You see the difference?
Yes, I see how they are different... and I see how they are the same...
The cartels are literally at our border. The Russians are not.
My experience of that is considerably different...
But, beyond that minor bit in understanding or interpretation...I am not disagreeing with you ?
I am also not advocating that we intervene in Ukraine... beyond what our existing obligations require.
But, that doesn't mean kowtowing to insane Russian demands pretending they can dictate to us who our friends are... or what relationships we're allowed to have with them ? That's easy: No. Fuck you.
I also think we should happily invite Sweden and Finland into NATO... just declare it done... and tell Vlad to go fuck himself... no more threatening the neighbors... Russia stays in Russia... everyone else stays out of Russia... and as long as Russia stays in Russia, NATO is not a threat to Russia...
We have a pretty good used fence... and since we're not using it... maybe we could give it to Russia ?
Finland... is not gong to attack Russia ? Ukraine... wouldn't... if Russia wasn't attacking Ukraine. But, as it is... crazy Russians started a war... so, they should expect A WAR next door... that includes them ?
That also means there's a need to sit down and have an adult conversation with the Russians about a few things... which I don't think is a problem... I've always seen them as rational enough, in spite of the distinct lack of other rational people for them to chat with, now... But, Russians being rational... doesn't mean they're not crazy about some things... or that you should trust them to not miscalculate ?
At the same time... I have no problem with recognizing that Ukraine is a friendly nation to the U.S., and we have no reason at all to shun them... or pretend they don't exist, or don't matter ?
I agree with your views in terms of limiting our direct actions to things that demand and require our action in self interest. But, I'm not going to go along with the effort in pretending that bad things happening to other people isn't our concern ? That seems only an overly deliberate internationalization of the issue they had in New York back in the 60's... when people were mugged, raped or murdered in the streets... and people ignored it happening... as "it doesn't involve me". That's not me. So, there's an element of purposeful social irresponsibility inherent in that view requiring that you act as if "others don't matter"... as they surely do. And, that can rapidly become a problem in both perception, and in enabling actual cowardice, thus encouraging bullies... something in which I will have no part.
I think it a clear mistake to declare hard limits in the extent of your interest... which is also pure realism as that can change for good reasons... the world not being a static place... your own self interest not being a static thing... and, otherwise, its really only an invitation to openly welcome abuses of others you've defined as outside that limit you deem worthy of protecting... and then, having surrendered to defining that limit, you ensure it will be tested... Tell the school bully you'll protect your little brother... but not his friends ? What's gonna happen ? And, whose fault is it ?
So, I'll decline the invitation to predictability... as one of the more obvious sources enabling conflict... as we see occurring now with Putin being given a green light... by Biden (Germany, et al, etc.) .... imposing this war on Ukraine... ? And, cowering in the face of Russian bluster and threats... ensures it will become more of a problem... not less of one. If we had a real President... this war would end fairly quickly...
War crimes? I’ll believe it when the media BS is toned down and there is a modicum of objectivity on the issue. Until then, I’m agnostic.
That one's easy... yes, there are war crimes... there are in every war... there are in this war... on both sides... and the Russians don't really care about that... making your skepticism, in that.. misplaced. Which still makes you right to be skeptical of media exploiting the subject in an hopeful attempt to propagandize... to lure... good-hearted Americans into advocating for participation in the war... and is it really any surprise they'd try to lure American's into supporting intervention... as fostering this war has been on their agenda, for years... ???
I don't think there's really any reason that we should... even in the pragmatic element that, if you were willing to commit American's to boots on the ground defending Ukraine, and were ready to go to war with Russia... rather than committing to enabling Ukraine in defending Ukraine from external attack... it doesn't really appear that it's necessary ?
Odd, isn't it... that there's almost ZERO criticism of western nations not doing more to assist Ukraine... but, there's an obvious PR campaign going on seeking to have us fight their fight for them ?
WEF that...
But even if the Russians are indeed committing war crimes, they pale in comparison to what the cartels routinely do. Beheadings by the dozens, face-ripping while the victim is alive, assasinations of public officials every day of the week, attacks on civilians, children, etc. They are savages. Very rich savages. Where is the outrage? Silent, laying down with hypocrisy. Where’s the media’s clamor for intervention? Crickets. We could wipe out the cartels in a week, if the political will existed.
Has it never occurred to you... that their silence is the answer you refuse to accept, to the question you are refusing to ask... but are only willing to see it... when it is half a world away, in Ukraine ?
It is such a remarkable thing... that Mexico is riddled with drug related violence... as the cartels compete, violently, for control of the best access points to the border... and yet... on this side of the border... none of that ? Why is that... and what would be required to be true... for that situation to exist ?
The money doesn't stop, at the border ? Remember... Mena ? And, now "it's legal"... but, all the legal pot businesses are going broke, for some reason ? LOL !!! You know the CIA ran heroin from SE Asia during Vietnam ? Hmmm. I wonder why Afghanistan took 20 years of not really trying very hard. That being "bad"...probably the only thing I've ever agreed with crazy Maxine Waters about..
But, that Democrats have opened our borders to the drug cartels and coyotes... (and not just they... as Republicans feign faux helplessness or engage in pointless PR stunts. as it seems "they" are all willingly orgladly funded by them... or unwilling to speak truth about it... and as no American politician in my lifetime has exercised honest leadership in dealing with the border issues... or the drug trade ? Perhaps there's more to it than meets the eye ?
The oligarchy is a criminal enterprise...
Time to wake up ?
That being true... doesn't make Putin anything different... just another one of them ?
But, will happily agree with you... that logs in our own eyes are more an issue than those obvious in his...
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