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Comment by labster | Hacker News Reader

Canada should really consider creating its own nuclear deterrent. Or becoming the 51st state to get one. I think those are the two options. Trump has told the truth about dismantling his own government, its best to believe him on Canada and assume he intends to do the same to yours.

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The US would tear itself apart if it attacked Canada any time in the next 50 years minimum. They are in an essentially M.A.D. situation with the US even without nukes because American citizens like Canadians and view them as brothers on top of Canada having tons of European ties and military treaties. Wasting money on nuclear weapons isn't going to put them in any better position than they are already in. The only effective strategy if the US started shit would be to bunker down and go full insurgency against occupation, throw out a bit of good pr/propaganda, and wait for internal US strife to collapse the nation as the US is left completely isolated from the entire world with enemies on all sides and within.

There’s at least a 3rd option, closer collaboration with the UK and an extension of the UK’s nuclear deterrent to Canada.

I’ve heard a lot of talk of CANZUK again recently and it makes a lot of sense to me.

Doesn’t the UK’s nuclear program rely on America to service it?

I believe the UK uses the same Trident SLBMs as the US, but with their own warheads. I'm not sure if the US maintains the missiles.

I'm not sure, but it is possible we do minor servicing on the missiles. e.g. swap out components for spares.

However the missiles are regularly rotated back in to the common pool in the USA for servicing. The schedule is such that the USA could disable our deterrent within a couple of years if they so desired.

So we have the nukes, but no independent way to deliver them.

Canada doesn't need a US-made missile like the UK, they could drive a regular truck into the heart of any US city

Right. So Canada needs a nuclear deterrent in order to _not_ become the 51st state.

Pretty sure France would lend Canada some nukes when needed.

1985: Worrying about nuclear proliferation, trying to stop terrorists from designing nukes, drafting security arrangements to disarm nuclear nations

2025: Promoting nuclear proliferation, trying brinkmanship diplomacy with Iran, drafting security arrangements to privatize space-based interceptors

Metal Gear Solid 4 was right, war really has changed!

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