[Stingray51]

“ Tucker has expressed concern that America and Russia will go to war over Ukraine. “What we're watching is the beginning of a war between the United States and Russia,” he argued. “If that sounds jarring, what else would you call it?”

But the United States and Russia didn’t go to war over Vietnam, where Russia supported its Vietnamese proxy in Hanoi with military equipment. That’s the whole point of a proxy war. Russia’s proxy wars weakened America in Asia and the Middle East. Now this proxy war is weakening Russia in Eastern Europe. And the weaker Russia becomes, the less likely it is to drag us into a war. Let alone to directly go to war against us.“

Past US restraint in reaction to Russian proxy wars against us is not IMO a convincing argument that Russia will act the same way in reaction to our actions in Ukraine. What we are worried about is the possibility of nuclear war, not conventional war. So it is not apparent why the authors contend that Russia doing poorly against Ukraine in the current war (which it is not clear they are) makes war (nuclear war) less likely. Many contend just the opposite. Finally, they call Putin all kinds of bad things but then rely upon him to act rationally. That makes no sense.

[suthener]

“Past US restraint in reaction to Russian proxy wars against us is not IMO a convincing argument that Russia will act the same way in reaction to our actions in Ukraine.”

You’re absolutely right. That argument is downright idiot to me. How one party reacts to a situation does not mean another party is going to react the same way.

[BobL]

“Finally, they call Putin all kinds of bad things but then rely upon him to act rationally. That makes no sense.”

LOVE THEIR LOGIC: Putin is an INSANE leader, but he perfectly rational when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons.