"American people are friends of Liberty everywhere, but custodians only of their own." John Adams :-Sear
An important statement, one that should be the watch word of all.
I'm not a historian. But I sense NATO has a rare if not historically unique situation here W.
In so many battles / wars, seems to me those not directly party to the conflict were inert observers, able at best to nibble around the edges, for example the way U.S. did with Lend / Lease during WWII.
BUT !!
NATO may be the single most powerful military entity ever known to humanity in all history.
And NATO was designed as an antidote to Russian military aggression / expansionism.
I'm not asserting without reservation that it is NATO's obligation to inject itself today.
But every day NATO delays, the more innocent Ukrainians will be slaughtered. Will we then be able to honestly say that their blood is not on our hands?
HYPOTHETICAL:
Suppose NATO proposes a trade to Ukraine:
a) We (NATO) will remove, destroy, send packing back to Russia the invading forces in Ukraine. In exchange for this life-saving service NATO asks from Ukraine in return:
b) ?
What has Ukraine to offer that would make NATO's Ukraine rescue option attractive enough to execute on it successfully, in a manner timely enough so that Ukraine hasn't suffered $Hundreds of $Billions in damage from Russia?
"As for what Putin will do next after he has crushed Ukraine, well that depends on how long it takes him to "finish the job" and how deep the growing sanctions "bite"." W
It seems rather than pressuring Putin directly, the West is trying to make life more difficult for Russia's oligarchs, upon whom Putin is dependent for economic guidance. Vlad Putin may be all kinds of capable of many things. BUT one thing Putin does not get is economics. It's a black box mystery to him.
Problem is by the time such strategy works, Ukraine may be rubble.
"you can fool some of the people all the time, you can fool all the people some of the time, but can't fool all the people all the time".
I can't remember when I have seen people come on to Russian streets and protest, even though they know there is a good chance (as is happening) they will be arrested.
W #15
The twist I heard was that Putin is having Russian protestors arrested. Then Putin sends them to the Russian war zone in Ukraine, essentially a death sentence.
"So could it be there is the beginning of a "voice" in Russia which has tasted freedom." W
Deciphering a coherent picture from there isn't easy.
For one thing, the "news" filtering in to the Russian populace is pro-Russian propaganda, portraying Ukraine as a danger justifying Putin's aggression there. Not easy to draw sensible conclusions when the "information" it's based on are lies.
"Our, Present rulers in the West, are in some confusion as to what to do, but as always some one will "arise" and lead." W
Many used to rely on the United States for that. But particularly during the Trump administration seems to me Germany's Chancellor Merkel filled that role.
I consider her an unusually wise and effective leader. Not sure the new guy is up to it.
"I note India has not "climbed aboard the Waggon of the West" in criticising Russia." W
An energy issue?
I doubt the world's largest democracy secretly favors Putin over civilization. So I deduce it's something else. Probably essential trade.