Canada is a peaceful nation and our nation, indeed the world, is facing huge challenges in recovering from the economic and social fallout of combating (largely successfully) a global pandemic. But the world is also facing a new rising threat of aggressive expansion by a rejuvenated Russian empire led by an autocrat bent on securing his historical legacy by “restoring” that empire’s furthest expanse and “protecting” Russians living in that territory. Now where have we seen something like that before?
The words “Lest we forget” have been uttered countless times down through the seven decades since the last time global conflict gripped the world. That was also a time when democratic nations had disarmed, convinced that the spectre of nuclear Armageddon and mutually assured destruction would restrain humanity’s worst inclinations. Nearly without exception, Western nations chose butter over guns when forming their annual budgets, and the global prosperity that ensued seemed to justify those decisions.
In the days leading up to the rise of the demagogue Adolf Hitler and the fall of the Weimer Republic to the thrall of fascism and the promise to make Germany great again, Western nations were left scrambling to rearm and prepare for the inevitable confrontation.
It is easily forgotten that it was an expansionist Soviet Union that joined the Nazi dictator in invading Poland in 1939—only becoming a consort of convenience when Hitler turned his guns on Moscow.
Instead of providing a shield against expansion through aggression, the threat of nuclear annihilation has instead proven to be an armour against a fulsome reaction to those tactics. “Get in the way and we are all going to die” is Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s warning.
That he might be assured this tactic would work leads to a question as to what former US President Donald Trump told him during those private and undocumented sessions between them as to the limits of American defence policy.
But we digress.
This is not a time in global affairs to reduce defence spending. Pre-war British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain has long been pilloried for his policy of appeasement, but the plain point of fact was that Britain (and a good portion of the rest of the world) was scrambling to shore up their defences at the time following decades of decline. Mr. Chamberlain was desperately trying to buy his nation time. In the end, he gained little but personal approbation.
Despite the steady derision aimed at federal governments (both Liberal and Conservative) for letting our guard down, the Canadian Armed Forces are a potent force and remain respected around the globe for their professionalism and skill, especially with our latest frigate fleet and its armaments (the source of much of the cost overruns Conservatives are now targeting in a bizarre suck and blow demonstration) nearing completion.
Now is not the time to reduce defence spending but rather a time to gird our defences. Our best strategy to avoid direct confrontation with an expansionist group of nations is supply their victims with the wherewithal to defend themselves, we cannot do that by stripping ourselves of defences. The Pax Americana, the umbrella under which we have sheltered is proving to be less secure in these troubled times.
We share a huge border with the expansionist Russian empire and that empire is busily building the tools to take those of our Northernmost resources they dispute by any means necessary. As a nation, we need to ensure the cost of such actions would far outweigh any benefit.
Lest we forget.
