Posted on 02/11/2023 4:58:53 AM PST by FarCenter
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For too long Washington has refused to think strategically about some of the major foreign policy issues of our time. In the rare instance where Washington’s policymakers do think strategically, the strategies they concoct seem less like realistic attempts at applying state power and more like they were conceived over a game of Risk while under the heavy influence of alcohol.
Such is the case with the current American preoccupation in Ukraine.
The Russians have invaded Ukraine. They’ve committed their entire society to the war. In the words of popular geopolitical analyst Peter Zeihan, this is “Russia’s last war.” Their society will not survive beyond the decade and Russia’s economy and political system will collapse because Russian strongman Vladimir Putin has overstretched in Ukraine.
All these statements may be true. Washington’s leadership has decided to test the limits of these assumptions by throwing everything into supporting non-NATO member Ukraine – even if it risks another world war.
What if things don’t go as planned? In war, of course, plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy.
The reasoning in Washington goes like this: for the “low cost” of Ukrainian lives and American taxpayer dollars, the West can end Putin’s strategic threat to the United States and its NATO partners.
Throw in some generous rhetoric of saving democracy and accusing any skeptics of the plan of being new Neville Chamberlains and you’ve got yourselves a winning dynamic. Besides, no Americans are dying. It’s not like Iraq or Afghanistan. This is a postmodern, “clean” great power war—and the Russians can do nothing to stop us.
This is the thinking. And, my friends, I’m here to tell you this is the same kind of two-dimensional analysis that got us mired in the failed Middle East wars of the last 20 years. While there may not (yet) be large US armies in Ukraine, the fact remains that the same kind of wishful thinking that got us stuck in Iraq has now ensnared the United States in an unwinnable war in Ukraine.
Think about it: we’re told that Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader, is Winston Churchill. Certainly, Zelensky is doing his best to save his nation and that is an admirable act. Despite his good press in the West, however, he’s less Churchill and more Ahmed Chalabi.
Thanks for reminding us of what we’re doing wrong.
“throwing everything into supporting non-NATO member Ukrain”
The weak Biden regime has given no real help to Ukraine. No jets, no missiles, no helicopters. When Biden sends tanks he sends a handful, that will take a year to arrive.
If we were giving real aid to Ukraine the war would be over by now.
And DC would be a smoking whole in the ground which would be a great victory for those who support the US Constitution.
Russia started this war
it’s weakening them, yet they refuse to end it
“when your enemy is committing suicide, never interfere”
- Napoleon
My guess is: this war will be over by the end of this year and russia/putin will be the losers.
It is my understanding that We have given Ukraine stuff that is in effect surplus. A commentary on the Ukranian soldier outfit included outdated camo uniforms, old Bullet proof vests, and older style helmets.
All those items can be evaluated to US$ at the new stuff price. We know about $$$ but not the fact the $$$’s are representation of old and surplus stuff. That is we don’t know what we have provided in the form of good usable stuff that is obsolete and passed off as a monetary value
“… The weak Biden regime has given no real help to Ukraine. No jets, no missiles, no helicopters. When Biden sends tanks he sends a handful, that will take a year to arrive.
If we were giving real aid to Ukraine the war would be over by now.”
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Yeah, baby, let’s share some tactical nuclear weapons with Saint Zelensky.
Let’s have wet dreams of GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR.
More Kremlin propaganda. Give Putin what he wants? No thanks.
Have you given any thought about volunteering?
Sad that there are fools who think nuclear war can be said to be "winnable."
The article should take into the question: Should we have listened to Patton?
The Russians are good at propaganda, Vodka, and killing their own soldiers.
Soon the Pooty Poot supporters will be volunteering to save Mother Russia, like a few useful idiots did for the Soviet state.
You too. Are you volunteering?
This approach worked just fine in Afghanistan.
And it worked even better for the Soviets in Vietnam.
militarily, I think it’s more-or-less a stalemate at this point
so if nothing else changes, this could drag on for quite a while ...
HOWEVER, there are other things that could change - Putin could die, oligarchs and/or the Russian people could withdraw their support (after years of constricting sanctions), etc.
stay tuned ... not much we can do
GTFO - Uke harpie n00b.
“ You too. Are you volunteering?”
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I suspect he/she/it wants to fight Russia to the LAST UKRAINIAN and to the LAST PENNY OF OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY.
“And DC would be a smoking whole in the ground “
You have no understanding of the world.
Did we nuke Moscow when they gave the Vietnamese MiGs?
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