There's an easy, ethical and politically defensible solution to the high cost of looking after combat veterans. Don't send them into wars of opportunity; don't send them into civil wars in other nations; don't send them into wars of political ideology; and don't send them into wars being fought by our allies on any of those bases. In fact, don't send Canadian soldiers into any conflict that isn't about directly defending our nation. This is the principle of neutrality. Our armed forces would be used strictly to ward off attackers, not for attacking people elsewhere.

One of the most prosperous and respected nations on the planet- Switzerland-  has been neutral in that way for 200 years.