Our nation must stop being obsessed with virtue-signalling, and recognize the importance of actual military strength.
Andrew Scheer has made another good move on the campaign trail, saying a temporary UN Security Council seat is not a big priority for the Conservatives:
“It’s more important to me that I help Canadians get ahead than curry favour at the United Nations,” said Scheer.
This is great to hear, and it’s about time that a major party leader stops chasing the needless temporary UN seat as if it actually meant something.
However, placing a low priority on the UN is only a part of what Canada needs to finally have a realistic and effective foreign policy.
We also need a stronger military.
The reality is that we still live in a dangerous world, and we need to be able to defend ourselves. To think otherwise is simply naive.
As I wrote previously, Canada should focus on building up our air force and developing hypersonic missiles:
“If Canada focused on investing in the best pilot training system in the world, buying and developing advanced fighter jets, and building made-in Canada military drones, we could be a world leader when it comes to having an effective air force. Focusing on a strong air force would give us the ability to defend the Canadian landmass and our ocean territory, without needing a huge amount of personnel.
When it comes to hypersonic missiles, they are weapons that go 5 times faster than the speed of sound and are increasingly being researched and developed by countries like China and Russia.
Hypersonic weapons cost far less than building a gigantic navy, while also rendering the navies of potential aggressors (such as China), vulnerable.
If Canada had a wide array of hypersonic weapons, we could deter potential adversaries from – for example – encroaching on our northern territory. Consider the cost-benefit-analysis here: A naval fleet that collectively costs billions of dollars could be wiped out by a few hypersonic missiles that collectively cost hundreds of millions.
Focusing on hypersonic missiles would also include a focus on defending against missile attacks. This is something we should work on closely with our ally the United States. As part of NORAD, Canada should invest in advanced missile defences, and place missile defences on our territory, helping to build a North American missile shield that is second to none. We should also consider including Mexico in that effort, to ensure that we not only have a free trade zone in North America but also an ironclad defence zone.
Focusing on an advanced air force and on hypersonic missiles & missile defences provides Canada with the opportunity to direct our defence funding in the most realistic and impactful direction.”
So, moving away from an obsession with the UN is a good start, but building up our military is the next step we need to take to help secure our nation in a dangerous world.
Spencer Fernando
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