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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsForeign policyStarted 9yrs agoActive 1wk ago

Should the government increase or decrease military spending?

Canada’s defense budget is currently $20 billion a year which is less than 1% of its GDP. This is much less than the $600 billion a year the U.S. spends and the $6.5 billion a year the UK spends. Only 5 other countries of the 28 in NATO spend less. To join NATO each member country pledged to spend at least 2% of their GDP on military spending and defense and defend each other against threats from any non-member country. In a July 2016 U.S. Presidential nominee Donald Trump suggested that the United States would not defend NATO member countries who had failed to increase their military budgets to above 2% of Gross Domestic Product. France, Turkey, Germany, Canada, and Italy are countries that are currently spending less than 2% of their GDP on military defense. 

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140 Replies

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

Imagine if your local community had a say in the military budget; what do you think they would prioritize and why?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

Can you share a story about how military spending, or the lack of, has impacted someone you know personally?

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If the government changed military spending, do you think the safety of your neighborhood would be affected, and in what way?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

In what ways do you believe the current level of military spending reflects or contradicts your country's values?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

If a significant amount of military funds were redirected to environmental conservation, what kind of world do you imagine for future generations?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

If you had to choose, which public sector - healthcare, education, or defense - deserves the most investment from our government, and why?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

How do you think your future job prospects might be affected by the government's decision to alter military spending?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

How might your day-to-day life change if your country decided to shift funds from the military to education or healthcare?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

What personal experiences have led you to feel either safe or unsafe about the military's role in protecting your nation?

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How would you advocate for your perspective on military spending if you had a minute to speak to a national leader?

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…5mos5MO

Israel Sinks Syria's Navy

Israel said Tuesday that it had destroyed Syria’s navy in overnight airstrikes, as it continued to pound targets in Syria despite warnings that its operations there could ignite new conflict and jeopardize the transition of power to an interim government.Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said that the Israeli military had “destroyed Syria’s navy overnight, and with great success.” His remarks appeared to confirm Israel’s responsibility for the destruction documented in the Syrian port city of Latakia, where photos showed the smoldering remains of ships sunk at their dock.Mr. Katz said that Israel’s military “has been operating in Syria in recent days to hit and destroy strategic capabilities that pose a threat to Israel,” although he did not indicate what new or immediate risk Syria’s navy presented to Israel, which has the most powerful military in the Middle East.Israeli warplanes have conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, according to war monitors. Israel has characterized its operations as defensive, saying its military was striking suspected chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria to prevent them from falling “into the hands of extremists.”“From here, I warn the rebel leaders in Syria: Those who follow Assad’s path will end like Assad,” Mr. Katz said.As the Assad government fell to the rebels over the weekend, Israeli ground forces advanced beyond the demilitarized zone on the Israel-Syria border, marking their first overt entry into Syrian territory in more than 50 years. An Israeli military spokesman on Tuesday denied reports that the military was advancing on Damascus. The spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said the military was inside a buffer zone between Israel and Syria and at other points “in order to protect the Israeli border.”Earlier Tuesday, Geir Pedersen, the United Nations special envoy for Syria, called on Israel to halt its “very troubling” military operations there, and said de-escalation was needed. “We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop,” Mr. Pedersen told reporters in Geneva.

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