Missile Defence Needs Parliamentary Debate

Debate is good. But the missle defense system isn't yet a really bad thing.<p> We don't know what it will do. We don't know what it will cost (us). Perhaps we'll charge rent for the US using our land. We have many bases which have been shut down due to buget constraints, perhaps this can give some needed funding to the military and boost some local economys.<p> CFS Alert used to be a huge base, with 2500 troops there. Now it houses about 50 American and European ( and the token Canadian) weather experts studying global warming. All the buildings are still intact, including a beautiful commisary.<p> CFB Masset was a large navy base. When they closed it a few years ago, the town basically bacame a big fishing resort. All the PMQ's were sold cheap to the local native band. And there's a huge base in northern Quebec IIRC is way underutilized.<p> Let's face it, this defense system will be mostly energy beam type weapons that fail to to their intended job 9/10 times. Reasonably low probability of getting 'nuked'. They are designed to protect against weapons that don't exist, and may never exist. It's a white elephant, why not milk the US military machine to boost some local economies and our own forces?<p> <p>---<br>"History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme" Mark Twain

This burns me up! & the USA is deliberately provoking countries like N Korea to justify a system like the Missile \"Defence\" system. Of course it has nothing to do with \"defence\"; virtually every agency & think tank says it will be a first-strike weapon.

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"So many right-wing Christians, so few lions." - t-shirt I saw @ school

We know what it will do. It will bankrupt our nation and rob generations of better life. It will take billions of dollars with no guarantee it will ever work.

Beyond the madness that is the cost - it will do nothing. Sept 11 showed that a determined small group can achieve many different ways of causing destruction. A 2 kilogram dirty bomb will not be stopped by a 500 billion dollar pea-shooter.

Missile defence will only lead to a further build up by other nations of their own nuclear stockpiles. Already to get missile defence this far the US had to pull out of long-standing treaties.

Missile defence as touted by the neo-cons includes weapons in space - that is fact - they even boast about it.

It is wrong, it will always be wrong. We should never play any part in it.

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If there was ever a time for Canadians to become pushy - now is the time - for time is running out on this nation called Canada.

Agreed the people need info, cost, impact etc. a debate would be a very good thing! Once we allow the U.S. to suck us into this very costly experiment, what is to stop them from controlling every aspect of Canadians military? We need a better funded and equipped military to defend this nation, not to take over the world, the U.S. is using us and there is no amount of money that can convince me we should jump ship and get on their destroyer! They want star wars, they want total control of every aspect of life on this planet and perhaps they aspire for other planets, but I can\'t see where this decision will benefit Canada now or in the future. We need to learn to say no, we cannot be bought, no price on this nation, no price!!! Further more, don\'t you think we will be the ones that pay to sit at that table, and the cost will be high, when we can\'t pay they\'ll say no problem, we\'ll just take your oil, water etc. No deal is worth selling out this country, this is only one issue but it\'s a big one!

Charge the USA rent to use our land? WHA HA HA HA HA HA! Yeah, right! Right after we still sent them Sable Island natural gas to the US northeastern seaboard without the pipeline servicing Nova Scotia and New Brunswick homes and businesses along the way. Right after we can`t ship finished lumber because of their tarriffs but yet our eunuch leaders send them the unfinished logs! Right after I re-unite the Beatles! With the USA, it`s THEIR WAY OR NO WAY! HELL WITH THEM! THIS IS THEIR PLAN TO CONTROL THE ENTIRE PLANET! But it`s going to fuel another arms race! Both the USA and Canada should take the money they would invest in this joke, and put it toward health care, education, and poverty instead! Missile defence. What. Are the Martians invading? To hell with the well-being of people, LET`S PUT WEAPONS IN SPACE!!! That`s like saying,\"To hell with feeding the kids, ma, let`s buy that gun!\"

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Dave Ruston

No !! We do not need weapons in space !! We do not need
a missle defence.

We had the Bomarcs at the insistence of the U.S. , and what a waste that was !!

Nooooo Wayyyyy!!!




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"Arrogance in Politics is unacceptable"
Jim Callaghan
Minden, Ontario
705-286-1860
www.misterc.ca

It will probably alienate all our allies everywhere in the world also, especially Europe.

Canada contributes to NORAD and my question is: \"If NORAD was derelect on Sept.11 by not sending up fighter jets to intercept the hyjacked aircraft, (which seems to be a very elementary response) then why does the government expect us to go along with this ill conceived pipe dream of missle defence? If something as fundamental as NORAD isn\'t doing the job then why would we expect missle defence to be any more reliable? I see it as a massive waste of money.

I\'d like to see the response to the question: \"If you didn\'t have to contribute to federal taxes, how much of your paycheque would you donate to the missle defence charity?\"

Too many Canadians disconnect from their hard earned money once it\'s in government hands. \" Sure, support missle defence.\" My reaction to that is, give me that money you\'re so willing to hand over to bad governance and watch as I flush it down the toilet. I believe most of those same people would try and stop me. That\'s how I see this support of missle defence and it needs to be stopped.

Our military was never stronger, nor our respect internationally greater, than when we participated in the DEWS (Distant Early Warning System) used to track incoming nuclear missles. It was also used to intercept communication from anywhere in the eastern hemisphere. It was a joint project between us and the US, and no one knew if it would work ethier.<p> All those based I mentioned plus more were used in the DEWS system.<p> <p>---<br>"History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme" Mark Twain

Our military was never stronger, nor our respect internationally greater, than when we participated in the DEWS (Distant Early Warning System) used to track incoming nuclear missles. It was also used to intercept communication from anywhere in the eastern hemisphere. It was a joint project between us and the US, and no one knew if it would work ethier.<p> All those based I mentioned plus more were used in the DEWS system.<p> <p>---<br>"History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme" Mark Twain

Norad was not derelict. The flight that 'crashed' in a field that was destined for the White House was shot down. Think 'Let's Roll'.<p> I was watching CNN when they interviewed an area farmer who said that he saw a fireball in the sky before the jet crashed. The official story was not released, I believe, because people needed heros that day. The farmers story was repeated for an hour or two, then never again.<p> <p>---<br>"History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme" Mark Twain

I think the government ought to be spending money to fund the present military, not some pie in the sky idea! I watched Rich Mercer in Kabul last night, excellent show, but when you see the cream of our crop so to speak, our youth standing up for peace and the government not paying to properly equip them so they can do their jobs safely and efficiently is an outrage! The government commits them to these jobs, they don\'t say hey let\'s go to some god forsaken land and help these people, the government makes the decision, now that same government ought to provide them with the tools to safely do the job, not spend millions or billions on some experiment. The present situation is not a dream, it is reality, let\'s deal with that!

I don't disagree with you. All I am saying is, if the US is going to build this stuff, why don't we use the money from land leases they will need to build it on to fund our military. It'll get both birds, more funding for the military and a better relationship with the US.<p> <p>---<br>"History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme" Mark Twain

Nice thought but that would not come close to covering our costs. Unless they want to pay billions for a lease. <br><br> Here is what 'missile defence' will equal in the long term: <br><br> <a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=518&ncid=732&e=6&u=/ap/20031222/ap_on_re_eu/russia_new_missiles">Russia makes upgrades of nuke strength</a>