Is this the Arch Duke Ferdinand Moment?

[Selene]

Clearly, it is a sad day for the world. However, what effect do you think this assasination will have on this country's global military and economic strategy.

[william.scherk]

Clearly, it is a sad day for the world. However, what effect do you think this assasination will have on this country's global military and economic strategy.

Easy. Canada will continue to work with the Pakistanis to ensure Peace, Order and Good Government. Economically, we are doing fine. Our products are selling in US dollars at par. Our native Muslims are just finishing celebrating Christmas. Pakistani-Canadians are lamenting/cheering. Our global military strategy is to support the US except where we don't support them, as in Iraq, where we support them via helping take in Iraqi refugees (or sending money via the UN High Commission). Our global military strategy is dependent on . . . oh, you mean This Country, the USA!

Zero effect. That Bhutto is gone means only that Musharaff gets more billions to fight the terrorists. He is doing a fair job with 80 billion a year, so he will do a better job with twice that. Economically, you guys are set. Housing market and coming credit collapse, booming Christmas sales, the usual.

No need to change a thing. Your elections will pump about 85 billion into your economy and the chattering classes will chatter.

Forgive the sarcasm/cynicism, but your foreign policy is set. Why change a good thing? When Hillary/Barack/Rudy/Pastor Huckabee/General McCain/Melchizek Priest Romney takes over the reins, they will bounce in the saddle and say whoopee! America is great, and find that steering the ship of state is like steering Antarctica.

[Selene]

Clearly, it is a sad day for the world. However, what effect do you think this assasination will have on this country's global military and economic strategy.

Easy. Canada will continue to work with the Pakistanis to ensure Peace, Order and Good Government. Economically, we are doing fine. Our products are selling in US dollars at par. Our native Muslims are just finishing celebrating Christmas. Pakistani-Canadians are lamenting/cheering. Our global military strategy is to support the US except where we don't support them, as in Iraq, where we support them via helping take in Iraqi refugees (or sending money via the UN High Commission). Our global military strategy is dependent on . . . oh, you mean This Country, the USA!

Zero effect. That Bhutto is gone means only that Musharaff gets more billions to fight the terrorists. He is doing a fair job with 80 billion a year, so he will do a better job with twice that. Economically, you guys are set. Housing market and coming credit collapse, booming Christmas sales, the usual.

No need to change a thing. Your elections will pump about 85 billion into your economy and the chattering classes will chatter.

Forgive the sarcasm/cynicism, but your foreign policy is set. Why change a good thing? When Hillary/Barack/Rudy/Pastor Huckabee/General McCain/Melchizek Priest Romney takes over the reins, they will bounce in the saddle and say whoopee! America is great, and find that steering the ship of state is like steering Antarctica.

Well put. By the way, how much of your budget and GNP goes into your defense establishment. Just curious.

[william.scherk]

Clearly, it is a sad day for the world. However, what effect do you think this assasination will have on this country's global military and economic strategy.

Forgive the sarcasm/cynicism, but your foreign policy is set. Why change a good thing? When Hillary/Barack/Rudy/Pastor Huckabee/General McCain/Melchizek Priest Romney takes over the reins, they will bounce in the saddle and say whoopee! America is great, and find that steering the ship of state is like steering Antarctica.

Well put. By the way, how much of your budget and GNP goes into your defense establishment. Just curious.

The Tories have increased defence spending since taking power. This article gives a sketch of the controversy in our country. This note gives a comparative grid of world spending from 2005 (without GDP). All I can do with Google in a minute, sorry!

(see also this compendium from the Mother Corp, CBC).

Our glory days of military spending were in the last world war, goes the myth. In early, out late, as they say. Now, with a presumably conservative minority government, the sky is the limit (the sky being the 'social programmes' of which we appear so fond, as well as the fear of losing our budget surplus).

Edited December 28, 2007 by william.scherk

[BaalChatzaf]

Clearly, it is a sad day for the world. However, what effect do you think this assasination will have on this country's global military and economic strategy.

It will not lead to the next great war. Prior to the First Great War, Germany was on the rise, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was teetering, France was incompetently governed (as usual) and Great Britain was looking out for its own interests, which included the middle east. Russia was coming to a boil. There had been a failed revolution in 1905 and things were heating up again for the Romanovs. Add to that a set of treaty commitments and you have an unstable mess just looking for a push. Which the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand provided.

The current world political situation is nowhere that touchy.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[BaalChatzaf]

Clearly, it is a sad day for the world. However, what effect do you think this assasination will have on this country's global military and economic strategy.

Bhutto was no Mother Therrisa. She was corrupt and dirty (politically speaking) while in office and her Crony-Bund stole billions from Pakistan and shifted them to Swiss accounts. She also played footsie with the Taliban and other militants the last time she was in power. When she had the say, she had some of her enemies jailed or driven out of the country. She and her friends lived by the sword and that is how she died.

Her only redeeming quality was that she was not a Jihadi. She has just another thieving, corrupt middle easter politician.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Chris Grieb]

I think Baal's posts are on target with my biggest concern being those nuclear weapons although Os ma may get them from Russia, the PRC or Iran.

Os ma will not be able to get them from Syria thanks to the Israeli Air Force.

[Selene]

Clearly, it is a sad day for the world. However, what effect do you think this assasination will have on this country's global military and economic strategy.

It will not lead to the next great war. Prior to the First Great War, Germany was on the rise, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was teetering, France was incompetently governed (as usual) and Great Britain was looking out for its own interests, which included the middle east. Russia was coming to a boil. There had been a failed revolution in 1905 and things were heating up again for the Romanovs. Add to that a set of treaty commitments and you have an unstable mess just looking for a push. Which the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand provided.

The current world political situation is nowhere that touchy.

Ba'al Chatzaf

And this differs from today in what specific ways?

[BaalChatzaf]

And this differs from today in what specific ways?

There is only one super power. The United States. Back before the first Great War there were several powers more or less equal militarily.

If our leaders had balls and paid heed to their Inner Fascist, the world would be living in the Pax Americana. No such situation like that existed in the early 20-th century. It was higgldy piggldy. The dominoes were lined up ready for one to be pushed.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Selene]

And this differs from today in what specific ways?

There is only one super power. The United States. Back before the first Great War there were several powers more or less equal militarily.

If our leaders had balls and paid heed to their Inner Fascist, the world would be living in the Pax Americana. No such situation like that existed in the early 20-th century. It was higgldy piggldy. The dominoes were lined up ready for one to be pushed.

Ba'al Chatzaf

I seem to see some domino's lined up today. As a "super-power" that achieved it's curret status, as you argue, therefore, disregarding you childish hindsight about the post world war two pax americana. As I remember some of your lansmen transfered the technology which extended the cold war which was quite hot.

Let us assume, for the this argument that it takes about six months for the instability to metastasiize in the indo asian middle east. Let us further assume that a Mahdi-type arises [there are two in Pakistan] and we have an "incident" with Iran based from Israel. Then add a series of middle level suicide bombers in Europe and one or two coordinated attacks in the US.

What would you advise the current President of the US to do if you were his foreign policy confidant.

Adam