Stepping up to the plate Ian's Rural Ramblings

A feeling is wrenching me deep in my gut. I believe there is a storm coming of the mankind type that was inflicted on the world in the late 1930s. In the days, weeks and years before World War II many nations saw the writing on the wall yet failed to prepare anywhere near adequately. Subsequently, nations fell and endured occupation for years before the allies could take the offensive. Losses, both military and civilian were severe.

I don’t think I’m the only one but 80 odd years later I can see the same pattern of events emerging again. Strong leaders/dictators, call them what you will, are banging the drum and rattling their sabres. The next conflict could be very different from the last one and that’s about it for humankind and civilisation in any form that we can recognise today.

Before we get to the button pressing though there is the conventional forces option. For us that means NATO and in the new world order of the Trump administration that means stepping up to the plate and, nation wise, paying your agreed share. That’s two per cent of a nation’s GDP. American presidents have long complained about the NATO members that fall far short of contributing. Trump is the first one that I can recall that has hinted that some NATO members may not get the whole nine yards in terms of support from the U.S. in the event of an attack.

Out of 28 countries only five spend two per cent or more of their GDP on defence, U.S., Greece, UK, Estonia and Poland. Canada on the list that I saw was at number 23 at only one per cent of its GDP, half of what was agreed in 2006 I believe. President Trump has said that he is 100 per cent behind NATO. That statement doesn’t fit with some of his campaign rhetoric and let’s just say I’m a little sceptical as to how Trump would react if one of the other 23 was attacked.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that Canada is one of NATO’s strongest actors. That is true. However, one could argue the same for the UK, which spends 2.2 per cent of its GDP, even with that there have been swinging cuts in manpower and capability.

Politicians will always argue that money is tight and there may not be a war. That is true too. However, an agreement of two per cent to NATO is an agreement. Many nations share a border with an increasingly belligerent Russia. I believe Canada should look far harder to its defensive capabilities in the far north. I also believe that it is time for noncomplying NATO nations to step up to the plate on spending, including Canada