4 ms·

I'm curious how you see the supply of equipment and training to Ukraine: Do you consider this part of America playing the cop or something else?

mikecoles 3y ago
As an American, I see the politicians and those in the pocket of 'defense' contractors playing the role of corrupt villain.
lp0_on_fire 3y ago
Yes. In my opinion this is uncomfortably close to us playing Team America: World Police. We are injecting ourselves into a situation where there outcome is unpredictable and there is no clear game plan or win conditions defined such that we can exit the conflict without the entire area collapsing. Reading between the lines, and sometimes said out loud by the ruling class, it's clear that they want regime change in Russia and they're hoping that this forces the issue. Now I'm not going to shed a tear for Putin if he has to flee Moscow and we find him in a hole in the desert with a long beard, but the US track record for _successful_ regime change isn't exactly stellar. The middle east is still a mess, Korea is still divided, Vietnam was a colossal failure, and there are more examples in Latin/Central America than I care to cite. IMO "Equipment" is a very tame and benign term for the deadly munitions we're supplying being used directly against an hostile nuclear power. It's not like we're only sending medical supplies and other errands of mercy. It just seem very risky to me to assume that the Putin is forever just going to ignore the fact that his soldiers are getting blow up by American weapons.
- _kbh_ 3y ago
  > IMO "Equipment" is a very tame and benign term for the deadly munitions we're supplying being used directly against an hostile nuclear power. It's not like we're only sending medical supplies and other errands of mercy. It just seem very risky to me to assume that the Putin is forever just going to ignore the fact that his soldiers are getting blow up by American weapons. Russia has been doing what they can regarding foreign equipment to Ukraine. It’s not much because all they can do is not much. Short of ending his country by attacking NATO there’s not much more they can do.
  - lp0_on_fire 3y ago
    > Short of ending his country by attacking NATO there’s not much more they can do. IMO that assumes that Putin is a rational actor. I'm not sure that's the case.
thefz 3y ago
Do they have an economic interest in doing so, or are just volunteering out of taxpayer's money?

mikecoles 3y ago

As an American, I see the politicians and those in the pocket of 'defense' contractors playing the role of corrupt villain.

lp0_on_fire 3y ago

Yes. In my opinion this is uncomfortably close to us playing Team America: World Police. We are injecting ourselves into a situation where there outcome is unpredictable and there is no clear game plan or win conditions defined such that we can exit the conflict without the entire area collapsing. Reading between the lines, and sometimes said out loud by the ruling class, it's clear that they want regime change in Russia and they're hoping that this forces the issue. Now I'm not going to shed a tear for Putin if he has to flee Moscow and we find him in a hole in the desert with a long beard, but the US track record for _successful_ regime change isn't exactly stellar. The middle east is still a mess, Korea is still divided, Vietnam was a colossal failure, and there are more examples in Latin/Central America than I care to cite. IMO "Equipment" is a very tame and benign term for the deadly munitions we're supplying being used directly against an hostile nuclear power. It's not like we're only sending medical supplies and other errands of mercy. It just seem very risky to me to assume that the Putin is forever just going to ignore the fact that his soldiers are getting blow up by American weapons.

_kbh_ 3y ago
> IMO "Equipment" is a very tame and benign term for the deadly munitions we're supplying being used directly against an hostile nuclear power. It's not like we're only sending medical supplies and other errands of mercy. It just seem very risky to me to assume that the Putin is forever just going to ignore the fact that his soldiers are getting blow up by American weapons. Russia has been doing what they can regarding foreign equipment to Ukraine. It’s not much because all they can do is not much. Short of ending his country by attacking NATO there’s not much more they can do.
- lp0_on_fire 3y ago
  > Short of ending his country by attacking NATO there’s not much more they can do. IMO that assumes that Putin is a rational actor. I'm not sure that's the case.

thefz 3y ago

Do they have an economic interest in doing so, or are just volunteering out of taxpayer's money?