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A Biden Intervention in Ukraine Will Expose American Weakness
Townhall.com ^ | January 27, 2022 | Kurt Schlichter

Posted on 01/27/2022 3:53:18 AM PST by Kaslin

One of the big selling points for sticking our nose into a border incursion half-a-world away (while studiously ignoring a bigger border incursion right here at home) is that we need to show the world’s bullies and punks that America’s no pushover. Now, the people busy selling that line are the same people who presided over Iraq and Afghanistan, the places where our failed elite’s performance created said need to show the world’s bullies and punks that America’s no pushover. Think really hard about what foreign policy success our foreign policy elite can mark in the “WIN” column during the last couple decades or so, then ask yourself if you really believe Ukraine is the first one they are going to get right since before Bill Clinton humidored it up in the Oval Office.

The fact is that our weakness will be on full display to the world should we stumble into this conflict. Putin will achieve his kinetic operational objectives, because we can’t stop him, and we will hand him the opportunity to achieve his information operation objectives as well by once again getting ourselves humiliated by our enemies. Of course, our ruling caste will deny that we have lost. Jen Psaki, with her carrot-colored Baghdad bob, will come out and announce that our failure in Ukraine is actually a tremendous victory for some reason, just like the administration explained that we should be super-proud of the Afghanistan retreat because it was the largest abject aerial rout in human history.

But don’t believe me. Instead, do something all the Beltway brigadiers have neglected to do and pull out a map. Ukraine’s entire northern and eastern border is Belarus (a Putin pal) and Russia. It’s capital Kiev (I’m not going with that fancy new-fangled “Kyiv” nonsense) is right there just south of the border with Belarus. That’s where Putin could head on multiple axes and try to install a puppet government. There are other big towns near the borders too. A lightning attack on those critical nodes is not going to be stopped by our forces backing up the Ukrainians before Putin reaches his objectives. He’s not going to want to push much farther either – why should he? He has the capital, and it would be stupid to get his forces strung out trying to hold the endless Ukrainian hinterlands. I’ve been to Ukraine to train troops – it’s good guerilla country and the people are stubborn and tough. Ukrainian guerillas fought Stalin until the mid-fifties, so Putin is not going to want to get bogged down in the interior’s forests and swamps or in its wide spaces.

And what forces would we use to fight them? The Russians have armor, so if you drop the 82nd in there they become All-American speedbumps. We would need heavy forces. When I was in Europe in the Cold War, there were a half-million American troops in Europe. It’s about 75,000 today. And the forces matter. I was in VII Corps, an armored force of several divisions designed (along with V Corps) to stop a Warsaw Pact invasion of the West. VII Corps had a schiff-load of tanks, fighting vehicles, gunships, and artillery. When it went to Iraq 31 years ago right now, it annihilated a Russian-armed, Russian-trained army in about four days (but after months of preparation, time we don’t have here even if we had the tanks to send there). And the two US corps don’t count the multiple NATO corps we had during the Cold War. But that’s all gone. Remarkably, at one time (West) Germany had a powerful military instead of a glorified camo mime troupe. Where’s NATO now? Busy not caring.

How about airpower? I guess they could fly from Romania and Poland, who would both be thrilled to invite missile attacks on their soil. Remember, there’s no off-limits to Putin. I’m sure the new Air Force policy allowing the use of pronouns in the signature blocks of official documents will be a real asset in combating a world-class integrated air defense system.

So, we’ve got bad geography and scant forces. But hey, we have the advantage of our great leadership at the general level that has brought us victory in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that has presided over our glorious woke new military. Now free of evil internal threats like insurrectionists and dirty, unvaxxed troopers, our military is totally ready to take on a deadly serious, conventional peer competitor on its home turf. Maybe we can soften them up with some synchronized Tik Tok dance videos.

Hey, but we probably have some secret squirrel stuff we can use and some tactics, techniques, and procedures to employ to give ourselves an edge. After all, there are still remnants of a serious military still lurking within the woke joke that our failed leaders have built. And you can be sure the Chinese will be right there, watching and learning about how we fight. Basically, our operations will be one giant spoiler giving away the whole show ahead of Operation Adios Taiwan.

Sound grim? It seems like we might have trouble achieving our objectives. And one of the biggest reasons is that it’s not clear what our objectives would even be. Since none of the usual hawks can be bothered to articulate a vital American interest involved in defending Ukraine’s borders, that makes it hard to come up with objectives for the military. “Stop Putin” is not really a military objective; it’s sort of an amorphous goal.

So what does victory look like? Putin held off to the outskirts of Kiev? Putin tossed back over the Belarus and Russian borders? What’s our desired end state? Or are we not going to articulate that either? Maybe we can just sort of exist in a tense status quo over some sort of demilitarized zone for seven decades or so. Gee, sound familiar?

Now all these questions deserve answers, but don’t look for any since none of the answers are good. And bad answers would slow the rush to war, so we can’t have them come out. Instead, the establishment is going back to the classics. If you ask what America’s vital interest is, you love Putin. If you ask what our military objectives would be, much less how we can rev up the combat power way over there to attain them, you love Putin. Yeah, it’s always a delight to be a vet of the Cold War being who is told he digs the Russians by a bunch of DC saps whose experience with the Bear is trying a Moscow Mule once, deciding it was icky, and asking for a white wine spritzer instead.

The Ukrainians are getting a raw deal, and I hope they drown their invaders in a river of blood. But it’s not our fight. And, if we did fight, there’s a significant chance we would lose. Then every two-bit tyrant on Earth will be coming for a piece of the helpless giant. We’re weak right now, folks, and the worst thing we can do is get up in front of everyone and prove it.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: cornpopovwasabaddude; cornpopwasabaddude; joebiden; schlichter; ukraine; vladimirputin

1 posted on 01/27/2022 3:53:18 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
No,it will expose *The Big Guy's* weakness.
2 posted on 01/27/2022 3:56:12 AM PST by Gay State Conservative (Covid Is All About Mail In Balloting)
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To: Kaslin

Will all soldiers be wearing masks?

Wouldn’t want them to catch covid in combat.


3 posted on 01/27/2022 3:56:35 AM PST by fruser1
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To: Kaslin
I’ve been to Ukraine to train troops — it’s good guerilla country and the people are stubborn and tough.

The Ukrainians are getting a raw deal, and I hope they drown their invaders in a river of blood. But it’s not our fight.

There’s a complete disconnect here. If this is “not our fight,” then what the heck was this guy doing training their troops?

4 posted on 01/27/2022 4:01:12 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("Mr. Potato Head ... Mr. Potato Head! Back doors are not secrets.")
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To: Kaslin
Those who are for this war should be made to fight it. Not other's son's and daughters.
5 posted on 01/27/2022 4:10:46 AM PST by McGruff (Trump/DeSantis 2024)
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To: Kaslin
Part of the PLAN, Kurt!! Putin and Biden spent 6 HOURS on phone calls.....WTF did they talk about??

China will take Taiwan! ALL IN THE PLAN!

China and Russia OWN the BIDEB CRIME FAMILY!!

6 posted on 01/27/2022 4:10:59 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Kaslin

But it will divert attention from, stolen election, 8 secret pedophiles of Epstein list, Bidenflation, nad economy, border being flooded, crime in Democrat cities, stupid Biden etc.


7 posted on 01/27/2022 4:14:25 AM PST by stockpirate (Rebellion to tyranny is obedience to God., Where Justice Ends Tyranny Begins.)
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To: Kaslin
The Ukrainians are getting a raw deal, and I hope they drown their invaders in a river of blood. But it’s not our fight.

Send Ukraine planeloads of anti-tank and ant-aircraft weapons. Let the Ukrainians fight and end Putin's imperial ambition.

8 posted on 01/27/2022 4:22:50 AM PST by tlozo
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To: Kaslin

Another day another shyt article.

The correlation between Ukraine’s border and ours is bull. Our government and elites INVITED our “invasion” and fully support it to “enrich” us with “diversity” er sumthin. And no one is TRULY standing up against it. Ukraine didn’t invite Russia’s proxies to come in, wager guerilla war, and try to take over.

The correlation between Ukraine and Iraq/Afghanistan is also bull. Once again, our elites decided the world was just like us and we need to overthrow dictators for “democracy” er sumthin. Bush said America’s duty was to “end tyranny in our world” and we must be prepared to continue forever. Russia has for years been destabilizing Ukraine in an attempt to take it over by crook or by hook. Ukrainians don’t want to be under Russian rule.

And no one (with any say-so) is calling for war with Russia.


9 posted on 01/27/2022 4:28:13 AM PST by Vaden (First they came for the Confederates... Next they came for Washington... Then they came...)
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To: Vaden
Another day another shyt article.

That's your opinion, to which you are entitled to. Now shut the phuck up!!!

10 posted on 01/27/2022 4:39:45 AM PST by Kaslin (Joe Biden, aka president Milk Carton)
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To: Kaslin

A Biden Intervention in Ukraine Will Expose American Weakness
= = =

Tell Biden it is an Ivermectin.

He will stop it, now.


11 posted on 01/27/2022 7:34:02 AM PST by Scrambler Bob (My /s is more true than your /science (or you might mean /seance))
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To: Scrambler Bob

Is there anyone else who could not care less about this Russia/Ukraine matter?

I find it hard to be concerned with the incursion of a border on the other side of the world when the very same thing is happening to our country on a daily basis. In addition, if the Ukraine hadn’t sold out the only President willing to help them then they might not be in this position. Actions have consequences and they can now reap what they’ve sown.


12 posted on 01/27/2022 7:37:33 AM PST by JerseyDvl (During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.)
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To: Vaden
Ukrainians don’t want to be under Russian rule.

And Russians in the Donbas don’t want to be ruled by US puppets who don’t even speak their language and have allowed Ukraine to be turned into one giant money laundering enterprise.

13 posted on 01/27/2022 10:21:16 AM PST by Drew68 (Ron DeSantis for President 2024)
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