Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Russia Invades Ukraine
In a speech Wednesday night, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation,” followed immediately by troops entering Ukraine and large explosions throughout the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the attack and declared martial law. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called it a “full-scale invasion,” adding, “Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”
Putin strenuously warned against international meddling. “To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside: if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history,” he said. “All relevant decisions have been taken.”
President Biden issued a statement: “The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces.” He added that he will consult with the leaders of the G7 on Thursday and promised “severe sanctions.”
Published in General
Not. My. Problem.
Not. For. You. To. Decide.
Clearly. Because I would be sending troops to defend our border, not theirs.
Europe is probably longing for Trump right now.
Here is the U.N. ambassador from Kenya criticizing some of the things people on Ricochet have said about Russia’s relationship with Ukraine. Those people can identify themselves and argue back if they care to.
Perhaps. But according to John Bolton’s memoir of his time as Trump’s National Security Advisor, Donald Trump was not a consistent supporter of Ukrainian sovereignty.
Ever since Columbus sailed the ocean blue, events in Europe have affected America. Europe currently houses giant, technologically-advanced economies powering nations with a history of almost constant warfare. Add in the destabilising effects of past, current and future mass immigration, and a world-devouring conflagration seems almost inevitable. In any event, the US has vital interests in influencing what goes on in Europe.
This doesn’t imply that the only rational policy is ‘NATO Uber Alles’, or that American boys, girls and dragon-kin should be sent to die in the forests of Ukraine. But it does mean a policy of blindly ignoring what is going on (acknowledging that knowingly ignoring would be different) is absolutely not rational.
Obviously the breathless 24/7 coverage of this Evolving Crisis with pictures of ‘war’ correspondents dressed in flack jackets on the roof of their Sheraton some hundreds of kilometers from actual fighting is pure entertainment. (Well, it’s the news media – that’s what they are for.) For those who like that sort of thing – the geopolitical equivalent of ‘Real Housewives’ (but perhaps more scripted) – it’s all fun and games.
And you shouldn’t be forced to care until someone demonstrates a vital interest that is worth whatever cost is going to be imposed on you. Which the elites haven’t actually bothered with for the last few decades.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/politics/mitt-romney-russia-ukraine/index.html
Well yes.
Mr Biden has been bought and sold by both sides in this conflict (and also by the Chinese), mostly through his whore-impregnating, coke-snorting son. But the succession of actions he took as POTUS clearly show a Russian bias. Cancelling the US-Canadian pipeline, stopping drilling and fracking on federal land made the US energy dependent again and thus unable to bail out Europe. Promoting Nordstream 2, failing to arm Ukraine, making that idiotic comment about “a minor incursion”, it keeps going on and on… all of these played into Vladimir’s hand, just as Mr Obama did with his treasonous remarks in Vienna.
Mr Biden’s clear lack of competence in leaving Kabul, in running our Mexican border and in running day to day affairs shows that this is the time for despots to act.
Even if we don’t enter the fray, and I pray we won’t, this invasion is Mr Biden’s war. We have legitimate interests in Ukrainian sovereignty and freedom, but it is obvious that our POTUS and the cabal that direct him are incapable of rationally defending those interests. So if we send troops over, I’ll be in the demonstrations chanting “hey hey, ho ho, Hunter’s father has to go” or whatever.
Always remember, this didn’t happen while DJT was POTUS. My goodness, how I miss that man.
It is all very sad.
Apparently, if I point out Putin seems to know what he is doing, I am pro Putin.
So I can be on the side of angels, what am I supposed to Be for?
Just out of curiosity, how do you feel about people who, when witnessing violence on urban streets, walk on by or get out their phones and record video instead of helping?
Is your response to that “Not. Their. Problem.” ?
Or
Is your response “What kind of people are they who won’t help?”
Just curious to know.
Thankfully, he went to UNH instead of an Ivy League school.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Kimani
Not being willing to risk one’s life on the street is what, a horrible sin?
Ekosj, what are you for, other than telling someone they are a bad person for not wanting to get involved?
Is it a binary choice? Can’t we walk and chew gum at the same time?
Is it your intention then, to intervene in every instance of street violence that occurs on the planet? Regardless of your proven track record of making each situation worse?
I have no doubt that Joe Biden and the others involved are capable of screwing up any number of things simultaneously.
Does “getting involved”, only include military intervention? Or could it possibly mean something less “involved”? Perhaps capitulating but tiny bit, and addressing some of the concerns that Putin has? Does a allaying some of the Russian leader’s fear, and possibly de-escalating the tensions, seem a bridge too far?
Why does it seem that every time there is an escalation of tensions, between Russia, and the world community, the only resolution, is threats of War, or restrictive sanctions which only seemed to exacerbate the situation. It seems as though no one ever learns, and because there is no clear-cut good guy, bad guy, we see the same events repeated constantly.
Is Putin, a bad actor, absolutely. Does the world community share some of the responsibility in this crisis, absolutely. Binary reasoning, leads to misunderstanding, and chaos.
If we get involved, we will lose and be humiliated yet again. We are no longer serious about winning wars anyway.
I “get” the question you’re raising, but what is the limiting principle on our obligation to intervene? Is it every single injustice in the world that we’re obligated to intervene over? Or just those that get a lot of media attention? Does geography count in terms of one’s obligation, or does mere cognitive awareness of some injustice in the world create a moral obligation to intervene?
Also, are an individual’s moral considerations regarding intervening in an incident of urban violence equivalent to a nation’s obligations in the context of the geopolitical considerations about going to war?
These are not rhetorical questions. I’m wrestling with some of these questions myself and wondering how others are thinking about it.
If the West does not crack down, hard, then watch for Iran to open fire on its neighbors and Israel, and China to start the invasion of Taiwan. They would be foolish to do otherwise. And they are not foolish.
The US may not longer have a window – but as of right now, nothing in the response to Russia has done anything but encourage Russia and the other evil actors in the world to put their plans in motion.
Those of you who think we can stay out of it, do not understand how evil thinks. An invasion of Taiwan and a Gulf/Middle-East war would be terrible, and might well go nuclear.
We are already “involved’. That isn’t the same thing as rolling tanks so to speak.
Pray for Ukraine.
I mean if you listened to/read about Putin’s last couple of speeches he seemed a little frighteningly unhinged. Whether that is by design or he really thinks paranoid nonsense we may never know.
Yup.
This is not about obligation.
It’s more about preventing World War III. Which is going to be a lot worse in terms of human suffering than World War II was.
So what should the US do? How do we and “the West” intervene in a way that actually achieves whatever the objective is?
Most importantly, right now, I think Americans need to realize that their opinions are being shaped by a press corps that wants us to see this as a civil war that Putin is helping to resolve. Adopting that view will solve all of our government’s immediate problems.
We’re going to have to go back to pre-invasion sources to find out what’s really happening in Ukraine and elsewhere.
There’s so much propaganda being issued right now that people would be wise to believe very little of it.