Pres. Biden said Sunday that the U.S. would not commit troops on the ground in Ukraine (see above). Here’s more on NATO’s Article 5. Please understand I am not advocating sending American troops to Ukraine, but watching the atrocities and hearing the pleas of the Ukrainians makes me less-than-hopeful about the effectiveness of diplomatic measures.
I’m starting to align my thinking with the chess guy’s.
Any direct military encounter between NATO and Russia risks greatly escalating the death and suffering. The Biden policy strikes me as sound: Let the West arm the Ukrainians and make the Russians global outcasts as a way to end the siege. I don’t see another way that doesn’t trigger WW3.
You and I usually see things similarly, but here I differ. I think Kasparov is completely wrong, and kind of dangerous. He is asking us to commit to full blown war against a nuclear power. The situation is indeed terrible for Ukrainians and I understand their pleas, but the potential for it to be even worse for them if we directly engage is too real.
And I cannot say I'm entirely comfortable with my almost-stance. I cannot tell if this is just me, begin a jingo-istic twit (LET'S BOMB 'EM BACK TO SAND!), or me hating on a bully (Putin). So there's that.
I agree with Garret. Between America’s frustration with the fighting we did in the Middle East and fears of WWIII and nuclear war, Biden does not want boots on the ground and is treading carefully. Helping Ukraine in all the ways we can and attempting to reason with Russia is what we need to do, while watching with a close eye. It’s so sad and scary for the world.
I was eight during the Cuban missile crisis. Even with a different level of understanding, I have the same feeling in the pit of my stomach now as I did then. It’s clear this isn’t going to end soon and that many thousands more will be killed, injured and displaced. It’s also clear that, whether it’s a bluff or not, Putin has been the one defining the red line. I feel the need for the west to do more but can’t stop thinking about Putin pushing the button. Alexander Vindman has argued forcefully for doing more and doing it quickly. I tend to agree with him but that doesn’t make me any less scared. Here’s a link to an eighteen minute interview with him on Amanpour and Company five days ago that lays it out. There are more recent interviews with him online but this is the most comprehensive one I’ve seen.
This link is to a Washington Post interview with Francis Fukuyama that could be called hopeful if that didn’t seem wildly inappropriate given that outcome he points to will be built on the death and chaos I’ve noted above. It’s about a ten minute read.
I apologize for weighing you all down with assignments but I found both of these pieces useful. I have to add that I’m confronted by the technological advances in communication that have made this war so accessible to us. At times it’s been like an out of body experience. I’m fine but after the people in Ukraine, I worry about the affect on people around the world who for the most part can just sit and watch. We went to a concert last night and it ended with the song “I want to be ready, when joy comes back to me”. It became a sing along. You could feel the ache and longing in the crowd.
Any direct military encounter between NATO and Russia risks greatly escalating the death and suffering. The Biden policy strikes me as sound: Let the West arm the Ukrainians and make the Russians global outcasts as a way to end the siege. I don’t see another way that doesn’t trigger WW3.
These are valid points. I think I need to stop thinking of the U.S. as the world's anti-bully (not as if we haven't been bullies, ourselves...).
You and I usually see things similarly, but here I differ. I think Kasparov is completely wrong, and kind of dangerous. He is asking us to commit to full blown war against a nuclear power. The situation is indeed terrible for Ukrainians and I understand their pleas, but the potential for it to be even worse for them if we directly engage is too real.
And I cannot say I'm entirely comfortable with my almost-stance. I cannot tell if this is just me, begin a jingo-istic twit (LET'S BOMB 'EM BACK TO SAND!), or me hating on a bully (Putin). So there's that.
I agree with Garret. Between America’s frustration with the fighting we did in the Middle East and fears of WWIII and nuclear war, Biden does not want boots on the ground and is treading carefully. Helping Ukraine in all the ways we can and attempting to reason with Russia is what we need to do, while watching with a close eye. It’s so sad and scary for the world.
It's hard to see what will lead to peace. It's so awful.
I wonder what China will do.
I've been watching, myself. It puts that country in an interesting position.
I was eight during the Cuban missile crisis. Even with a different level of understanding, I have the same feeling in the pit of my stomach now as I did then. It’s clear this isn’t going to end soon and that many thousands more will be killed, injured and displaced. It’s also clear that, whether it’s a bluff or not, Putin has been the one defining the red line. I feel the need for the west to do more but can’t stop thinking about Putin pushing the button. Alexander Vindman has argued forcefully for doing more and doing it quickly. I tend to agree with him but that doesn’t make me any less scared. Here’s a link to an eighteen minute interview with him on Amanpour and Company five days ago that lays it out. There are more recent interviews with him online but this is the most comprehensive one I’ve seen.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ySQX9HLnYwU
This link is to a Washington Post interview with Francis Fukuyama that could be called hopeful if that didn’t seem wildly inappropriate given that outcome he points to will be built on the death and chaos I’ve noted above. It’s about a ten minute read.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/14/putin-could-lose-ukraine-fukuyama-optimistic/
I apologize for weighing you all down with assignments but I found both of these pieces useful. I have to add that I’m confronted by the technological advances in communication that have made this war so accessible to us. At times it’s been like an out of body experience. I’m fine but after the people in Ukraine, I worry about the affect on people around the world who for the most part can just sit and watch. We went to a concert last night and it ended with the song “I want to be ready, when joy comes back to me”. It became a sing along. You could feel the ache and longing in the crowd.