[EXPERTS FEAR DANGEROUS PUTIN CLOSING IN ON ‘UNWINNABLE WAR’ WITH ‘NO OFF-RAMP’]
The amusing thing about Hollywood productions is the idea that foreign wars unify the population. That is the opposite of the truth. War abroad requires peace at home, because war requires unevenly-distributed sacrifice and the demographics hurt the most tend to scream bloody murder. That is why after being bushwhacked and then defeated by the Japanese during the Russo-Japanese War, the Russians backed off instead of trying to take Tokyo and execute the Emperor. If they had put their backs into it, Russia could have conquered Japan.
Russia’s problem was internal turmoil. In fact, that internal turmoil continued to cause problems while it fought WWI, leading ultimately to the October Revolution. Putin is looking abroad precisely because his enemies at home are prostrate at his feet, not because they are lunging for his throat.
Putin’s not a dumb guy. He has feelers out all the time. If he feels revolution is in the air, he’ll retreat to Russia and focus on killing his internal enemies. There will be other opportunities to go after Ukraine.
I hear all sort of media and government flunkies talking about “off-ramps” lately. What ever makes these people think Putin is looking for an “off ramp?” Don’t any of them think for themselves?