Northern Light
Superstar
Their parliamentary democracy lasted all of 2 years between the fall of the USSR and Yelstin's coup in '93. See the video above. Who exactly was there to bribe in that time?
I don't know; fair point.
A bit yes. Mostly my belief is that Canada should keep its commitments. Whether that is on aid, climate change or NATO defence spending targets. I am mostly fine with the military cuts made in the 90s. We could have been smarter about them. The real issue for me is how much we underestimate the changing world now and how much we take for granted from the US, exactly at the moment as they adopt the Canadian attitude to security commitments (as being optional).
I don't really disagree here, except that I think some commitments (to which we nominally agreed) are a bit arbitrary and don't have the logical ties to function/utility etc I'd like to see.
For comparison's sake, I noted elsewhere, on a domestic policy file, spending money is not an accomplishment unto itself; its the outcome the money buys that is.
I wouldn't argue against more funding for certain capabilities, and for recruitment/retention. I'm less keen on setting the money target first rather than than the capability one.
When it comes to Russia (and China), I can't say I would have been smarter than anybody else. But it boggles my mind that Western governments didn't change course on Russia immediately after the invasion of Georgia. France built two amphibs for Russia after that. Heck, Germany even approved Nordstream 2 after the invasion of Ukraine. And Angela Merkel's reasoning is very close to exactly what you're arguing for here. Ostpolitik helped with East Germany so it would bring Russia into the fold. Except, it didn't work out that way. Putin weaponized energy dependency against Europe. If he had been given $100B, the only infrastructure he would built are those that would have helped move his army faster into Ukraine.
On the bolded, we're in 100% agreement. Whatever choices were open to debate prior to that; there was a material change at that moment that demanded reevaluation forthwith, which by and large, was not forthcoming.
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Separately, I'm a big enthusiast for any significant political jurisdiction being broadly capable of self-sufficiency on essentials, (drinking water, food, energy, supplies needed to built housing); that does not mean one cannot trade such things, but that it should be feasible to redirect resources if required.
Being overly reliant, even on 'friends' is a dubious strategy.............relying on....uncertain friends........(or worse).....that much more suspect.