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Not only are both of those true, but a third thing is also true: the government-level pro-Ukraine narrative in Western countries has been unusually unfavourable

Not only are both of those true, but a third thing is also true: the government-level pro-Ukraine narrative in Western countries has been unusually unfavourable to domestic weapons industries, with constant briefings about the need to be careful about what is supplied and how it can be used, rationales for not sending Ukraine stuff based around the idea Ukrainians are better off sticking with ex-Soviet equipment they know how to use and maintain, and the actual stuff supplied tending to be obsolete compared with the stuff defence contractors want to market. With the added irony that the biggest potential beneficiaries from demonstrating the military potential of their novel tech (SpaceX and Chinese civil drone manufacturers) want to disassociate themselves from the war...

SanjayMehta 3y ago
What you're saying is correct but is missing one important factor. Former Warsaw pact countries shipped their Soviet era materiel to Ukraine and are backfilling with modern NATO equipment.
- notahacker 3y ago
  Oh, agreed, they'll still make money from replacement programs being brought forward But if they were driving the narrative we wouldn't have weapons sent following months of government's explaining that actually it wouldn't be a good thing to send these weapons to Ukraine because they'd struggle for reliability in the conditions and Ukranian mechanics wouldn't be able to handle them, so in a way sending them older tech was doing them a favour....
  - SanjayMehta 3y ago
    Short term thinking drives their narratives. And money. Take the F-16s question. Last year Biden said sending F-16s to Ukraine would mean World War 3, now he's changed his mind. Technically he's not sending them, but he's not holding back on others sending them. The next escalation will have him sending them. 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MpMbBl24L0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MpMbBl24L0 2. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65649471 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65649471

SanjayMehta 3y ago

What you're saying is correct but is missing one important factor. Former Warsaw pact countries shipped their Soviet era materiel to Ukraine and are backfilling with modern NATO equipment.

notahacker 3y ago
Oh, agreed, they'll still make money from replacement programs being brought forward But if they were driving the narrative we wouldn't have weapons sent following months of government's explaining that actually it wouldn't be a good thing to send these weapons to Ukraine because they'd struggle for reliability in the conditions and Ukranian mechanics wouldn't be able to handle them, so in a way sending them older tech was doing them a favour....
- SanjayMehta 3y ago
  Short term thinking drives their narratives. And money. Take the F-16s question. Last year Biden said sending F-16s to Ukraine would mean World War 3, now he's changed his mind. Technically he's not sending them, but he's not holding back on others sending them. The next escalation will have him sending them. 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MpMbBl24L0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MpMbBl24L0 2. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65649471 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65649471