South Korea, Ukraine, and Israel have built credible military strength. There’s nothing stopping Canada from doing the same.

Consider the case of Canada. Our military has been underfunded for decades, and though that is finally being addressed, it will take some time and will face significant opposition. Many still feel Canada doesn't need a powerful military, and assume that any large-scale conflict will magically spare us. And many seem to think Canada is somehow incapable of achieving large-scale military strength. When I write about the need for a large-scale Canadian military buildup, I often notice that people respond by saying something along the lines of "Canada is a small country," "Canada can't afford it," "Canada doesn't have enough people," etc.

Those are all excuses, excuses meant to keep Canada in our current weak and vulnerable position.