By Jeanne McGuire
With the federal election behind us, we have to be very clear about something – the new Parliament looks a lot like the old one, with an abundance of pro-corporate voices and a thirst for more military spending.
In fact, with respect to the latter, the new Parliament has shifted even further to the right and is now dominated by Liberals and Conservatives who see their main global task to be increasing military spending to astronomical levels. Tens of billions more for NATO and NORAD, for militarizing the Arctic, for fighter jets and warships.
But there is only one country which has ever invaded Canada and there is only one country that is threatening it now – the United States. Sure, we’ve been fed years of bogeyman stories about how we’re threatened by Russia, China or Iran. But none of them has ever said a word of threat or taken any action which could be perceived as a threat – including interfering in our elections – while the US has done so openly and proudly.
To Canada’s shame, we have been a willing ally in many US interventions, attacks and invasions of other countries – when we should have been a voice for peace and disarmament.
The only logical response to the threats from the US is for Canada to get out of NATO and NORAD. Why would anyone be in a military alliance with a country threatening to invade it? As for military defences – if the US really wanted to attack, we are unable to defend ourselves because it would have the advantage in every area.
So, faced with this fact and the reality that no one else has any intention of invading, let’s begin to rid ourselves of the overly pricey, financially destructive and essentially useless military expenditures like new planes and warships.
Both Mark Carney and Pierre Polievre have promised to build a military base in the north, supposedly to defend the Arctic. The residents of the northern parts of Canada need many things but a military base is not one of them. They need healthcare, housing, social services, educational facilities and teachers, and infrastructure.
And just to be clear, what you spend on military you aren’t spending on those other options. Arguments that a military base will create jobs are true, but they fail to mention that those other forms of spending create more jobs. According to Researchgate, $1 billion spent on the military creates 11,600 jobs whereas that same $1 billion spent on clean energy creates 17,100 jobs. Spent on healthcare, it creates 19,600 jobs and spent on education, 29,100 jobs.
So, if we really want to help the north, a military base is the last thing the government should consider. Those other services are not only a better job creator, but they also actually produce something that the residents can use. This cannot be said for a military base.
It’s time to reject our reliance on military solutions. Canada will be strong, not because of its military but because its people feel that it is a country which is worth our support. That means a country of greater economic equality, not less; of more social services, not private ones; a country with a record of supporting workplace justice, environmental justice, climate justice; a country with more social equality, not less.
And it must be said, on all of these issues, the US is not a model we should attempt to emulate – it is a country which has placed the private economic interests of its elites over the social needs of every other person in the country.
The election is over, but the struggle for peace and prosperity continues.
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