15 Comments

As an ordinary American citizen, I don’t understand why the Biden administration is triangulating a Chamberlain-like approach to Ukraine; it’s maddeningly frustrating. Most Americans are FOR military aid to Ukraine and want Russia soundly defeated. I keep wondering how much compromising information Russia must have on American politicians for them to behave so cravenly.

From 1961-2021, the US spent 44 trillion dollars to contain the USSR and the Russia and now the Beltway morons are complaining about sending 60 billion dollars in obsolete gear to Ukraine?!?! Fuck these guys!

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Regarding Chamberlain, please remember that he also draw a line and declared war on Hitler a few years later. This is so often forgotten. I doubt Biden (or Harris or Trump) will get Even that much backbone.

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I'm so glad you said 'no' to video interviews ;) I don't know where you find the time to do all that you do. One could add to your report. Why wasn't the U.S. able to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine (as it did over Bosnia or Iraq) BECAUSE IT CAN'T. Why wasn't the IAF able to fly into Iran with its F-35s. BECAUSE IT CAN'T. Why hasn't all the Western air forces working on Operation Prosperity Guardian not been able to stop the Houthis with their F-35 (etc). BECAUSE THEY CAN'T. And the U.S. can create a no-fly zone over Taiwan!

And those simple observable facts make it nowhere into the RAND report. I haven't read, but I assume you would have mentioned it.

The U.S. should first figure out how to push that country with an "economy the size of Italy" back to its border. But it can't do that. We know that AS FACT. Better to focus on hypotheticals (China) than realities (Russia). Well, you already said that.

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So now the big question is if Europe has enough capacity and will to help Ukraine before it’s too late.

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Thank you! Keep them coming!

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The discussion is about warfare which costs money and the West doesn't have it. Or at least the Western states.

There were 20 years of tax reductions and debt increases which have left the Western states deeply indebted and poor. The new normal is to have a debt of 60-100% GDP.

This requires an interest payment of 2-3 % GDP per year. This is more than defense budget even for US as per this year.

So the West can not spend an extra 2-4% GDP per year for 2-4 years for re-armament. It will go into recession with even higher interest payments.

They can play war only by not making war. Apply sanctions, threaten China with a wide blockade, support revolutions but not parties în a civil war in Syria.

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The US, by supporting Israel's genocidal quest for lebensraum, has lost friends across the globe. It appears the US is nothing but a puppet of Israel to most in the Global South..

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Excellent analysis, thank you very much. I think the Rand paper shows how detached from reality USA has become. They discard their traditional allies to fight a «war» with a serious opponent? Why should Europe back the US in a fight with China? Europe has been clearly told that this is a European war. Ok, we need to support the European conutry then. We will miss USA, But we now know we cannot trust them. And worse, they are far too strong believers in their war figthing capabilities. The Houtis are there still. Hamas is still there, all the bombs aside. Batterier and bruised and transformer, But they have no choicebut fight. Hezbollah same. Iran definetly isnt out of it . Whatever you say about the morals of these forces they are figthing, Even after disastrous losses. And they will keep on. And in this situation US cuts ties with long time allies? Sometimes one does understand the wish to drain the swamp. But that prange clown will not improve thing that way. He will only destroy what little that is less. Thus on the evening of election day, hope for Kamala. As a minimum.

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Really good article old pal. As a European, I am confident that, despite a view insane populist outliers, politicians and the public alike are ready to go all the way with Ukraine. Forget America. Trump or Harris, it won't make much difference. They all think like Rand, and they are irrelevant to Europe. The only really odd thing is that some Americans seem to think they can abandon Europe and Europe will stand with them against China. Nope.

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Good point about Europa and China.

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The US, in spite of spending trillions of dollars, has lost it's wars in Vietnam, Iraq (2), Afghanistan and is wasting the oppurtunity to help the Ukranians win against Russia. Oh, and by the way, has squandered the superiority it had over China due to neglect and bad foresight. And nobody in authourity seems to have taken notice and adapted policy. This is how empires are destroyed.

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Rand, as everybody knows, is a Santa Monica, California, think tank. California, as we all know, is a long way from Washington, DC.

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I mean really, who would live in DC unless you had to.

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Impresive arricle. I hoppe see the same founding for ukranians freedom like i see for support israel military plans.

Rusian money buy a lot of souls in west, in political and economicals groups, abd is what i see in this report, only money for oligarcs and forget a nation(ukranie) figth for all west rigth now

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Russia is a bad bussiness and nobody wants to fight them unless they really need to. Even Russian oligarchs are leaving Russia with their money.

Russia is nothing as economic powerhouse or autoritarian as China. It doesn't have as much oil or terorism support as the Saudis.

So nobody feels a need to fight the Russians, they are low on to-do list.

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