The Ukraine ...

 

I've been busy with work anyway, but just observing the news, for now, both political sides.

My usual stance is -  it's not our job to police the world, and these issues are often more complex than a good side and a bad side (but sometimes it's very clear, like with Nazi Germany) -  so for now, I maintain my stance, it remains the same - at least for the time being.

I find it odd that we seem to pick and choose when to step in only when we're economically invested in the region, in some way, despite "atrocities" being committed in many places in the world - and yet we don't seem to care and get involved unless we have some economic investment in the region and/or one side is white.

Also, notice that historically, we tend to shy away from any atrocities being committed -  even when there's economic investments at stake -  when it's China or Russia - because it's a war we're fairly sure we couldn't win.

I also have been reading the Republican/conservative side of things,  press and pundits, who seem to have been all over the board on this, chasing their tails - that is, up until Trump chimed in yesterday.

Until yesterday, most of them were warmongering and criticizing Biden for waiting to get military involved, apparently having no memory at all that this is how World Wars began and we need to be very careful, here. 

Others weren't mentioning the Ukraine at all, preferring to demonize Democrats and vaccines, because they're obsessed and have allowed themselves to be brainwashed to believe we Dems are the most evil threat on the planet lol.

That is - UNTIL - Trump said yesterday that Putin's moves in the Ukraine were "savvy" and praised him.

(Well, what did you expect him to say, with his track record with proven Russian interference in the 2016 election and his withholding of aid from the Ukraine?)

Now, of course, their cult leader, Trump, has given them the oracle direction on what they should believe and think - so within just the last 24 hours, Trumpites are suddenly on Putin's side, he's not a bad guy lol.

Just in case you are that Putin's-puppet-Trump brainwashed, here's a clue on which end is up morally ...

No - you do not invade or conquer other independent countries, for any reason -  there is no justification for doing so - period. 

I am not interested in some of the economic, socioeconomic, or political rationale for justifying invasion that are just beginning to appear - because there isn't any justification.

I'm also not interested in any "atrocities" that may appear to justify invasion, because there always are, and they're usually just BS propaganda to turn the tide towards war - because again, we don't seem care about atrocities that go on in many countries, unless there's economic benefit in the region for us and/or one side is white -  at the expense of thousands of our young men's lives. 

But most of all, I'm especially not interested in any religious, pseudo-Christian rationale, also just beginning to appear - citing either we need to arrogantly "teach them" the "correct way" or because gullible minds actually believe Putin's legendary dysinformation and propaganda that Russia is defending itself from the Ukraine (oh, come on?)

Because for starters, note that nowhere in the bible did God ever one tell either Jews or Christians to "invade" or "conquer" anyone,  from the Babylonians to the Egyptians to the Romans - God either only approved defensive war or said to wait for him to handle it (Egypt).

Also, never forget David's lesson in I Chronicles 22:8.

God told King David that he would never see or set foot in his new temple, because he had "shed too much blood in his (God's) name" - because David sometimes choose offensive war/invasion rather than defensive war, which greatly displeased God.

Now - if other independent countries ask for your help in self-defense, then you make a choice of how much you want to get involved - aid, sanctions, backup troops to protect civilians, or going to full-scale war or conflict right alongside them? 

This should be a carefully considered choice, we should look before we leap - because this is how both World Wars began.

Therefore, I actually am impressed that thus far, Biden has held out and we haven't heard any propaganda stories of Russian-committed "atrocities," like babies being bayonetted in incubators, etc. 

Thus, I support Biden's reluctance to enter into full conflict or war. 

 

The sanctions likely won't work, but I guess that depends on what we mean by "work" anyway - what is our goal?

If the goal is to voice our condemnation over the events and provide more aid to the Ukraine, then it will work.

However, if we hope to affect the actual outcome of preventing full invasion with sanctions, then no, I doubt it. 

Again, it's not our job to police the world - until such time as it either effects us - OR - Putin makes it clear he's actually intent on world domination, like Hitler.

I'm just not yet convinced that total world domination is Putin's plan yet -  or anyone's plan, for that matter - sorry?

I mean, I'm sure he would, if he could, but that's not so easily done - so for now, his plan seems mostly to be reincorporation of former Soviet territory.

(Not that that's okay, either, but intent on total world domination would be decidedly worse).

Now, some would say Putin's attempts to interfere in U.S. elections, etc. prove that Putin is intent on that - but I'm not convinced that means he wants world domination, so much as just making sure the U.S. has puppet leaders that will allow him to do whatever the heck he wants to do, without sanction or censure.

But we we shall see ...