The unfortunate conclusion that I have come to is that this war was only avoidable if Ukraine could have somehow made it clear to Russia that they indeed would defend their country and it would be costly to attack them. That it's military would have had enough deterrence for the Russians. But that wasn't the case. Putin didn't give a shit about the Minsk agreements, that was clear quite soon.It didn't have to be like this... I haven't heard much from 'our' leaders of this wisdom. I speak, incidentally, from Wales, a vassal state of England; the self-styled "first colony" thereof. — unenlightened
I don't think the US would take kindly to China or Pakistan forming a "strategic alliance" with Canada and Mexico, for example. What would the reaction be in that case, in your opinion?
I would hope they don't attack Jamaica over the pretext that Jamaicans want to join this alliance but haven't yet. — Olivier5
You see any success you ascribe to the Ukrainian's sheer pluck, you must also then accept failures to be the result of a 'lack of pluck'. To the extent that the Ukrainian's national character is the answer to their success, the lack of such character must then explain the failure of the Chechens, or the Belorussians, or the Russians themselves to resist Putin's imperialism. — Isaac
That is a parody argument. — unenlightened
Pluck, luck, and whatever the fuck can all be factors of success and failure. — unenlightened
So are leadership, geography, infrastructure, wealth, age distribution and size of the population, culture, and bunch of other shit. — unenlightened
this war was only avoidable if Ukraine could have somehow made it clear to Russia that they indeed would defend their country and it would be costly to attack them. — ssu
So are we to say that some nations are 'pluckier' than others? — Isaac
So to limit our analysis to 'pluck' doesn't really tell us much, does it? — Isaac
I say that indeed nations have a morale in relation to other nations. It is not fixed, but variable. — unenlightened
to presume that if one discusses one thing, one is (a) discounting everything else — unenlightened
and (b) making what one mentions absolute and eternal. — unenlightened
I don't think the US would take kindly to China or Pakistan forming a "strategic alliance" with Canada and Mexico, for example. What would the reaction be in that case, in your opinion?
I would hope they don't attack Jamaica over the pretext that Jamaicans want to join this alliance but haven't yet.
— Olivier5
There wouldn’t be a need. There would already have been nuclear war. — Xtrix
It’s time for the West to rebuild its manufacturing, industrial and social base. And wean itself of China’s succour. — Punshhh
Not only leadership.That something about the Ukrainian defense was unexpected. So that pretty much rules out geography, infrastructure, wealth, age distribution and size of the population, all of which were known beforehand. Culture too, but perhaps less so. Not exactly a mystery though. That leaves...
Leadership - of course, but are leaders born or made? If the latter, then by whom? — Isaac
Amazing how quickly people will aver to literal metaphysical bullshit like 'the will', rather than say, the material support of the world's most brtually armed empire. — StreetlightX
So if you don't think the will to fight is metaphysical bullshit, you are simply wrong. — ssu
The government of Afghanistan got far more military aid from the US than Ukraine. — ssu
it's pretty common for people to psychologize and metaphysicalize world politics. — StreetlightX
This is because most weapons do not yet fire themselves, thanks be to God. — unenlightened
That's why precision guided weapons like cruise missiles are so popular. They don't disengage from the attack if there's a lot of tracers around them. A human pilot might do that.This is because most weapons do not yet fire themselves, thanks be to God. — unenlightened
Will to fight is important. It isn't the only thing of course, but it isn't some myth. — ssu
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