That intervention in wars on other continents is bad.
Most people don’t find this controversial, until I mention that this applies to the Ukraine war, too,
Counterpoint: intervention exists on an multi-dimensional axis with different causes, methods of intervening, and potential outcomes. I don’t want to assign moral equivalence to intervention in the Rwanda genocide (morally justified, but didn’t happen) vs. American involvement in the libration of Europe from Nazi Germany (morally justified, did happen) and the Vietnam War (morally very dodgy, took place nonetheless)
A lot of people are clamoring for NATO to go all in and invade Russia to topple Putin.
That would kill hundreds of thousands more.
I’d propose something different: Block the Russian shadow oil tanker fleet from crossing the Baltics (This can be done by the coast guard).
Ban trade with any company that’s trading with Russia, and arrest people circumventing the sanctions.
And instead of sanctioning oil that’s proven to come from Russia, only buy oil that can be proven not to come from Russia.
Without the oil exports, the Russian war economy collapses in under a year.
What we’re currently doing is sending just enough aid to Ukraine to keep the Ukrainian war machine going, while at the same time buying Russian oil which keeps the Russian one going. If you wanted to ensure a perpetual war that never ends, this is exactly what you’d do. And this is what the west is doing right now.
That’s a tricky question, because the USA successfully halted Japan’s actions in China with an embargo on steel and oil.
Which lead to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, in an attempt to destroy the US fleet and lift the embargo.
Only then did the USA declare war on Japan, but they didn’t do so in order to help the Chinese.
They did it because of Pearl Harbor, and because their own dominance in the Pacific was threatened.
That intervention in wars on other continents is bad.
Most people don’t find this controversial, until I mention that this applies to the Ukraine war, too,
Counterpoint: intervention exists on an multi-dimensional axis with different causes, methods of intervening, and potential outcomes. I don’t want to assign moral equivalence to intervention in the Rwanda genocide (morally justified, but didn’t happen) vs. American involvement in the libration of Europe from Nazi Germany (morally justified, did happen) and the Vietnam War (morally very dodgy, took place nonetheless)
My neighbor’s house is on fire but mine isn’t, why would I help them put it out?
Helping your neighbor put out the fire doesn’t kill hundreds of thousands of civilians.
War does.
But you said this applies to Ukraine. Ukraine isn’t killing hundreds of thousands of civilians.
A lot of people are clamoring for NATO to go all in and invade Russia to topple Putin.
That would kill hundreds of thousands more.
I’d propose something different: Block the Russian shadow oil tanker fleet from crossing the Baltics (This can be done by the coast guard).
Ban trade with any company that’s trading with Russia, and arrest people circumventing the sanctions.
And instead of sanctioning oil that’s proven to come from Russia, only buy oil that can be proven not to come from Russia.
Without the oil exports, the Russian war economy collapses in under a year.
What we’re currently doing is sending just enough aid to Ukraine to keep the Ukrainian war machine going, while at the same time buying Russian oil which keeps the Russian one going. If you wanted to ensure a perpetual war that never ends, this is exactly what you’d do. And this is what the west is doing right now.
That is a completely separate issue than the point I was replying to
Oh… so you’re saying the allies of WW2 shouldn’t have helped China defend against invasion by imperial japan? 🧐
That’s a tricky question, because the USA successfully halted Japan’s actions in China with an embargo on steel and oil.
Which lead to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, in an attempt to destroy the US fleet and lift the embargo.
Only then did the USA declare war on Japan, but they didn’t do so in order to help the Chinese.
They did it because of Pearl Harbor, and because their own dominance in the Pacific was threatened.