And you think Europe falling into a major multinational war from tyrannical expansionist aggression won’t impact our economy more?? Do you have any idea how dangerous Putin’s war to try and reform the Soviet Union by force is and how badly it’ll hurt the global economy if he’s not checked at Ukraine?? This isn’t ISIS taking a farm town in the desert. This is a major escalation that could start a world war. I get it. Nobody other than Republicans and Boeing executives want there to be billions spent on foreign interventions. This sucks. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use logic here.
Putin is not trying to reform the Soviet Union, other posters have touched on it ad nauseam . If you come from the perspective that the USSR boogie man is coming from the grave than yea you may be willing to put your house up for sale so we can siphon money to the Ukrainians that gave any person of color a hard time as they were trying to leave and push forth the message that blue eyes folks were dying
Putin is a professional liar but I take him at his word on this one given his diatribe during the speech leading up to the invasion. Here’s an example of him saying it out loud: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-rues-soviet-collapse-demise-historical-russia-2021-12-12/ Your description of my apparent desire to harm my family’s wellbeing in order to service racists across the globe is a bit offensive as a way to talking to this situation intellectually. No voter I know of wants any of this and no voter I know actually wants our country to blow up the deficit more. But we do have national interests and to me, it’s ignorant to not see the economic AND humanitarian crisis that would happen if the west did nothing to curb Putin in overthrowing Ukraine militarily. Your take here and the take of many who seem to be buying the Tulsi Gabbard line seems to show that a lot of people haven’t read a lick of history about Poland in the late 1930’s. What’s happening in Ukraine is BS. It sucks. Our military spending also sucks. I get it. Most all Americans get that. But doing nothing in this case and allowing it to happen would be worse for us. Please stop buying into this Tulsi Gabbard Tucker Carlson narrative. We can have dialog about how and where to help or not help but we are undoubtedly affected by this either way and it’s crazy to think that it’s not in our national interest to help avoid a massive multinational war in Europe.
Foreign interventions suck... but I dont think people realize the sheer amount our economy is tied to the MIC. Think of how many small towns are supported by military bases that we don't need or rely on factories like Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed. Think of all the HS students who couldnt pay for college or couldnt get a second chance without the military. An isolationist US isnt just impractical and historically inaccurate; the US military anf culture around it is the lifeblood for much of the country; and probably one of the last apolitical, uniting institutions we have.
Yes I find it odd that many are claiming that Putin isn't trying to reform the USSR / Russian Empire. He says that's what he wants and his actions show that's what he wants. This idea that this war is only about resources and Putin doesn't want to expand a Russian empire ignores that he tried to take all of Ukraine, been involved in supporting ethnic Russian groups in several former Soviet Republics and is almost always threatening the Baltic States. People seem to be reading more into Putin's motivations than what he is saying and actually doing.
Yes it's a great job program unless you die or are horrible wounded on the battlefield. Also if your country is suffering from shortages brought on to support the war effort those jobs aren't doing you much good. And what does Black Sea natural gas reserves have to do with Moldova, the Baltic States and several other former Soviet Republics that Putin has been involved with or is threatening?
You mean expanding his country by means of invasion and accumulating land and resources?? jeez, it’s almost as if that describes every nation/ group of people in the history of human civilization.. Putin is likely the richest man in the world by a large order, he’s not looking to placate some communist fetish. it’s just a boogie man or story for people to run with just like they did at the beginning with Ukraine. Now we’re funding another ****ing war
Yes, he's not unusual in the history of strongmen and wannabe emperors. Just because he talks about the reviving the USSR, which he openly admires, isn't about Communism anymore than Xi Jinping is about Communism, but about a time that Russia dominated it's neighbors and was a global superpower. What you're saying there is showing that Putin isn't a boogieman just to fund a war but is an actual threat given his not just his desire but willingness to commit his military towards invading his neighbors.[/MEDIA][/QUOTE]
Makes sense, Russia is discounting it's oil due to the risk and Saudi Arabia is buying it while selling it's own supply at the higher market rate. Not exactly a great long term strategy for Russia. However, the US barely imports any crude from the Gulf States in the Middle East even under the Biden Administration since production is still near historical levels.
The places he's trying to expand to are strategically important, like they were under the USSR. He wants more access to warm water ports (or ports that don't freeze over in the winter), buffer territory, and access to strategic resources itself and the globe needs. He's using economic warfare along with actual warfare in order to get the globe to just allow him to grab a piece. Why wouldn't he do it again and again? Just because the Iraq and Afghan wars were both domestic and geopolitical blunders, doesn't mean this is.
Yeah a lot of people don't realize most of our Gulf allies & now Israeli natural gas go to Europe and our Asian allies. Part of what stops Japan from repeating WW2 is that the gulf supplies them fuel. All of which falls under the American security umbrella.
Also the Soviets never built proper infrastructure in Azerbaijan, and its governed by a dictator. There is SO much oil there...we are their biggest trade partner. Both Armenia & Azerbaijan are worried about being re-invaded If Biden was proactive, he'd have a US led peace settlement between the 2 countries, add both (and Georgia) to NATO and fund infrastructure to let Azerbaijan- the most oil rich country in the world but not in OPEC- export and undercut the Russians and Arabs
I didn't either. Treaties are normally 2/3rds of the Senate. NATO may operate differently though because it's such a novel treaty/organization. As I've mentioned before, my program offers an entire class on NATO's impact on laws and vice-versa.
