I would really appreciate some opinions on this topic -- I am embroiled in a really nasty fight on another forum. Here's the situation:

Americans on the other forum accuse Canada of having a free defense ride, because we don't have a very large military. They claim that the US military would protect Canada in the event of attack, and that therefore Canada is a parasite.

My argument(s) are as follows: 1) Canada is a peaceful country without any enemies, so that we don't need a large military; our chance of being attacked is fairly slim. 2) Canadian troops are famous all over the world for being peacekeepers, going in and cleaning up messes caused by wars involving other countries. 3) Given point 1 above, any major risks to Canada would be based on the fact that we are allies with the US, a country with a lot of enemies. 4) When it is/was necessary, as in the two World Wars, Canada not only participated, but fought above its weight, with terrible losses.

Opinions, please? Thank you!