OK, so the US is a malign influence when it comes to addressing Russia’s aggression. Trump has an inexplicable admiration for Putin. That story is well known. But what about Europe? Where is the coalition of the willing? Why are they not doing more when this war is in their own backyard? It feels like they are dithering and rearranging the deck chairs while the Titanic sinks.
The population of NATO countries not including the US, Canada and Turkey (I'm not sure why I excluded it other than to emphasize my point) is roughly 500 million. Russia's population is about 150 million. Russia's conventional forces have been revealed to be kind of a joke in its war against Ukraine. Putin is in the process of having Russia commit demographic suicide.
All this is to say I agree with you. Europe should want to push back much more forcefully against Russia to both deter Russia and show the US it can wear the big boy pants.
I have been ashamed of our (the US's) response from the beginning of this war, but once again Europe comes up wanting big time.
Well said Bruce. I have also been extremely disappointed in the US response, including from the Biden administration when it tied Ukraine’s hands by not allowing them to fully use weapons we were supplying them with (this is for the ATACMS missiles, which the Biden administration finally reversed near the end of 2024; not clear what constraints the current admin re-imposed or not).
Putin clearly doesn’t care about his own population, which still largely supports the war from what I understand. But given the control Russia exerts over the media, I’m sure the general public in Russia has no clue about what’s really going on.
Furthermore, does anybody really believe Putin will stop his crusade if he were to be given the territories he’s demanding for a cessation of hostilities? Europe should know this better than the US.
I admit that my perspective is from the outside looking in, but it feels like Europe has not been acting with the sense of urgency the situation requires, especially given the complete abdication from the US. We’re rapidly approaching the 4 year anniversary since the full-scale invasion and if anything, it seems Putin is emboldened by US indifference, or tacit support.
Yeah! What about those guys!? Didn't they call themselves a beacon of Democracy, a shining city on the hill?!!
Oh. No. Never mind.
DO NOT TRY TO MASK OUR DISGRACE WITH 'WHAT ABOUTISM'. OUR DEFENSE OF UKRAINE HAS BEEN A NATIONAL DISGRACE SINCE WE LET PUTIN TAKE CRIMEA. WE LET HIM HAVE PERMISSION FOR THAT BY LETTING HIM INVADE GEORGIA.
A paucity of attention and an abundance of apathy on the part of America and the world. All it takes to enable atrocities is for men of good will to remain silent, or passive--- which is what we're doing. By not resisting, we're assisting in the massacre. If President Trump were to demonstrate assertiveness over Putin instead of this sickening sycophancy -- a couple of Tomahawks aimed at Putin's drone factories and another at the missile launch sites with the compliments of DJT--- should do the job of pushing Putin to comply with the ceasefire he touts and behave!
IPC(identity protective cognition) seems to be another name for the Reagan era victimhood game that has been pretty much the way the far right has relied on for the past 50y so as to to re-phrase "poor poor me"
When individuals like Cheeto morph into political groups taking on victimhood, they become irresponsible and unaccountable Put simply, "Hey, it's not me that made that failed policy, it's the (fill in the blank) The blank can be economy, immigrants, foreigners, Fed chair, Jeffrey Epstein
Now white supremacists in the form of the Christian Nationalist ideology have decided to become victims.....the oppressed whities have become the new "poor poor me" They....whoever that might be....are taking our jobs, taking whatever from me
But the bottom line when becoming victims is that it spawns unaccountability If you let your child get away with not cleaning his/her plate after eating, you subtly send the message that it's ok not to be accountable for anything in life Many of these far right victims have been raised with a silver spoon coming out of their mouths at birth Privileged and unaccountable
What are the strategies for war? It's not that we don't have the right answers, but that it's the wrong question. Get rid of our administration in favor of something better than any we've had, where we get humanity on a course where we can celebrate our magnificence instead of struggling with our infamy. Here are my game plan ideas:
OK, so the US is a malign influence when it comes to addressing Russia’s aggression. Trump has an inexplicable admiration for Putin. That story is well known. But what about Europe? Where is the coalition of the willing? Why are they not doing more when this war is in their own backyard? It feels like they are dithering and rearranging the deck chairs while the Titanic sinks.
The population of NATO countries not including the US, Canada and Turkey (I'm not sure why I excluded it other than to emphasize my point) is roughly 500 million. Russia's population is about 150 million. Russia's conventional forces have been revealed to be kind of a joke in its war against Ukraine. Putin is in the process of having Russia commit demographic suicide.
All this is to say I agree with you. Europe should want to push back much more forcefully against Russia to both deter Russia and show the US it can wear the big boy pants.
I have been ashamed of our (the US's) response from the beginning of this war, but once again Europe comes up wanting big time.
Well said Bruce. I have also been extremely disappointed in the US response, including from the Biden administration when it tied Ukraine’s hands by not allowing them to fully use weapons we were supplying them with (this is for the ATACMS missiles, which the Biden administration finally reversed near the end of 2024; not clear what constraints the current admin re-imposed or not).
Putin clearly doesn’t care about his own population, which still largely supports the war from what I understand. But given the control Russia exerts over the media, I’m sure the general public in Russia has no clue about what’s really going on.
Furthermore, does anybody really believe Putin will stop his crusade if he were to be given the territories he’s demanding for a cessation of hostilities? Europe should know this better than the US.
I admit that my perspective is from the outside looking in, but it feels like Europe has not been acting with the sense of urgency the situation requires, especially given the complete abdication from the US. We’re rapidly approaching the 4 year anniversary since the full-scale invasion and if anything, it seems Putin is emboldened by US indifference, or tacit support.
Barry M., this article might add some detail to your understanding. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_of_the_willing_(Russo-Ukrainian_war) One issue is that some nations by their current laws may not provide troops or materiel, but can sanction Russia.
Yeah! What about those guys!? Didn't they call themselves a beacon of Democracy, a shining city on the hill?!!
Oh. No. Never mind.
DO NOT TRY TO MASK OUR DISGRACE WITH 'WHAT ABOUTISM'. OUR DEFENSE OF UKRAINE HAS BEEN A NATIONAL DISGRACE SINCE WE LET PUTIN TAKE CRIMEA. WE LET HIM HAVE PERMISSION FOR THAT BY LETTING HIM INVADE GEORGIA.
Putin is a monster and Trump is an utterly shameless bootlicker to him.
A paucity of attention and an abundance of apathy on the part of America and the world. All it takes to enable atrocities is for men of good will to remain silent, or passive--- which is what we're doing. By not resisting, we're assisting in the massacre. If President Trump were to demonstrate assertiveness over Putin instead of this sickening sycophancy -- a couple of Tomahawks aimed at Putin's drone factories and another at the missile launch sites with the compliments of DJT--- should do the job of pushing Putin to comply with the ceasefire he touts and behave!
White Victimhood: Trademark Of The Nazi Far Right
IPC(identity protective cognition) seems to be another name for the Reagan era victimhood game that has been pretty much the way the far right has relied on for the past 50y so as to to re-phrase "poor poor me"
When individuals like Cheeto morph into political groups taking on victimhood, they become irresponsible and unaccountable Put simply, "Hey, it's not me that made that failed policy, it's the (fill in the blank) The blank can be economy, immigrants, foreigners, Fed chair, Jeffrey Epstein
Now white supremacists in the form of the Christian Nationalist ideology have decided to become victims.....the oppressed whities have become the new "poor poor me" They....whoever that might be....are taking our jobs, taking whatever from me
But the bottom line when becoming victims is that it spawns unaccountability If you let your child get away with not cleaning his/her plate after eating, you subtly send the message that it's ok not to be accountable for anything in life Many of these far right victims have been raised with a silver spoon coming out of their mouths at birth Privileged and unaccountable
What are the strategies for war? It's not that we don't have the right answers, but that it's the wrong question. Get rid of our administration in favor of something better than any we've had, where we get humanity on a course where we can celebrate our magnificence instead of struggling with our infamy. Here are my game plan ideas:
A way to shift the Zeitgeist
We need a plan
https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/a-way-to-shift-the-zeitgeist
The whole world is waiting for the end of this US administration.
Except for Russia, China, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, UAE....