Canadian Budget

Matthew Yglesias discusses the upcoming Canadian parliamentary elections and notes this:

I’d also note that from a south of the border perspective, Canada seems to have managed to park itself in a state of affairs where overall government spending as a share of GDP is lower than in the states, but where the welfare state is simultaneously more generous and more effective. This reflects well both on Harper and his immediate Liberal predecessors, and not so well on the past ten years’ worth of legislating in the United States.

He doesn't mention that a country doesn't have to spend much on its military when it shares a 4000 mile-long border with the country that spends 1 out of every 2 dollars of military spending in the world.  They know that we won't let them be invaded, and it is pretty damned unlikely anyway.  Yea Team USA, way to blow ridiculous amounts of money because we are chickenshits.