bully,

I love how you and so many others assume that any contrarian must de-facto be Russian.  I am Canadian born and raised, thank you very much and have frequently contributed to a host of political discussions on The Globe for years now.  My area of expertise also happens to be in international relations with a focus on Cold War and foreign policy studies.  What I have made is hardly an apples/oranges comparison.  Whenever Russia moves its weaponry anywhere near our NATO allies, it is reported with great concern (as it should be), regardless of the actual numerical value of the troops.  See recent stories on the Iskander missile systems.  Also, it is not only 450 Canadian troops going to Latvia, it is some 3-4,000 NATO troops moving to Latvia and other Eastern European allies on a rotating basis. Sure, it's not 43,000 like the Soviets had in Cuba circa 1962, but capabilities and intent matter far more than numbers. If not, why's NATO concerned with Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad?