Does Canada have lotta moolah to spend on wars even in a recession ?

They tell us, the silly, stupid citizens, that when times are hard, we should tighten our belts. So how come countries overspend, especially during periods of recession,  by going into needless wars?  Shouldn't our politicians be working overtime to find ways to relieve some of the stress on our own citizens because of the recession instead of trying to nation-build and bring "democracy the muslim style" to other countries?  If my own kitchen needed a new countertop, I wouldn't go to measure my neighbour's cabinets for installing new doors in that household.   I so want to know what exactly makes our overlords tick. 

The U.S. defence chief warned NATO allies on Wednesday that they can no longer depend on the United States to make up for the type of military shortfalls witnessed in the Libyan and Afghan wars.

With the U.S. military facing its own major budget cuts, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta called on European and Canadian allies to work closely to pool resources at a time of austerity biting on both sides of the Atlantic........