This is what the Conservatives are doing with your tax dollars that they claimed were needed to improve the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Department of National Defence has negotiated a $500,000 marketing deal with Canadian Interuniversity Sport that will give the armed forces a high-profile position at all CIS events. Under the three-year deal, the military will be able to advertise on CIS websites, participate in television programming and gain one-on-one access to student athletes.

It’s good to know that if Canada ever does face a serious threat that our military will be well prepared to launch a devastating ad campaign against our enemies.

By the way, doesn’t this program remind you of another one.

Count me in for the ten tonne challenge.

Oh look, the dishonest hacks are once again hyping the meaningless per capita military spending statistic to justify why Canada needs to spend more money.

These members spent more on defence per capita in 2004 than Canada ($US, Canada just under $300, figures extrapolated from chart):

Italy $320
Belgium $400
Luxembourg (!?!) $500
Netherlands $510
Denmark $560
Norway $850!!!

Read ‘em and weep. At least in 1990 we beat Luxembourg. We’ve been “cheapskates” for quite a long time.

Wow, that looks impressive on the part of these other nations who aren’t “cheapskates” according to Mark. But I have to wonder why he’s chosen these countries to bolster his case. Why not use these ones that really make Canada look like the Ebenezer of defence spending.

Baihrain: $764
Saudi Arabia: $1,007
UAE: $1,035
Kuwait: $2,538!!!

Wow!!! Kuwait must have some kickass military if they’re spending a whopping $2,538 per person.

As you can see, per capita, and it’s twin sister per GDP, measures of military spending are quite useless as metrics. When it comes to military spending, the only statistic that counts is the bottom line. And the bottom line (pdf) is that Canada’s defense spending ranked 12th in the world in 2005; ahead of every nation on Mark’s list except for Italy.

Why 2050? Why not 2150 or 2550? Either of these targets would be just as asinine in the absence of any short range targets.

Peter MacKay.

MacKay says in a speech to the Canadian International Centre that calling for peace talks with the Taliban — a suggestion made by NDP Leader Jack Layton — only makes insurgents bolder.

Reality.

British troops have pulled out of an Afghan town which has been a centre of Taleban insurgency in recent months.

The change in tactics at Musa Qala, a district centre in southern Helmand province, follows a ceasefire brokered by tribal elders with Taleban fighters.

One resident of Musa Qala, Haji Sarfaraz, told the BBC’s Pashto Service that life was now returning to normal there.

“There was no business activity before, everything was in ruins, the locals were fed up, some were forced to flee,” he said.

“Now they are again being given the opportunity to get on with their business. There is no fighting any more and calm has returned.”

Does Peter MacKay, our foreign affairs minister, even know what’s going on in Afghanistan? The evidence says he doesn’t.

Update: More from Buckdog and Accidental Deliberations. Also check out Talking to the Taliban: Part 1, 2, 3, 4.

Meanwhile, I wonder what our foreign affairs minister has to say about this?

According to D’Alieso, as a result of six recent deaths, NATO has decided that it is better to use local teenagers to police and defend a particularly dangerous stretch of road in Kandahar being rebuilt by the Canadian battle group. Arming these youths with Kalashnikovs and training them for 9 to 10 days will apparently help lessen the insecurity in the region.

Again I have to question whether or not our foreign affairs minister even knows what is happening in the nation where our soldiers are dying.