Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We are the leaders in it. We supply the largest number of troops and generally call the shots. Are you denying this?
No one is denying that, but there is a ****load of other countries involved in that "intervention". Including Germany. Proportionally speaking, I think the number of European troops deployed to Iraq is more than fair. Expecting a nation many times smaller than the U.S. to deploy just as many troops is a bit delusional.
Everybody already have their own crisis to deal with at the moment
Canada doesn't. We just lost our first soldier to ISIS in Iraq today, although it wasn't the first time we'd exchanged fire. Our current Conservative prime minister is highly militaristic and has been playing up fear of ISIS and terrorism to distract from his divisive domestic record in an election year. I could see him committing us to a proper ground war tomorrow if one of our more powerful allies got involved in a ground war there (read: the US, although it'd still be possible in the unlikely event of no US involvement but some by our European allies like France and the UK instead). We have an excellent, highly effective ground army filled with veterans of the bloody years in Kandahar province. They can pack a punch and operate in this kind of environment, but they're too small for Canadians to feel comfortable acting alone, and frankly it isn't our style, our military has always fought abroad as part of the British Empire pre WW2, or as a part of large international coalitions in the post war period. That said, you never know, if the UN gave the current government a strong framework to operate in and asked for help, it could happen, and I'm sure the Australians would have our backs, Harper and Abbott have this gross bromance going on.
No one is denying that, but there is a ****load of other countries involved in that "intervention". Including Germany. Proportionally speaking, I think the number of European troops deployed to Iraq is more than fair. Expecting a nation many times smaller than the U.S. to deploy just as many troops is a bit delusional.
there are really 3 reasons why the European can't supply as many soldiers:
1) their national populations are smaller than the US
2) Most European Nations (except for a few, like Switzerland, Norway and denmark) no longer practise national service/conscription; this was something they did during the Cold War; now they are no longer doing it (at least most of them); take for example, the UK, whom dropped it first, then France, then Germany. This means that they have a lesser pool of soldiers to draw upon, when in the first place their national populations were smaller than the US
3) Russia is practising massive military manoeuvres near Ukraine, near the Nordic countries, near the Baltic states and pretty much near the whole of eastern Europe. The US is proving to be extremely unreliable in countering Russian aggression in Europe, so the European nations are keeping most of their own forces, as much as possible, in their home territory, as a deterrence. Look at it this way, why cede to US pressure and send your troops to another region, when you need your own troops in your own country when the US is not proving to be reliable in backing up your home territory?
Are you counting the British in that? Cause last time I checked 3 people from my estate died in Iraq and Afghan, tons more from my city and 632 more from my country. So please don't demean our sacrifice.
The British have great respect here in America for all they have done in the recent wars, and of course also going back to the world wars. Please don't let a few foolish internet comments make you believe we don't respect your effort or sacrifice, nothing could be further from the truth. I hate it when a few people say things that make our country look uneducated and/or arrogant about the sacrifice of our allies. Most of us do not feel that way, especially about the British.
Canada doesn't. We just lost our first soldier to ISIS in Iraq today, although it wasn't the first time we'd exchanged fire. Our current Conservative prime minister is highly militaristic and has been playing up fear of ISIS and terrorism to distract from his divisive domestic record in an election year. I could see him committing us to a proper ground war tomorrow if one of our more powerful allies got involved in a ground war there (read: the US, although it'd still be possible in the unlikely event of no US involvement but some by our European allies like France and the UK instead). We have an excellent, highly effective ground army filled with veterans of the bloody years in Kandahar province. They can pack a punch and operate in this kind of environment, but they're too small for Canadians to feel comfortable acting alone, and frankly it isn't our style, our military has always fought abroad as part of the British Empire pre WW2, or as a part of large international coalitions in the post war period. That said, you never know, if the UN gave the current government a strong framework to operate in and asked for help, it could happen, and I'm sure the Australians would have our backs, Harper and Abbott have this gross bromance going on.
It is a shame that more involvement may be necessary, but sadly ground troops may end up over there. From what countries??? I guess that is up to local politics in all the allied powers. The US, Canada, Britain and Australia are the prime contenders though, and eventually some or even all these nations may have ground forces there dealing with these barbarians. Our air power is helping, but not quite doing the job alone, and the Arab forces on the ground just are not gaining enough ground. These ISIS guys are so sick that they just cannot be allowed to keep doing what they are doing. If we ignore it and they end up with a massive Islamic empire/Caliphate then we will have a real problem. Better to deal with them while they are a bunch of crazy guys with guns mounted to the back of pickups then to wait until they have a powerful military. Its never a good idea to let dictators become powerful.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
