February 25, 2022

The Putin regime is an enemy regime that we can no longer appease.

I think the West is coming to the conclusion that this is a zero sum game. Putin will not accept the existence of the West, which he views as a threat to authoritarian regimes like his own. Thus, going forward the West IMO will work to cripple Russia with sanctions as well as expand and beef up NATO - all of which will steadily bankrupt the Putin regime and force it to implode. Ukraine and Georgia should've been admitted to NATO a long time ago, which would have prevented Russian aggression against them. Appeasing Putin was a terrible mistake.

February 25, 2022

Agree, we hung Ukraine out to dry.

Europe (especially Germany) appeased (and forced us to in the process) Russia. Ukraine and Georgia should've been in NATO a long time ago. Russia/Putin's oil corrupted Europe.

February 25, 2022

Ukraine can fight an effective guerrilla war

especially with weapons/intelligence/etc we supply them with. They hate Putin with a passion and will never accept being forcibly Russified.

February 25, 2022

NATO was highly effective to stop the Bosnian genocide

in the 90s, where Bill Clinton went around the UN to get around Russia.

In recent years, especially due to Trump, NATO was in disarray.

But this act of Russian aggression is historic - and has strongly united NATO - the most powerful military alliance in the history of the world.

NATO countries have a combined GDP of $42 trillion. Russia has a GDP of $2 trillion.

Basically this is the beginning of another Cold War and arms race where NATO will show Russia it has no chance - especially as the sanctions cripple their economy.

February 23, 2022

Exactly. NATO's failure to expand *enough*

to include Georgia and Ukraine many years ago, is what is causing this current conflict.

You don't see Putin threatening any former Soviet state that is now a member of NATO, do you?

Unfortunately many in the West (either intentionally or unwittingly) have bought into the 'poor victimized Russia/bad NATO' Kremlin narrative.

It is the West that put Russia back on solid ground when they imploded under the weight of their own contradictions. We nursed them back to life - which was stupid. We should've shrunk Russia and its influence as much as possible and pushed them harder towards democracy.

February 23, 2022

Russia and China will never defeat the West.

China is basicaly just a factory for the West, and Russia is just an oil/gas oligarchy. Neither country has the type of intellectual, creative and productive strength and resiliency of Western democracy and capitalism. The combined gdp of NATO countries ($42 trillion) is more than double that of China and Russia combined. NATO's military is the most advanced and huge, and could be much larger if need be, due to the economic and technological superiority of the West relative to the anti-West.

Russia in particular has a dysfunctional kleptocratic top-heavy economy with a weak gdp ($2 trillion) and high inflation. The tougher sanctions can cripple their economy and send it into a tailspin. China may offer some help to them but recent comments coming out of Beijing condemned the invasion of Ukraine. China, again as the factory of the world, does not want any global instability - especially fears the wrath of the West that it relies on as consumers, and I highly doubt would ever go 'all in' on latching itself to crappy Russia.

February 21, 2022

Who cares what their ancestral ethnicity is or what language

they speak. There are all types of of intertwined histories countries have. Most modern day Ukrainians view themselves as Ukrainian, with a distinct identity and culture apart from Russia.

Anyone who thinks Putin cares about 'protecting ethnic Russians' or 'is afraid of NATO' or other such issues is deluded. He will accept nothing less than Ukraine cleansing itself of Western influences and becoming a puppet state of Russia. And note his opinion has shifted around on this, as in 2002 he stated that Ukraine was a free country and could join NATO if it so chose.

February 15, 2022

Very sad. Trumpism and Putinism are existential

threats to Western democracy, and both men have to be strongly opposed. Appeasement does not work. It is our social media, our big corporations etc that allow this. It is our gov't that has been too weak on Putin over the past 20 years, appeasing him hoping it would make him go away, but has only emboldened him. We should expand and strengthen NATO - Ukraine and Georgia should've been members a long time ago. If Ukraine falls it would be a terrible day for the West.

February 13, 2022

Gabbard is spouting Kremlin propaganda. Russia has no threat

to its national security or borders. The opposite is true. It is a threat to and has breached the borders of its neighbors and is waging active campaigns to install pro-Russian/anti-NATO leaders across the globe.

NATO should be expanded and strengthened, and Ukraine should've been a member a long time ago.

February 13, 2022

Putin is waging war on the West.

Ukraine is scary to him because Ukraine has shown that (despite their issues w/corruption) they have what it takes to be a Western style democracy. If Ukraine can succeed and be properous and free - then Russians may want the same thing - which could spell the end to Putin and his oligarchs.

The West is making a grave mistake in appeasing Putin (and Xi, but China is heavily dependent on Western consumers in a way Russia is not) who only respects military force. NATO should've built up forces in that region once Putin moved on Crimea. By doing little in response Putin has become emboldened. He messed with our elections in 2016 and helped to install Trump. Putin has never paid any real price for these actions and thus continues on.