Is our military Conservative or Liberal ?

[observor 69]

A few decades ago my brother, at the time in the US Army, said he assumed the Canadian military voted Conservative because the US military was certainly Republican. US military web sites appear to confirm that opinion. How about us, are you Conservative, is our Army, the Air Force and Navy?
Me? I consider myself socially liberal, fiscally conservative, ie. part of that great Canadian political middle. I  pragmatically vote either party; depending on party leader and platform.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I think, for the most part, you just answered your own question.

 

[MG34]

Conservative ,always have been always will be, the others are not even an option,espescially if you wear a uniform and wish to remain employed.

 

[Elwood]

I'd hope the CF isn't so shallow as to exclusively vote right wing just because the US military does.

Myself, I'll support any party that wishes to bring a peaceful resolve to the Afghan mission and has present and future plans to keep the CF healthy. Liberal or Conservative or any other party doesn't matter. What matters is what they can provide for the CF and the rest of the country.

 

[onecat]

I'd hope the CF isn't so shallow as to exclusively vote right wing just because the US military does.

Myself, I'll support any party that wishes to bring a peaceful resolve to the Afghan mission and has present and future plans to keep the CF healthy. Liberal or Conservative or any other party doesn't matter. What matters is what they can provide for the CF and the rest of the country.

I agree you have to base your vote on what best for you, but if your going to voted based on the health of CF, then Liberal is not the party to vote for.  After all which party put the CF in its current state, the Liberals.  There are many reasons to vote liberal, military support is not one of them.  Also don;t forget that it was Liberals who sent the CF on the Afghan mission, and send us south, and their decission had nothing to with supporting Goerge W. Many liberal like to forget that part it.  Like past defence minister's and interm leader.. who were all in government and at the table at the time.

 

[onecat]

To add to my last post.

"Liberal leadership contender Stephane Dion says Canada should withdraw its troops ''with honour'' from Afghanistan before 2009 because their current mission is ill-conceived and misguided."

This the new leader saying this... but of course he was there at the time the so called ill-conceived mission was put place.  funny he fails to say that he was there or it was his party to sent the CF there and fully voted for it for under Jean and paul.  this why you can't trust the Liberal party on what it says or means.

 

[UberCree]

... the US military was certainly Republican. US military web sites appear to confirm that opinion.

I would disagree with this assertion. 
A contemporary polling would show diversity of opinion, like those contained in any group of professionals.

If you are looking for treands, and common beliefs, I would say that in spite of political differences one thing that CF members have in common, wether they vote Green, Liberal, BQ, Conservative or NDP, is that they believe in forcefully standing up for their beliefs. 

 

[Edward Campbell]

I think the current trend towards voting Conservative started in the ‘60s.

There was considerable support for the Tories in the ‘40s – mostly because the overseas military, a volunteer, duration of hostilities only, citizens’ military hated King for his dithering over conscription.  That changed in the ‘50s.  St Laurent and, to a lesser degree Pearson, were seen as pro-military – not just in terms of spending but also in terms of what I would an agenda of respect for the military itself, and for defence policy issues.

Three hammer blows fell in the ‘60s:

1. Peacekeeping went from being a useful sideshow – something to do while we waited for the main event – the Red hordes streaming across the North German Plain – to being a raison d’être in and of itself  (favoured by both Conservatives and Liberals as a way to contain spiralling defence budget demands which occurred just as the country wanted, expected huge social spending);

2. Paul Hellyer’s misnamed unification scheme (it was, really, integration but that’s whole other debate (happened on Pearson’s watch); and

3. Trudeau’s ’68 foreign and defence policy vandalism.

Mulroney talked good defence policy but did nothing.  Chrétien was another vandal – for much the same reasons as Trudeau: he wanted to spend, Spend, SPEND! on personal, social entitlements and being anti-American (and America being the sine qua non of ‘military’) always plays well in Canada.  Harper?  Let’s wait and see – so far, so good.  Dion – as I said over here - http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/54132/post-490454.html#msg490454 – two cheers, so far, on one issue.  Time will tell, but I suspect his political heart is not in foreign and defence policy.

The last time, perhaps the only time, we had a PM with significant interest and real skills in foreign and defence matters was in the ‘50s: Louis St Laurent.

I think the shifting political preferences of the military reflect the reverse of the preferences of the PM of the day.  For the most part, from around 1965 to 2005, ‘we’ have been anti-government.

 

[a_majoor]

If I was ONLY concerned about the military, then the Conservatives would be the party I voted for. As a citizen and human being (and husband, father and homeowner) I have plenty of other considerations to take to the voting booth with me, and cast my ballot for the candidate and party which can best meet all or most of my needs and desires.

I also look at past performance as an indicator of future intent, I have lived under both Liberal and Progressive Conservative national governments (and now a Conservative one), as well as Liberal, Conservative and NDP provincial governments, so have a very good idea how ideas get translated into action by these parties.

The Army, like any other institution, is made up of individual people with their own goals. The great mistake socialists make is equating people with the institution, which explains why union bosses never can deliver "the workers" to the NDP come election time. It would be a grave mistake for the Conservatives to believe the military is an assured voting block.

 

[George Wallace]

If I was ONLY concerned about the military, then the Conservatives would be the party I voted for. As a citizen and human being (and husband, father and homeowner) I have plenty of other considerations to take to the voting booth with me, and cast my ballot for the candidate and party which can best meet all or most of my needs and desires.

I also look at past performance as an indicator of future intent, I have lived under both Liberal and Progressive Conservative national governments (and now a Conservative one), as well as Liberal, Conservative and NDP provincial governments, so have a very good idea how ideas get translated into action by these parties.

Well, a Liberal Government who put a ten year wage freeze on my wages, really has to do a lot to make me forget almost going into the 'Poor House'.

 

[Elwood]

It would be a grave mistake for the Conservatives to believe the military is an assured voting block.

Well said. Most of us can agree that the Liberals (Pearson to Martin) and the Conservatives (Diefenbaker, Mulroney) have all fudged up on military spending in the past. So far, Stephen Harper's Conservatives are doing well, but it's obvious that the military is an important current issue to Canadians. I won't be surprised if the Liberals take a more pro-military stance in the next election.

 

[vonGarvin]

I won't be surprised if the Liberals take a more pro-military stance in the next election.

I would be very surprised if they did.  They will focus on green things, but not Cadpat.  They will talk about "withdrawal with honour".  The Liberals have a lot of competition on the left (NDP and Greens).  They will attempt to fight THAT battle whilst attempting to get the Red Tories on their side.

 

[2 Cdo]

Is our military Conservative or Liberal? I would have to say the simple answer is yes! ;D

 

[observor 69]

I would be very surprised if they did.  They will focus on green things, but not Cadpat.  They will talk about "withdrawal with honour".  The Liberals have a lot of competition on the left (NDP and Greens).  They will attempt to fight THAT battle whilst attempting to get the Red Tories on their side.

But Cap'n, Cap'n  you didn't answer the question !
But I think you got the Liberal political game plan right., they don't have any other sensible option. Try to position the party in the Canadian voter's comfortable political middle

When you consider all the players/factors in the Afghan mix maybe "withdrawl with honour?" is the best/only end this mission can have.

 

[vonGarvin]

When you consider all the players/factors in the Afghan mix maybe "withdrawl with honour?" is the best/only end this mission can have.

I disagree.  The only end I can see for this mission is success.  That success is when the Afghan military and police can do all the dirty work themselves and the country is prosperous enough to not fall back into anarchy.

Just my opinion, worth every penny.

As for the original question: military members are of all political stripes.  Liberals, Conservatives, Bloquistes, NDPer's, greens, and probably even supporters of the Marajuana Party!

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Our military is, of course, apolitical, and that must ever be the case. 

The answer to your question then must be that the military is Canadian.

 

[observor 69]

Is our military Conservative or Liberal? I would have to say the simple answer is yes! ;D

OK the contest is over and 2 Cdo wins with his answer!
;D

 

[paracowboy]

there is no such thing as "Withdrawal with Honour".

There is success, or there is failure. In the eyes of our enemies, both those we are fighting overtly, and those we are fighting by proxy (theirs), anything less than an over-whelming victory for us, is a victory for them. And that will embolden them further. And that will have horrific consequences.

"Withdraw with honour".  : Runnin' away is runnin' away. Call it straight, or don't call it.

 

[scoutfinch]

Our military is, of course, apolitical, and that must ever be the case. 

The answer to your question then must be that the military is Canadian.

Thank you.  Finally.

 

[Edward Campbell]

The military is apolitical; soldiers are not; they vote.

I think, but I am away and I cannot find a reference to facts, that the when the Special Ballots (many of which are military ballots - http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=gen&document=ec90550&dir=bkg&lang=e&textonly=false ) are counted there has been, since the ‘40s, fairly consistent trends, which I described above.  In most cases*, I believe, and one MP (Stoffer/Halifax) agreed - on an anecdotal basis, the military vote is against the government-of-the-day because, conjecture on my part, most serving governments are disinterested in the military and most military personnel, like most Canadians, vote their self interest which, in the case of military members, includes support for the institution in which they serve.


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* The notable exception is St. Laurent’s Liberals in the ‘50s.