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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Canada's defence : Doesn't anyone care?
Message-ID: <5929@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 5-Sep-85 16:19:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5929
Posted: Thu Sep  5 16:19:40 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Sep-85 16:19:40 EDT
References: <833@utcs.UUCP> <764@lsuc.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 34

>      Oh , quit blaming the Liberals for doing *exactly* what popular
> opinion of the day (what the majority of Canadians at that time)
> wanted.  ...

Leaders are supposed to lead, and not just in the sense that the carved
figurehead leads a ship.

> ...  If you have any doubt, then look at the
> statistics for volunteers for our armed forces.  In fact, even during
> the worst periods of unemployment over the last couple of years...

Have you looked at the (low) salaries our armed forces are paying lately?
And the (minimal) chances of getting one of the more interesting jobs?

> ...  If you put the choice directly
> in the hands of the people to put money into arms or to put it
> into job creation, you know darned well which one the people would
> vote for....

If you put it as an either-or choice, of course.  But that's a biased
question.  Most people, if asked, would probably prefer plentiful jobs
*and* competent defence.

>      Both parties, you see, are made up of people with some degree
> of respect for the principles of democracy.

Note that one principle of *representative* *constitutional* democracy
is that the people don't necessarily get to have their own way when they're
being stupid.  Both parties are made up largely of people who care more
about the next election than about the health of the nation.  Hence their
idea of what's right is taken from opinion polls.  Principles?  Hah.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry