People are going to find my judgment on Ukraine surprising, no doubt, due to the fact that I have such a negative take on liberal writers like Toni Morrison. All I can say is that I am more conservative on social issues than on issues like foreign policy or on the environment. I actually think that President Biden is absolutely right to step up to the plate on Ukraine, even if it takes us to the point of sending ground troops. I am for forcing the issue as much as possible save the using of nuclear weapons.
Why? Because I believe that Russian President Putin is a bully and a tyrant who will try to rebuild the old Soviet bloc anyway he can. That old Soviet bloc, mind you, was put together under the Warsaw Pact, under which much machinery and raw materials were taken from Russia’s satellite states back to Russia to benefit Soviet industry. The Soviet Union pushed Russian power and influence farther west than it had ever been under the tsars. A person could argue that the U.S. led NATO was the other side of the coin: the truth, however, is that at this time and to this very day, NATO allies were allowed far more freedom and self-determination than the Warsaw Pact ever allowed the satellite states Russia controlled under it. We cannot let Russia rebuild the Warsaw Pact. Firstly, we cannot do so because Russia will threaten our allies abroad. Second, we cannot do so because Russia has already threatened the United States in helping determine the past election of President Donald Trump. This was itself an act of war, though we should be cautious about making our intentions too broad in how we deal with Russia.
Now, it is true that people have worried since Vietnam, whether this fight or that fight were truly justified. Sometimes they were so right it was scary: I never saw the real justification of the 2nd Iraq War. Clearly Vietnam itself was a losing War, and though South Koreans have claimed to be grateful to the U.S., the War there did end on a draw. However, my argument is that what makes Ukraine different is that the people themselves want us to come to their aid, and the Russian people are lukewarm in their support of Russia in invading Ukraine. I even have a friend from Russia who does not know what Putin hopes to gain in sending his own troops to Ukraine, claiming (with what veracity I can’t know) that the population of Russia has shrunk and holding onto Ukraine would be difficult. However, if this is valid, than defending Ukraine should be easier, though it would be a mistake to assume that the War would be quick and easy. No war at the outset should be assumed to be quick and easy.
Well, that is my earful. I hope it reaches somebody who finds the information and the argumentation useful.