What the West is doing is a wonderful example of modern deterrence. Instead of edging towards nuclear war like we did in the 1980s, we are using much more painful & powerful methods: financial sanctions. By cutting the oil exports, companies pulling out, Russian soldiers willingly surrendering in Ukraine, larger and more powerful protests taking place internally, its edging the Russian govt closer to the brink of an ice sheet. They’re gonna experience a revolution or they’re gonna experience a military coup. Either way, Putin is donezo after this war. He dug his own grave by starting this because he miscalculated dramatically. My professor was a national security adviser to both President papa Bush and President baby Bush. He’s got crazy connections; when the report and charges about Monica Lewinsky were gonna break during the Clinton years, my prof was teaching over in DC and happened to have connections in Washington. These connections gave him the report before it came out which he was able to talk about with his students. This dude knows some people, this dude has seen some shit. He sat as like the minister of finance in Nigeria (he’s Nigerian), he fled during the Nigerian Civil War in the 1960s, barely escaping the bombing. He was a personal guest & is a friend of Madeline Albright. My point is that this guy knows some shit. He said from day one, Feb 24, that Putin’s downfall is going to be either a “intentional or unintentional mistake or miscalculation”. And so far, it’s seeming to be that way. He miscalculated that the world would treat Ukraine like it treats the African countries during their conflicts. He miscalculated that he’d only have some European countries to deal with. He miscalculated that the US would care and we’d engage with him directly. He miscalculated that the private companies in the world would pay attention. He miscalculated (perhaps his second largest miscalculation) that China would step up and be his #1 cheerleader. His largest miscalculation is that Ukraine and the Ukrainians would put up a fight with such veracity. He believed he’d be able to come in, take it in 7 - 10 days, and the world would have to bend to him. But oh boy did he miscalculate the spirit of the Ukrainians. He’s kinda brilliantly stupid actually. He fails to realize that Ukraine was in the USSR right? The USSR was able to literally begin the end of Hitler because of tremendous nationalism. The USSR used every single person in the country to fight against Hitler. The men are in active combat? That’s cool but hey the women go get your kids from school, finish dinner, go hop in a fighter jet and fuck up some Nazis. Kids? Go to work to produce weapons/firepower needed for the war when you get home from school. Why? For mother Russia. In the battle for Stalingrad, this made them successful. This made them feared. But Putin fails to realize fighting the Ukrainians is like fighting themselves. They know their games; it’s like playing Battleship but being able to see your opponent’s moves and thoughts. It’s fascinating (in a morbid way) to watch from afar because you’re observing the Russians fighting themselves and it’s gonna be very interesting to see what the outcome is. Finally, the West has seen this movie before. They had a Cold War with Russia for 30+ years. They got pulled into two European wars. They’ve done this; they don’t wanna do it again. Oh and for the shitheads who think “if daddy trump was here this wouldn’t have happened”, let me bring a few points: 1. Rex Tillerson won the highest business award in RUSSIA for his OIL EXPLORATION MISSIONS when he was the CEO of Exxon Mobil. Hmm what else did he do? Oh yeah- he was the Secretary of State under Trump for awhile. 2. Trump has always had deep relationships with Russia. Y’all can go research for yourself and see it. So: If Trump was in office, we would’ve had either all of Europe attacking US for standing with Russia because he had to protect him and his friends’ financial interests, or we would’ve been reduced to rubble due to a nuclear war. I get it- Biden isn’t my favorite either, I think he’s kinda a limp dick. However, Trump is not the best alternative AT ALL. Can we reincarnate Clinton? He was pretty great and pretty neutral; except don’t ask him about Africa he doesn’t like that continent too much. The West is doing what it can. It may not seem like it to the Ukrainians but we gotta protect ourselves too. This is not our war. We are conditioned to believe that every single conflict in Europe is our problem; it’s not. Why don’t we act that way with African conflicts? What about Latin America? I think you see my point. We have to protect ourselves and at some point, send the message that yeah we’ll help on a proxy-level but not direct combat. Our men and women in the military DO NOT deserve to be killed because of yet ANOTHER European war, unfortunately. I feel tremendously for the Ukrainians who are innocent victims of circumstance; my family fled Cuba at the height of the revolution, when the Soviets pulled out and the country was in dire straits. My grandpa was tortured in a concentration camp. I get it. We get it. We also know who the Russians are and man if you ask any Cubans about them, we’re gonna be the first to tell you to stay away because they’re soulless, cold hearted, sons of bitches who deserve nothing but a casket (not my words, that’s what my 83yr old badass grandma said). It’s a heartbreaking situation but we are doing the best to provide weapons and humanitarian aid. It’s a challenging dilemma because Putin is a douchebag.
