Armed citizenry

You like provincial militias.

I know what I'm talking about. I've read War and Peace and seen every one of the Rambo movies. And what we need is local infantry units trained in unconventional warfare. I propose community militias organized at the provincial level. These volunteer forces would not be used abroad or even out-of-province.

Here's the thing: I'm not joining the Reserves. I have no interest in fighting overseas and no interest in being called up to serve some ephemeral "national" interest. Bottom line, I'll fight to protect where I live, and I can do that more effectively with training and with the support of like-minded comrades.

We shouldn't overestimate the value of citizen militias--they're not the equal of professional soldiers--but we shouldn't downplay them, either. In natural disasters, units could be deployed in support of civic and police authorities. In the very unlikely event of invasion, the militias could become the seeds of guerilla units. While Canada is, at best, a middle power militarily, it's no stretch to believe we could make Canada virtually uncontrollable for a would-be occupier.

Why such limits on deployment? I've already said: lots of Canadians would like military training and would like to be more involved in their communities; far fewer have any interest in being posted far from their families in the event of war. Tell someone "you'll be fighting for your house, your property and your loved ones," and, based on my extensive experience playing the game Risk, I'd anticipate an enthusiastic reponse.