Why didn't Canada join the missile defense?

Why Canada didn't join missile defense

Some reasons IMO may be:
First off Canada has a minority government which has lost power and the one of the reasons why the liberal government won was because they were in the minds of many perceived to be the lesser of two bad choices. To get back support for the next election they need to make the people in Quebec mainly happy, where they lost quite a few seats. By saying no to missile defense this helps the liberal government gain support back.

Also what Frank McKenna said about Canada indirectly supporting missile defense is without a doubt true as Canada seems to say no in public but in closed doors say yes. Furthermore, Canada has done what the USA wants most of Canada by increasing both size and budget of the CF, intelligence, border security and added more coast guard vessels as well. The PM also backed up the US stance on Iran at the recent NATO conference.

Finally I doubt that this is the final say in the matter, if the Conservatives win the next election it is likely that they will want to join and if the liberals get a majority next election it is possible they may go through with it as well.

OR maybe it was an act to generate the political capital the Canadian government needs to keep it's peoples confidence.

Hmmm, more Canadian-bashing...

Sorry, neocons. I know we should have saluted and said "SIR YES SIR!" when you guys asked us to join missile defense. We are perfectly aware that disagreeing with the United States is a crime punishable by military intervention, and that is also means that as a nation we have nothing left to offer this world.

As for the missile defense system... didn't Canada give the U.S. what it wanted last August - an agreement to expand NORAD?

why is everybody hating on canada right now? canada didnt want to participate in the missile defense program because first of all canada is where the intercepted missiles would have dropped (who wants to wake up with a missile blown up in there backyard) also the missile defense program wouldnt work if there would be multiple missiles coming this way...wuts the use of disabling one if theres 20 on the way.....also i dont find it right that ppl can say canada has done nothing these days....wut are we supposed to do? instaure(spelling?) democracy by bombing the heck out of the middle east?.........i just dont think its right for ppl to hate on the underdog

Hey, here's an idea- Canada can lease a bunch of Godforsaken arctic isalnds (you know, the small ones that are 50 below year round) And let the US set up shop on those. Then the US won't complain, because their barely-functioning system can sit there and rot. Advatange to canadians- more cash, plus it isn't raining nuclear garbage. Still, I say Americans should only shoot down nukes over their own territory. It doesn't make sense, really. They run around, bullying folks and starting fights, and canadians have to suffer because of it? Makes no sense to me.

DE

Originally posted by sensfan
Nalatroz, what are you talking about? Who called who a coward?

As for your story, that's amazing...glad you came through it ok and he didn't. However, don't paint everyone with the same brush. That guy was a nut job, not cause he was a conservative, but because he was a nut job.

p.s. I'm a liberal and proud of it.

I know, I know, I shouldn't paint them with the same brush, matter of fact I do know a nice Conservative couple that is more or less open minded(They don't insult me when I walk by there house for my religous and political views). But then again I know quite few not so nice "Conservative" familys, one being my girlfriends parents and grandparents, oh how she has had a much tougher life then me, always ridiculed for her religous and political beliefs, her father was QUITE abusive(verbally and physically), and as I mentioned in the "Pro_Life Violence" thread, back in high school she got date raped by some pansy. Quite depressing to even read about her past, man I hadn't seen that scared/relieved look in her eyes when I woke up in the hospital since I helped her with dealing with her parents about the date rape incident before we started dating.

Oh you anti-anything Americans will all get over it in time. I know it is difficult to not get your way when you demand, no matter how hostile, intrusive, and totally one-sided the request for other to participate in your plans to war against others, and all.

Just think, if the powers that be in Washington had a brain to share between them they wouldn't be worried about ramping up defense systems, annoying the other countries, and trying as hard as they can to make enemies, they would be talking to their adversaries about peace.

What a concept, that is peace!

[edit on 3/2/05 by SomewhereinBetween]

Canada didn't join because the "Ballistic Missile Defence" doesn't work,

will lead to the weaponization of space (which Canada is against),

and will lead to other nations (eg. India, Pakistan, China, maybe even North Korea) to build up their nuclear arsenal in order to be able to overwhelm the "Shield."

The "shield" will be only capable of handling up to 20 missiles, if it can even seperate the real warheads from the dummy ones or other decoys, and Russia already is developing its maneouverable warhead which the BMD would'nt be able to stop.

We didn't join the war in Iraq just because the US was going to anyway, why would we do differently here where it's clear to see that this BMD doesn't make the world any safer.

This isnt a difficult subject. Frank McKenna supports the missle defense system because he was the director of Carlyle Group Canada...it isnt due to political expediency...why do you think he was made ambassador to the US anyway!

www.thecarlylegroup.com...

Naivety in this day in age is simply unnacceptable.

Originally posted by Karellen
Yeah, the Canadians participated in WWI and WWII. 'Preciate it. Question, is, what have you done lately? What unique contribution to culture, science, the arts, etc. has Canada made in the last 50 years, or for that matter, ever?

Jeez, do we have to do this again? Your ignorance, arrogance and pompousness is so typical. Why don't YOU do a little research and see what Canada has given the world. I think you'll be surprised.

Just 'cause we're nice, I'll give you a head start...

Insulin
Bone marrow compatability test
first heart valve operation
Bell telephone (part Canada/part US)
Electric light bulb
Film colourization
Automatic postal sorter
Hockey and the Stanley Cup
Basketball
Superman
IMAX
Blackberry pagers (the only ones that worked on 9/11)
Peacekeeping (oh, there's a concept)
Marshal McLuhan: the medium is the message; the world is a global village
Louis B. Mayer (MGM studios)
Mary Pickford (America's sweetheart)
Mike Myers (Austin Powers and Shrek, hello?)
Jim Carrey
Celine Dion
More famous Canadians
Snowmobiles
World's first pulp paper plant
Goalie masks
World first radio broadcast (1906)
Pictionary and Trivial Pursuit
Of course no one hears about those American hostages in Iran that Canada saved...Thanks, Canada

Need more? Because I could go on and on...really, its no trouble

I think all the world could use a little more Canada...