‘k, not ignorant, then how has Putin overreacted ‘starting’ a bloody war after warning Washington for years against it’s continuous aggressive actions against Russia?
It really isn’t the easiest of calls. Putin had already seen NATO encroach into the Baltic States. That is as provocative as the old USSR putting missiles into Cuba. And we all know how JFK reacted to that.
But at what point do you decide to start a war, and start killing innocents (however accidentally)? War is obviously a terrible, last resort. It will cause widows and orphans to cry for years to come.
I’m trying not to be maudlin here. Instead I’m trying to emphasize that war truly is a last resort. Bush II didn’t see it that way. He ordered the invasion of Iraq. In my mind, that makes him a war criminal. Same with Putin re Ukraine. You don’t shoot wildly into your neighbor’s house just because he is eyeing your land.
Others might differ with my viewpoint. I respect that.