Trump has never advocated for war. Romney, Cheney and Bush2 are RINOs although I don't recall Romney advocating for war either.
Both Trump and Romney supported the Iraq war.Neither served.None if thier 8 or so kids served.Both Trump and Romney dodged the draft.
“Are you a gentleman” my Russian friend asked of me. I said, “No… I am not a gentleman!” and giggled while I made my next move. We were playing a game of chess and while material was even and any possible checkmate was far off, I was in a strategically lost position. My opponent had strategically outmaneuvered me and not only gained space to my detriment, he had the initiative for opening up our mostly closed position. My opponent’s question was effectively asking for my resignation and to show respect for the game and our time. After I moved, my opponent quickly parried it, not that he even had to and again asked “Are you a gentleman”? By any conceivable measure of long term strategic objectives being met by Russia invading Ukraine, it is seemingly fair to say Russia is positionally lost. The following are the cold, “reasonable” goals of war for those who see human lives and happiness as cheap and acquiring someone else’s land as a victory: 1. Improved national security through creation of space, or as additional “Buffer zone” as security against potentially hostile forces. Russia’s national security is reduced because economic sanctions causes reduced economic potential to support a large relative military while at the same time, border countries and their allies increase military spending, such as Germany now committing to spending 2% of GDP on its military. 2. Acquire the productive potential of the land and its people in order to increase economic potential. Judging by relative per capita productivity of Russia and its land, there does not seem to be much net productivity to be gained during even the best of circumstances. Ukraine is about as far as one can get from that. Ukrainian resolve, both within and outside Ukraine, including millions of Ukrainians living within Russia, not even quantifying the help from their worldwide friends, will ensure Ukrainian insurgency will be costly to Russian infrastructure, their military, and ultimately politically far beyond any potential to be gained. This is before even considering rebuilding costs. 3. Meta verse considerations include the development of cutting edge technologies and methods of inexpensively enhancing insurgency capabilities that could potentially be put to use in other Russian Republics. In other words, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine may have the potential to cause the breakup of Russia in the long term. In that case, so much for seemingly Nationalistic policies enhancing Russia’s global capabilities and position. In order to preserve lives and to avoid potential escalation, it appears NATO should help Ukraine come up and negotiate a exit strategy for Putin. While anyone with a sense of justice will want to see Putin severely punished for the mass suffering he caused, a practical view may realize that time lost in getting Russia out of Ukraine are lives lost. As it is, Russia’s currency and equity markets have been hit hard, likely creating lasting damage, while Putin’s prestige has been crushed internationally with his credibility presumably diminished within Russia. Perhaps the international community could ask: “Putin, are you a gentleman”?
I'm wondering how many Ukrainians in Kyiv are prepared to fight. They might actually outnumber the Russians.
"... yet actively avoided or avoids ..." The truth is that you are emotional that everyone doesn't agree that Putin will initiate global nuclear war; and are trying to make all sorts of arguments that don't fit, apply. You're scared. I get that. It'll be OK. You want to vilify anyone that disagrees with your unsupported narrative that Putin will, without a doubt, do what YOU say he will do. In the US, you still get a say in what your country does, or doesn't do, whether you went to college instead of the military; whether you worked to support a new born instead of going away to the military; whether you are currently in the military or not. As was said, it's terrible to vilify citizens for choosing a non-military path, while not avoiding a draft. And AGAIN, in this discussion, I spoke only as to MY OPINION about the US engaging Russia, not as to what Ukraine troops/citizens should do.
Day 8 and Kyiv still stands! Russia has moved to devastating missile attacks to level Ukrainian cities because their ground forces are getting eaten up and their chances of actually taking over Ukraine are diminishing by the day. More bayraktars have been delivered to the Ukrainians. These things have been hell to Russian supply chains. Slava Ukraine!
I just want to thank everyone in this thread for sharing their foreign policy expertise with all of us. And might I say how amazing it was as you all pivoted from epidemiologists to FP experts in record time!