I think there's important learning in this that I wish all leaders of militarily powerful nations understood. When engaging in war, the one certainty for all si

I think there's important learning in this that I wish all leaders of militarily powerful nations understood. When engaging in war, the one certainty for all sides is that it will be a tragedy. Even if you "win", there will be horrible consequences (on your own side!) in terms of lives lost, lives irreparably damaged, money / resources lost, and any moral/ethical high ground. In anything of any scale, this can't be avoided. Therefore, the choice to go to war is only sane if not going to war would be an even bigger tragedy. It's not hard to argue that Hitler taking over Europe (and beyond) would be worse. When viewed in this light, Russia going into Ukraine, the US going into Iraq twice, the US going into Vietnam, etc. all look like pretty bad decisions. But we keep falling into this complacency that the next war will be an easy one or a clean one. It will not, that is not what war is.