Sorry about the late post, it should haveve been here on Saturday morning, but I was working and then rushing into Toronto to celebrate Raymi’s birthday. Her official Birthday is today, and it is also Samar’s Birthday today too. So happy birthday to both of them!

It’s a rainy day here in the beautiful city of Toronto, but more importantly it’s a rainy day in the beautiful city of NYC - and that means the Jays-Yankees game is likely to be postponed. The rain has stopped but the tarp is still out so who knows. I think they’ll postpone it.

This is particularly depressing as this would be the last Home/Season Opener in the old Yankees stadium in the Bronx.

Yankee Stadium has housed some great games but also some huge and historical prize fights in its 85 years. This place is historic. “The House that Babe built” has had 26 World Series Championships; the 1938 bout between Joe Louis and Max Schmelling; Ali-Norton III. The list goes on.

Nice that the Jays were scheduled to be a part of this historic day, not so nice that it might not happen.

Nobody asked me, but speaking of prize fights, can our media drop the boxing comparisons between a fighter punching out of his weight class and the Canadian operation in Afghanistan?

When Canada opted to take on operations in the volatile southern region, with its 2,500 odd soldiers - it was seen as taking on as a major task. Or in analogy, a lightweight taking on a heavyweight.

(I think it’s more like a featherweight in versus a junior middleweight, but I’ll not split hairs).

This self-congratulatory and oversimplified description gives a false sense of achievement to the marketing narrative that many war tub thumpers have used ad nauseam over the past 5 + years.

Lets get something straight off the bat: Canadian troops have done a notable job of doing a lot with very little. This is a criticism of political sound bites and quotes, not the troops.

By very little I mean, the objectives and end states have yet to be clearly defined or even achievable. The equipment leading from green uniforms in the desert, to borrowed tanks from Germany, to upgrading armored transport, displays that, at the political level, the plan has always been a step and a half behind what was required.

It’s forced the CDS to become more of a cheer leading media darling than general with a view to procuring equipment required to do basic tasks. Some might argue that we’ve become a one dimensional mission specific army. One that is training and operating to deal with Afghanistan alone.

And yet, you cannot swing a dead cat these days without coming across an article and that boxing comparison.

From those who are neither boxers, nor soldiers. Well I was both so, I’ll carry on.

Boxers, don’t ask for help from their allies when a fight is going poorly. Canada has, is and will continue to try to garner more support from other NATO countries for this sole mission as if those Allies have no other commitments while Canada specifically fights in one.

Boxers, don’t get extensions to matches mid-way through a fight. Canada has, after much painful inconclusive deliberation, extended their mission/presence in Afghanistan to a minimum of 2011.

Boxers prepare for match ups and don’t abandon matches they’re committed to just because one is more popular. Canada was still committed through the UN to the Balkans back in 2001. How’s things in Kosovo right now?

Lastly, you’ll never see a boxer blame anyone other than themselves when things don’t go as planned. Canadian war tub thumpers have cited everything from Pakistan, to lack of support from NATO, to Iran for reasons as to why things are not going as planned.

Truth is is that there is no knockout or judges score cards after 12 rounds in war. There certainly aren’t in operations in failed and failing states.

So many people want that conclusive ending but it will never come. Yet, there are those who will provide that ray of hope that closure is a matter of doubling our efforts.

There is no definitive victory, there is no definitive opponent, and there is certainly no definitive way of assessing progress.

So when this tired narrative of “punching above our weight” is brought up, I get bored quickly.

However, when some use it to criticize and even bash the likes of France’s contribution, the comparisons should be looked at closer. From Mr. Taylor:

So let’s have a look at how we actually stack up against those “shirking Frenchies.” First of all, France maintains a standing regular force of 348,000. To match that output, Canada should field 174,000 full-time troops instead of the paltry 62,000 we have enrolled.

In 2007, France spent US$59.6 billion on their defense budget. Half of that would be $28.8 billion, but Canada only spent 50 per cent of that total (roughly $15 billion) on our military last year.

France spends 2.4 per cent of its GDP on its military. Canada has a faster growing economy and one-third of France’s international public debt, yet we spend just 1.2 per cent of our GDP on national defense.

Based on these numbers, as a nation, we are, in fact, punching well below our weight.

Before I go, I want to write about what I’ll be doing this Saturday.

I’ll be heading up to Casino Rama to see Canada’s featherweight title holder Steve Molitor defend his title for the 4th time versus his number one rated contender.

You don’t have to be a boxing fan to be a fan of Steve. I had the pleasure of meeting him at a gym in Mississauga recently. This wasn’t some private gym or some cosmopolitan fitness facility. A common gym where anyone would work out.

Yet there was the champion of the world, and though he was focussed on preparing to defend his title and was in the middle of a workout he made the time to chat with me.

That, in my opinion, is class.

I’ve seen Steve fight before. If you’re looking for something to do this Saturday the 5th and can make your way up to the Casino, I think you’ll find yourself quite entertained by Steve. He’s a busy fighter who always comes to fight in shape.

Find me and I’ll buy you a beer.

If not you can’t get there, never fear, watch it on TSN at 1000 PM ET.

We don’t get many world boxing champs in Canada - might as well support the one we do have. Especially one as open to fans as Steve.

Have a great day! Happy Birthday again to Samar and Raymi!

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