We've set a standard that might makes right (Iraq, the whole Arab Spring, etc), so if Russia can use it's might to get it's way, I say they're just following our lead and we ought not act shocked about it, like it is completely unprecedented. It doesn't affect our national interests, so we should complain as loud as we want, but stand by and let happen whatever is going to happen.
My biggest complaint is about the response, just as it was to the response to Covid. With our sanctions, we're driving China and Russia into each other's arms, driving up prices of energy and food, and destroying the faith in countries around the world that their assets won't be frozen by us on a whim. As I've said before, the food and energy inflation and shortages will lead to mass migration from third world countries into first world countries.
Looking at the map, it looks like all of Africa, South Asia, the Middle East (including Israel), the western hemisphere south of the Rio Grande (other than a few small island nations), and all of SE Asia (except for South Korea, Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan) have declined on joining in the sanctions. We set a marker and asked all the countries to back us up. Most chose not to, and every time in the future it will be easier for them to scorn us when we make a request.
On top of all that, since the future is always unknown, its feasible that the conflict could somehow spiral into a world war if we keep taking actions which we have stated openly are intended to weaken Russia. China would take over Taiwan, North Korea would probably invade South Korea, with unknown results, and we'd be spread too thin to offer them much help. Many of the countries we consider friends would choose neutrality, and a few might even fight against us.
I don't see how ANY of those results are in our best interest. Seems to me like they are all directly opposed to our best interest.
“In regards to Grenada, Wiki says our action was criticized by both Canada and Britain (with Thatcher as prime minister, I believe), and was condemned in the UN General Assembly by a 109 to 8 vote. A similar resolution was supported in the Security Council by 11 nations, but was vetoed by the US. Don’t act as if our action was universally accepted as justified any more than Russia’s is now.”
I never said it was universally accepted, or I would have mentioned it in my post. The US is generally NOT seen favorably in the UN, regardless the matter before it. There is only one nation in the UN that gets shabbier treatment than the US, and that is Israel. I’ve been all for taking the US out of the UN for decades, as it is a sham organization that outlived its usefulness within ten years of its establishment.
But, please respond to my explanation of the differences between the US in Grenada and Russia in Ukraine: I spelled out three differences right off the bat, I’d to see your response to them instead of your passing right over them.
“We’ve set a standard that might makes right (Iraq, the whole Arab Spring, etc), so if Russia can use it’s might to get it’s way, I say they’re just following our lead and we ought not act shocked about it, like it is completely unprecedented.”
I already addressed this in a previous post. But, you must never have studied history, or you would not have made the ridiculous statement that we (the US) set a standard that might makes right. That standard was set thousands of years ago. An honorable country will always try to do right, and make sound and lawful arguments to support its position; but at the end of the day if right doesn’t work, and that country is at risk, then might sure as hell can be persuasive.
“It doesn’t affect our national interests, so we should complain as loud as we want, but stand by and let happen whatever is going to happen.”
I submit to you that we DO have national interests in the outcome of this war, just as Europe does (and Europe’s interests are arguably greater than ours, but we have obligations toward Europe that cannot and should not be ignored; if you don’t like that, then convince the US to pull out of NATO and every other defensive pact or treaty we have with anyone. Isolationism won’t keep you out of the tiger’s jaws forever; but killing the tiger, or at least defanging it and declawing it will sure as hell stop or deter the tiger from any aggression. Remember the saying, “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.”
“My biggest complaint is about the response, just as it was to the response to Covid.”
Our response to Covid was initially warranted, because we had no idea what the hell we were dealing with. But when we
basically turned it all over to that insufferable dwarf we jumped the shark.
“With our sanctions, we’re driving China and Russia into each other’s arms, driving up prices of energy and food, and destroying the faith in countries around the world that their assets won’t be frozen by us on a whim.”
Bull crap. Russia and China were best buds way before Russia ever invaded Ukraine and sanctions were applied. And the price of energy is due solely to Biden’s imbecilic decision to hamstring domestic production. Destroying faith in countries around the world? Faith is just the hope that your beliefs are correct. Anyone who places faith in a country is naïve. Put faith in God (if you believe in God), and in your spouse (if you believe in your spouse); but other than that, Faith is just the name of a country singer.