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I agree with all your points. I don't see how it is a problem for a US citizen. Russia isn't a serious threat to the US, nor are they even really much of a thre

I agree with all your points. I don't see how it is a problem for a US citizen. Russia isn't a serious threat to the US, nor are they even really much of a threat to Europe if military spending is any indication. If funds were unlimited, sure but right now we have other problems and can't afford it.

mindslight 3y ago
Whether it is in our national interest to materially support Ukraine is a different question than whether doing so puts us on the right side. I would say the answer to that is also yes. The US is essentially the leader of a nominally consentual economic federation [0], which is what allows USD to remain the world reserve currency while creating more of it. If the US does not support a country that is trying to economically integrate with us, it's a strong data point that perhaps developing a relationship with the US isn't so valuable. This would facilitate the diminishing of US dominance that China is salivating over. Furthermore, it's not like the big dollar amounts for Ukraine are being sent over there, or even being spent today. Rather it is the value of supplies that have already been manufactured and were sitting around. But rather than sitting on a huge military stockpile and considering the problem solved, we're better off rotating through stock and making sure that manufacturing supply chains still work. (I hate this reason because it was also a justification for Iraq, Afghanistan, and other assorted military actions. But it's true) And lastly, solving domestic problems at home is not due to a lack of funds/resources, but rather a lack of political will because entrenched interests benefit from the status quo, and shamelessly buy politicians to maintain it. [0] of course many times those giving consent are elites of a society, at the expense of the rest of the citizens. But that is still progress from "surprise, there's a foreign army marching through your streets!"

mindslight 3y ago

Whether it is in our national interest to materially support Ukraine is a different question than whether doing so puts us on the right side. I would say the answer to that is also yes. The US is essentially the leader of a nominally consentual economic federation [0], which is what allows USD to remain the world reserve currency while creating more of it. If the US does not support a country that is trying to economically integrate with us, it's a strong data point that perhaps developing a relationship with the US isn't so valuable. This would facilitate the diminishing of US dominance that China is salivating over. Furthermore, it's not like the big dollar amounts for Ukraine are being sent over there, or even being spent today. Rather it is the value of supplies that have already been manufactured and were sitting around. But rather than sitting on a huge military stockpile and considering the problem solved, we're better off rotating through stock and making sure that manufacturing supply chains still work. (I hate this reason because it was also a justification for Iraq, Afghanistan, and other assorted military actions. But it's true) And lastly, solving domestic problems at home is not due to a lack of funds/resources, but rather a lack of political will because entrenched interests benefit from the status quo, and shamelessly buy politicians to maintain it. [0] of course many times those giving consent are elites of a society, at the expense of the rest of the citizens. But that is still progress from "surprise, there's a foreign army marching through your streets!"