[Good2Golf]

So when some people bring out the “Canada is just like the Scandinavian countries” tome, you can remind yourself that ‘no, no we’re not…’

Some Scandinavians not only have conscription, but their youth competes to be conscripted.

#canadaremainsanunseriousnation

In Norway, young people compete to serve in the military

Other countries mulling wider national service plans should learn about the Norwegian model.

www.defenseone.com

 

[dimsum]

So when some people bring out the “Canada is just like the Scandinavian countries” tome, you can remind yourself that ‘no, no we’re not…’

Some Scandinavians not only have conscription, but their youth competes to be conscripted.

#canadaremainsanunseriousnation

In Norway, young people compete to serve in the military

Other countries mulling wider national service plans should learn about the Norwegian model.

www.defenseone.com

I’m probably splitting hairs here, but if folks are competing to get spots in the military, that’s not really conscription then, is it?

What the article doesn’t really answer is why the Norwegian 18-19 year olds are competing. It says that there’s some prestige in it, but if the CAF decided tomorrow that we would restrict recruiting only to the same percentage level as them, would our recruits boast about it?

That’s good that they can say “I’m in the top XX% of Norwegians because I got selected”, but if they end up just standing gate guard for a year or two in Andoya, I’d guess that some of them would get pretty jaded.

 

[Good2Golf]

I’m probably splitting hairs here, but if folks are competing to get spots in the military, that’s not really conscription then, is it?

I believe the nuance is that the young Norwegians are competing for their choice of the conscription positions.

 

[Brad Sallows]

I believe the nuance is that the young Norwegians are competing for their choice of the conscription positions.

Some of the non-military positions (for those who opt out of military service) aren't that great, according to some I spoke to while over there. (That was over 30 years ago; maybe things have improved.)

 

[rmc_wannabe]

I believe the nuance is that the young Norwegians are competing for their choice of the conscription positions.

Bingo.

Most European nations that have or had conscription had similar competitions or selection processes.

 

[Kirkhill]

My understanding is that conscription is a universal, every male is liable for call up in Denmark. But the Army takes on fewer people than are supplied annually. Some people actually like a career in the forces so they volunteer to go to the top of the list.

'Day of Defence'[edit]​

Every male over the age of 18 will be drafted into the 'Day of Defence' (forsvarets dag), where they will be introduced to the Danish military and have their health tested.[8] Men who are not physically fit are not required to participate in the draw.[7][9] Men considered healthy or partially capable have to participate in the draw, while women have the right to complete conscription same as men.[10]

Drawing[edit]​

Physically fit people and partially fit people have to draw a number. Men deemed partially capable draw a number but do not have to serve their conscription if they choose not to, even if it is a number where a physically fit man would have to serve. Men determined to be physically healthy can be forced to fulfil their conscription, depending on which number they draw.[10] The numbers 8,000-36,000 (frinumre) will not lead to conscription in peacetime. The numbers 1–8,000 can lead to conscription — even in peacetime — if there are not enough volunteers.[10][11]

Number of participants[edit]​

In 2006, 76% of conscripts were volunteers, a number which rose to 99.1% in 2014. The other 0.9% (19 individuals) were forced to serve in the military.[17]

In 2012, the number of conscripts was lowered from 5,000 participants to 4,200 participants. This is being upheld until 2020.[18]

Since the Russo-Ukrainian war post 2022, many Danish parties have engaged in talks about increasing the number of conscripts up to 15,000 in the upcoming years. This is part of the state's plan which works to improve the Danish army’s capabilities at defence, which have suffered greatly since the end of the Cold War.[citation needed]

 

[Cloud Cover]

What we need to do is figure out what gets healthy, young, fighting age Canadian males motivated angry enough to join the military for 3- 5 years. And forget the lifetime career BS, young men are just not interested in that anymore. Nobody wants to raise a family in a military slum and the Canadian government isn't going to do much to improve what already exists.
A 3-5 years reg force commitment and a lifetime revolving door at their own initiative and option between classes of service is where this needs to go or there will not be any military at all within 10 years. If someone wants to serve 25 years straight, well good for them - incentivize the hell out of that- but don't make it an absolute necessary.

 

[Furniture]

What we need to do is figure out what gets healthy, young, fighting age Canadian males motivated angry enough to join the military for 3- 5 years. And forget the lifetime career BS, young men are just not interested in that anymore. Nobody wants to raise a family in a military slum and the Canadian government isn't going to do much to improve what already exists.
A 3-5 years reg force commitment and a lifetime revolving door at their own initiative and option between classes of service is where this needs to go or there will not be any military at all within 10 years. If someone wants to serve 25 years straight, well good for them - incentivize the hell out of that- but don't make it an absolute necessary.

25 years is not, nor has it ever been necessary....

Maybe the CAF needs to advertise more that you can release during any TOS, but apart from that we just need to attract people. It's hard to attract people to a job that demands a lot of personal sacrifice, for slightly above average wages and no real respect from the government or population.

 

[mariomike]

And forget the lifetime career BS,

If it is not a career, what is it? A hobby?

It offers a 70% pension. It can be your first, and last, job. A good job. A career.

 

[Cloud Cover]

It's an occupation and perhaps a credential. Again, until the CAF truly looks after its people- housing, equipment, leadership, purpose - the 70% pension is flashy 30 pieces of silver, an end by tortuous means. It wasn't like that before, but it certainly is now ...

 

[ueo]

It's an occupation and perhaps a credential. Again, until the CAF truly looks after its people- housing, equipment, leadership, purpose - the 70% pension is flashy 30 pieces of silver, an end by tortuous means. It wasn't like that before, but it certainly is now ...

housing...purpose, in what altered reality?

 

[torg003]

Hey, come on, everyone knows "there's no life like it".

 

[GR66]

Hey, come on, everyone knows "there's no life like it".

To be fair they never really said if that was a good thing or a bad thing...

 

[Cloud Cover]

housing...purpose, in what altered reality?

Well exactly. Very few young, fit, healthy males want to join a military with a government that sees changing diapers and serving glasses of water to 19 year old summer student wildfire fighters as a proper military role.
Or live in shacks with flooded bathrooms, baby snakes in the food, rats in the closet.

 

[CBH99]

Well exactly. Very few young, fit, healthy males want to join a military with a government that sees changing diapers and serving glasses of water to 19 year old summer student wildfire fighters as a proper military role.
Or live in shacks with flooded bathrooms, baby snakes in the food, rats in the closet.

Baby snakes in the food? Please tell me you're exaggerating for effect?

 

[CBH99]

What we need to do is figure out what gets healthy, young, fighting age Canadian males motivated angry enough to join the military for 3- 5 years. And forget the lifetime career BS, young men are just not interested in that anymore. Nobody wants to raise a family in a military slum and the Canadian government isn't going to do much to improve what already exists.
A 3-5 years reg force commitment and a lifetime revolving door at their own initiative and option between classes of service is where this needs to go or there will not be any military at all within 10 years. If someone wants to serve 25 years straight, well good for them - incentivize the hell out of that- but don't make it an absolute necessary.

We had a wait list of 7000 ppl wanting to join the Army during the Afghan war years...just sayin'...