I think any time we align our self indentity with a group (government, sports team, race, religious organization, political party) we begin to lose sight of what will most benefit us in favor of supporting that idea.
Ends poorly more often than not 🙂
I agree, as a principle.
As I told someone earlier though, explain that to the Baltics, the Poles, the Czechs, the Ukrainians, the Georgians... that live right there right now.
I have empathy for anyone living in a wartorn location. I seek the end of global military conquest in every form.
However, I don't know anyone from those countries or what their needs are. So I don't feel qualified or interested in proscribing solutions for them.
Americans have a tendency to jump into situations to "solve" them, but often end up leaving the affected populations the same or worse off.
It's not the US's responsibility to police the globe. We are in this position primarily because of the outcome of WW2 and it won't last forever 🙏
And I agree with what you say.
Doesn't change the fact that the US establishment is responsible for the lack of an alternative "police" in Europe.
Which has benefitted said establishment and allowed the American people as whole to be in their current leading position.
I supported Trump when he insisted that Europe should pick up the bill. Alas, Americans voted for the other guy.
Unlike most of the US-based naive useful idiots and paid Putin shills, I have been to Russia and the Baltics in many occasions, for work and for tourism. I have friends there and I love the country and its people. I learnt Russian for three years, just because.
Long term I wish we can erase the absurd "Europe vs Russia" opposition, as if Russia weren't Europe.
For that though, Putin must be removed, the remnants of the Soviet regime must be removed (the old people still brainwashed, who largely support Putin now, will just die off soon) and the Russian people must be liberated.
Faux libertarians sitting on their asses in their cozy American homes thousands of miles away, screeching daily about how "they'll have to pry my guns from my cold dead hands" while critizing a people who are actually in arms defending their homes can bite me, honestly.
I'm inspired by your passion to help those people. Since you have a direct connection to the situation it sounds like you are uniquely prepared to support in finding a solution.
Personally I don't count on any political solution to these situations as long as the global banking system is still in control, but luckily I also know that won't last 🙏
