(For my Canadian friends...your thoughts?)

From: https://shorturl.at/SX4gT (realclearwire.com)

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                              Canada Adrift

   By Andrew Latham
   January 10, 2025

   Justin Trudeau's tenure as Canada's prime minister has been marked by a
   mix of lofty rhetoric and lackluster follow-through, but nowhere is this
   more evident than in the realm of national defense and security. While
   Trudeau has made some noteworthy pronouncements about Canada's role in the
   world, his actual record reveals a profound failure to safeguard Canadian
   sovereignty and support the Canadian Armed Forces. When it comes to
   protecting Canada's strategic interests, Trudeau's leadership has proven
   to be among the weakest of any modern prime minister.

   Trudeau's failures are perhaps most glaring in the area of defense
   spending and procurement. Despite years of promises to meet NATO's target
   of spending 2% of GDP on defense, Canada remains far below this benchmark,
   consistently ranking among the lowest contributors in the alliance. This
   is not merely a failure to honor international commitments; it is a
   failure to invest in the fundamental capabilities required to protect
   Canada itself. The government's inability to replace aging equipment, from
   fighter jets to naval vessels, has left the Canadian Armed Forces
   struggling to fulfill even its most basic responsibilities. For a country
   with vast territorial waters, an increasingly contested Arctic, and a
   close partnership with the United States, this neglect is indefensible.

   The Arctic, in particular, stands as a glaring symbol of Trudeau's
   shortcomings. The region is critical to Canada's sovereignty and security,
   yet the government has done little to assert control over this
   strategically vital area. As Russia and China ramp up their presence in
   the Arctic, Canada's capabilities remain woefully inadequate. Promises of
   bolstered Arctic patrols and modernized icebreakers have largely gone
   unfulfilled, leaving Canada vulnerable in a region that is rapidly
   becoming a focal point of great-power competition. If sovereignty is
   defined by the ability to project power and influence within one's own
   borders, then Canada under Trudeau has fallen short.

   Equally troubling is the state of Canada's broader strategic posture.
   Trudeau's government has often appeared more concerned with projecting an
   image of Canada as a moral beacon than with addressing hard security
   realities. This has led to a pattern of overpromising and underdelivering.
   While Trudeau's government released a defense policy in 2017 that
   committed to "Strong, Secure, Engaged," the actual implementation of this
   strategy has been halting at best. The policy called for significant
   investments in personnel, equipment, and capabilities, yet the funding and
   political will to follow through have been sorely lacking. The result is a
   Canadian military that is overstretched, under-resourced, and increasingly
   irrelevant on the global stage.

   It is important to acknowledge that Trudeau has not been an unmitigated
   disaster in every aspect of national security. His government has
   articulated some important principles regarding Canada's role in a
   changing international order. Notably, there has been a recognition that
   Canada must adapt to the realities of great-power competition and the
   decline of American hegemony. This has been evident in Trudeau's
   rhetorical emphasis on multilateralism and a "rules-based international
   order," as well as in the acknowledgment of emerging threats in the
   Indo-Pacific and Arctic. These pronouncements suggest a certain clarity of
   vision about Canada's place in the world, even if that vision has not
   translated into effective action.

   Trudeau's record also includes some positive steps in aligning Canada's
   grand strategy with its geography. There has been a gradual shift in focus
   toward the North Pacific and Arctic, which aligns with Canada's natural
   strategic priorities. However, these efforts have been more symbolic than
   substantive. Canada's contributions to the Pacific theater remain
   marginal, and the absence of a robust Arctic strategy continues to
   undermine national security. This disconnect between strategy and
   execution has been a hallmark of Trudeau's leadership on defense issues.

   The most damning critique of Trudeau's approach to national security lies
   in his failure to understand that defense and sovereignty are not optional
   luxuries but core responsibilities of the state. This misunderstanding is
   evident in the government's repeated delays and mismanagement of defense
   procurement projects. From the botched effort to replace the CF-18 fighter
   jets to the prolonged and still-unresolved plans for new naval vessels,
   Trudeau's government has shown a stunning lack of urgency. These delays
   not only weaken Canada's military capabilities but also signal to allies
   and adversaries alike that Canada is not serious about its defense
   commitments.

   Moreover, the Trudeau government's reluctance to make hard choices on
   defense has undermined Canada's credibility as a partner. This is
   particularly evident in the context of NATO, where Canada's failure to
   meet spending commitments has become a source of frustration for allies.
   At a time when the alliance is facing renewed threats from Russia and an
   increasingly assertive China, Canada's underperformance is more than an
   embarrassment; it is a liability. The same can be said for Canada's
   defense relationship with the United States. As Washington grows
   increasingly focused on great-power competition, Canada risks being seen
   as a weak link in the North American defense partnership.

   Trudeau's defenders might argue that his government has faced significant
   constraints, from fiscal pressures to political opposition, which have
   made it difficult to prioritize defense. While there is some truth to
   this, it does not excuse the lack of vision and execution that have
   characterized his approach. Other leaders have faced similar challenges
   and risen to the occasion; Trudeau has not. His failure to address
   Canada's defense and security needs is not a matter of circumstance but of
   choice.

   In assessing Trudeau's legacy, it is tempting to focus on his strengths as
   a communicator and his ability to project Canada as a progressive,
   outward-looking nation. Yet these qualities cannot obscure the reality
   that his record on national defense and security has been deeply flawed.
   For all his talk of Canada's role as a global leader, Trudeau has
   neglected the fundamental building blocks of sovereignty and security. His
   tenure has left Canada less prepared, less capable, and less credible in a
   world that is growing more dangerous by the day.

   Justin Trudeau's time as prime minister will likely be remembered for many
   things, but his handling of national defense and security will not be
   among his proudest achievements. While he has occasionally articulated a
   compelling vision for Canada's place in the world, his government has
   consistently failed to back that vision with the necessary resources and
   resolve. In this sense, Trudeau has not only failed to deliver on his
   promises but also failed the fundamental test of leadership: the ability
   to protect and advance the national interest.
===

-- Sean
 
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