“How would we react if the Russians were in Cuba, Quebec, or Mexico? Oh, wait. We did react to the Soviets expanding into Cuba and the world was brought to the brink of nuclear war because of it...”
Wrong! We didn’t much care about Soviet troops in Cuba; what we DID care about was the Soviets introducing into Cuba OFFENSIVE nuclear missiles capable of striking the entire “lower 48” of the US, with the exception of a small slice of pie in the extreme Pacific northwest.
“Putin made a mistake in my estimation because he had won the negotiation for the time being, but in the eyes of Lavrov Putin reacted to what the Russians view (and have said) as an existential threat to their nation and Moscow.”
An existential threat from Ukraine? A much smaller and much weaker country than Russia? If Russia saw Ukraine as an existential threat Russia is indeed a Potemkin country no stronger than, say, Ethiopia.
“The Western world-view seems incapable of understanding how we got here and many parrot the opinions of Soros, Nuland, Hillary, Graham, Rice, Powers, and the usual neocon suspects about why this conflict happened and what it is about.”
Well, you’ve just showed whose side you’re on; the “neocon” slander is a tell.
“Respectfully - We can all wish that Russia would withdraw from the Ukraine and sympathize with (even cheer for) the Ukrainian people, but when you are on the same side as that list of people it might be time to start asking serious questions about how we got here and what is our role in this moving forward.”
You conveniently ignore that there is a large group of people — myself included — who cheer for Ukraine in its fight against the existential threat from Russia IN SPITE OF who Ukraine’s president is and IN SPITE OF the current U.S. administration.
The “threat” is not from the Ukraine although their constant harassment of Russian speaking people in Donbass did not help. The threat is from NATO forces - specifically US forces and Zelensky and NATO are determined to bring in Ukraine.
There is a reason that the USSR did not put staffed military bases in Cuba. We have US forces right now on the ground in Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, and others. That is the encroachment that the West promised we would not do and we would NOT tolerate it in Canada, Mexico, or Cuba. You can be certain of that.
How is “neocon” a slander? These idiots have blown through trillions of dollars since 9/11 and the ticker is still running. How did that work out? Defense contractors, think-tanks, and politicians made out quite well as did the UN, but I don’t think my kids are going to count their benefits. You and I pay for it every single transaction (inflation) because it was all borrowed money. I am a veteran. I know people who did not return and many more who are jacked up for life. For what? Building a democracy in nations that don’t want it because the Ivy-league nitwits said it would be a good idea?
I don’t disagree with your thoughts about supporting the Ukrainian people but not liking Zelensky. I have posted similar thoughts many times.
The sooner this war ends the better but I have a feeling our government will keep us in this thing no matter what. The corruption over there is sickening and if they win we will rebuild it and if they don’t somehow I suspect we will still pay for something if we don’t end up directly involved.