I'm watching his earlier stuff, it's not as "journalistic" but it's still pretty well done visually. It's a regular travel blog with a young dude just having a good time and getting into stupid shit sometimes. So far watched Egypt, Morocco, Nepal, North Korea. It's like night and day to what he's doing now.

The procurement of the F35 is too late. The Liberals using it as a political football (along with the entire CF) has cost all Canadians immensely. As it stands the RCAF and CF as a whole are in a state of collapse and while that's the fault of all political parties the F35 in particular is a huge failure by the Liberals. That procurement was on the rocks during the 2015 election then they fully killed it and also pulled us out of Iraq and our boys on the ground lost their own air support.

Soon after with no new jet coming, brutal maintenance issues on the ancient CF18, already being under manned and under supported, and being held back from doing the job they truly signed up to do (projecting force against genuine evil like Daesh) people voted with their feet. The fighter force in particular had a huge loss of pilots and support personnel between 2017 and 2019. I do not exaggerate that about 50% of active fighter pilots released from the military as a result of these policies, there was no light at the end of the tunnel for them. The current training system is brutally backlogged because there aren't enough pilots and serviceable aircraft to train new pilots. It's all collapsing.

By the time the first 35's show up I have no idea how they plan to take delivery and stand them up. The above issues don't even get into the archaic bases the Hornets are currently housed in with hangers and infrastructure from the 60's. The F35 will require all new hangers, security, EW, and on and on and they won't have the people to do it. The CF doesn't even have the people to continue the NATO Air Policing missions in Eastern Europe, nor can it deploy a single Naval Frigate.

All political parties are to blame for this, it's coming to head now after decades of neglect. But since 2015 it has taken a sharp turn with bullshit Liberal policies, them fighting veterans in court for benefits, the latest VAC debacle et al. The floods in BC last fall were a shocking look at the actual capability they have even domestically. It will take a generation to fix but I see it actually imploding first if I'm honest. It's already begun.

There was an analyst on the radio saying the Navy will be in equally rough shape if not worse in the coming years and will likely be even more important in northern security etc. and the govt. has basically allowed it to fall to pieces.

Ships take longer to build than planes and as mentioned above, the facilities, crew, training, etc. are a decade away from being active

Don’t worry though, we can peace keep and help allies with endless blank cheques.

The issue of hangars is being addressed as part of the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP).In fact, implementation phase has already begun at the locations (Cold Lake and Bagotville). The project includes operational headquarters for the squadrons that will fly the jets, as well as security, IT and maintenance and training facilities for the new fleet.

That is an inconvenient truth, sir.

I have no stake in this but I'm curious, why does Canada even need all these F-35s? Do we really think we're going to fight and defend the northern passage from Russia or something?

Lack of military funding is a systematic issue by both parties, most Canadians aren't like our American counterparts -- they don't really care about shiny new jets and equipment, but rather how funded the healthcare system is and such. It's another reason why our recruitment is so laughably terrible.

We need to maintain our NATO obligations for defense spending, which historically we haven't been keeping up. It's sad when Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and even fucking Romania are outspending Canada as a percentage of GDP.

Civilian contractors will of course get it all built eventually but the true issue is staffing it. That's what I mean by the CF will not have the people. All of this infrastructure should have at least been updated 20+ years ago, now it's an absolutely massive undertaking all at once. By the time it's all built and jets start flying it'll already be 10 years old...
The situation in Ukraine and growing global instability should be really obvious reasons. The F35 is the only jet available to us that keeps up with the global level of capability both offensively and defensively. Canada will never be a first strike nation it's not who we are, but we need to keep up with external threats and influence. Eastern European air policing missions and the invasion of Ukraine are an exact demonstration of why. Free falling recruitment has NOTHING to do with people thinking money shouldn't be spent there, it's falling because there's no pride in the organization or the government.

The military is also the backbone of domestic emergency operations and they are failing in that too. It's easy to ask why we need a military until we do, and when it's not there it's too late. In the event of a major natural disaster or terror attack in Canada.... holy fuck. No one is coming to save you in any reasonable time given its current state. We can and should be better and have no excuse; it's partisan political bullshit that's led us here.
Like Australia those countries have direct threats on their doorstep so it makes sense. Even so, they have needed additional NATO help in the form of foreign boots on the ground and jets in the air to deter Putin from trying to annex them too. Canada is probably the most geographically blessed country on the planet, but as the world gets smaller we need to be able to protect ourselves.

Wow, I've never looked at it that way, but you're right. :ahwow:

Having spent some time in India, a daily worry of most people is they feel threatened by their neighbours like Pakistan, China, Bangladesh and so forth. All these countries have beef with India in one way or another along with arsenals of nukes and all. I never saw it that way.

Given how much of Canada is so wide spread and generally unprotected, we can't always bank on the idea our friends and neighbours will come to our rescue, especially when things get dire.

Look at Ukraine.

well there's a good reason why they have the need to keep up... they are all either former soviet states or neighbouring them

While it's a good reason for them, it's no excuse for us. If we want to be part of the group, we should be doing at least the bare minimum. I'm surprised we don't get more shit than we do for failing to keep up our end of the deal.

Went down to Bellingham today for a trader Joe's run and decided to swing by Costco.

Disappointingly, everything there was essentially the same price as Canada except in USD, no deals to be found.

Even the chips at trader Joe's were pricey, but bought for the special flavours and snacks we don't get here in Canada.

Inflation is coming down! Guess those Conservati.... oh wait... the Liberals are still in power. Weird.

So what’s actually come down in price that matters?

Groceries? Gas? Lending rates?

10000% on the Geographic comment.

there's no way Canada will ever be able to properly defend itself from anyone. We NEED the big bad USA war machine. Sure we should be able to intercept some jets and buffer our air space but not a full out war. NATO (USA) all day long will have to come save us from who ever (Russia/China)

Who is to say, USA will be the one protecting and not attacking, all you need is one ultra mentally disabled person in power

Cough Putler Cough
People forget Ukraine and Russia are literally like brothers. At least in the eyes of its citizens.

In the US $100k+ households see the biggest decrease in spending due to inflation.

Can't isolate the impact of inflation to just the middle class in Canada bcuz Trudeau (I guess depends on what the RS ballers here define middle class)

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ho...on-11674143695

aint much of a middle class in canada anymore. either you are RS baller (multiple homes, renting out to shmucks, multiple cars, etc) or your struggling to eat and cant afford basic necessities

If you don’t own your home in Canada, 100k USD household isn’t middle class.

100k USD is the poverty line in some US cities before covid(I'm looking at you SF), it's probably worse now.

Middle class in Vancouver is something like top 5% income in Canada. You live like a baller with that money in Manitoba when a sprawling mansion is only 350k whereas 3.5m buys you a shack in Vancouver.

I keep hearing there's no middle class yet on a Saturday night I can't even find a parking spot at a restaurant in Langley to pick up my food. Either everyone is a baller or a lot of people like credit card debt?

Everybody here pays off their credit card on time and to the T. :accepted:

How much of the population either live pay cheque to pay cheque or float a couple Months of rent in savings and just go live life like normal? With no investment/retirement contributions etc.

Or people just have more money than you’d think I guess.

We have a lot of friends who are young professionals, own their own home either in Vancouver and on the north shore, probably have dual incomes over 200k and these people are not going out all the time, almost all of them are in lock down mode maybe going for a lunch or dinner a night a week max

So I’m not sure what it is lol

Have a very good friend who bought a detached home in Toronto probably at or near the peak for about 2 mill. He was telling me the other day his mortgage has more than doubled and they are paying like $5400 a month now fuck

I dunno, I've owned a credit card for 23 years, never missed a payment (came close a couple times though just out of sheer forgetfulness), and never paid a cent of interest :P