>>> It's a puzzle to me that even people who one tries to discuss with and explain to are unable to figure it out.<<
Bad ideas lead to bad outcomes. The Russian empire conducted an experiment with a Leninist brand of Marxism. The result - economic stagnation, poverty, enslavement of the population by its rulers, at least one major man made famine, gulags - until the idiotic system collapsed under its own weight.
Germany decided to try the Hitlerian version of racist imperialism. Sheissy philosophy - catastrophic outcome.
I think the notion of global hegemony - while the ultimate outcome isn’t obvious yet - is highly problematic. And dangerous. By definition, there will be challengers - and therefore, potentially catastrophic wars. It’s also extremely expensive AND corrupting for the hegemon nation.
To my surprise - shock, really - now, they’re talking about half a million casualties on the Ukrainian side. Half a million dead and wounded! That’s a whole freaking generation of young and middle aged men. And that is in a country that voted almost 74% for a candidate who ran on a promise of peace - and implementation of the Minsk accords. Which, basically, talk about neutrality - and a degree of autonomy for a large ethnic minority. What the heck was wrong with that?
So, a large majority of Ukraine’s population wanted peace and neutrality. Instead, their rulers spent years conducting a war against that same minority - and eventually, dragged their nation into a war against a great power. Senator Lindsey Graham and people like him can be very proud.
About SI and discussions in general…. In my experience, people very seldom change their minds - and if they do, this occurs gradually, over long periods of time, due to gaining more life experience and knowledge.
Trying to change anyone’s mind is a remarkably ungratifying enterprise. Any married person can attest to that. |
