No, it’s not rocket science. Trump continually threatens to abandon NATO and its allies, so everyone else has to pick up the slack. Not because he wants it, but because it’s an absolute necessity. I really don’t see a credible argument that Canada shouldn’t be investing in defence.

No one is saying "Canada shouldn't be investing in defence", they are saying we shouldn't be doubling or tripling our military budget to satisfy Trump's demands, and that we should take a "diplomacy first" approach to conflict. Anyway, for comparison: Iran's total military budget IIRC is $8 billion. We already spend many times this amount. Besides, NATO has only ever come to the aid of the US, never the other way around.

[–] ValueSubtracted@startrek.website 6 points 1 day ago (3 children)

we shouldn’t be doubling or tripling our military budget to satisfy Trump’s demands

I simply don't think many people would agree that that's the reason we're doing it.

[–] patatas@sh.itjust.works -2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

policy by polling is not a good way to form your own opinion. Do you think we should be doubling or tripling our military budget?

[–] ValueSubtracted@startrek.website 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I thought it was pretty clear that I do, for the reasons already stated.

[–] patatas@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 hours ago

I think I misread your previous comment. Regardless, both the 2% demand and the 5% demand were made by Trump, and the fact that other NATO countries are indeed spending a large chunk of those budgets on US weaponry should be all the indication that anyone needs that they are using Trump's feigned belligerence toward allies as an excuse to ramp up military spending and war posture, particularly in the far north, eg Greenland.

It's frankly unreal how many people can look at Carney's actions and still believe his words.