by Trevor » Thu May 22, 2025 5:05 pm
From the beginning, Trump's wanted to focus on China. He thought he'd be able to get a peace deal and be worshipped as a great leader, but it hasn't worked out that way. He offered Putin 90% of what he wanted, only for him to change the terms and demand even more.
We've been slow to wake up to this threat. Putin isn't interested in a way out. He is on the path that he wants to be on and there's no realistic prospect of him being removed from power. His terms amount to unconditional surrender of Ukraine and no matter how many Russians have been killed, this hasn't budged in the slightest. Even Trump's become critical of him.
The number of Russian losses we can confirm by name around 110,000 soldiers, more than what we sustained in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan combined; the actual number is likely far higher. Around one in thirty Russian military aged men have either died or are too badly wounded for further military service. While Ukraine's losses are lower in raw numbers, in terms of population, it's at least one in twenty Ukrainian men who have died or been badly injured. I've rooted for Ukraine since the beginning, but I don't think they're going to win. Russia's not nearly the juggernaut we thought, but they're likely to push through just through sheer weight. A lot of soldiers on both sides are in their 30s and 40s.
Cynical as this policy is, Europe would be best off using Ukraine as a meat shield to buy them time to strengthen their own forces so the same doesn't happen to them. Save for nations who share a border with Russia, it's mostly been talk. The public likes the idea of being able to defend themselves without American support in the abstract, but if it comes with the caveat of "What if you have to make small cuts to your social programs?", the answer is an overwhelming "NO". If they're serious about their own defense, it'd require a multi-year commitment with raising spending to 3% of GDP to repair 35 years of atrophy and I don't think most in Europe are at that point yet.
I haven't forgotten John's words: that in a crisis war, all thoughts of rationality are tossed aside.
From the beginning, Trump's wanted to focus on China. He thought he'd be able to get a peace deal and be worshipped as a great leader, but it hasn't worked out that way. He offered Putin 90% of what he wanted, only for him to change the terms and demand even more.
We've been slow to wake up to this threat. Putin isn't interested in a way out. He is on the path that he wants to be on and there's no realistic prospect of him being removed from power. His terms amount to unconditional surrender of Ukraine and no matter how many Russians have been killed, this hasn't budged in the slightest. Even Trump's become critical of him.
The number of Russian losses we can confirm by name around 110,000 soldiers, more than what we sustained in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan combined; the actual number is likely far higher. Around one in thirty Russian military aged men have either died or are too badly wounded for further military service. While Ukraine's losses are lower in raw numbers, in terms of population, it's at least one in twenty Ukrainian men who have died or been badly injured. I've rooted for Ukraine since the beginning, but I don't think they're going to win. Russia's not nearly the juggernaut we thought, but they're likely to push through just through sheer weight. A lot of soldiers on both sides are in their 30s and 40s.
Cynical as this policy is, Europe would be best off using Ukraine as a meat shield to buy them time to strengthen their own forces so the same doesn't happen to them. Save for nations who share a border with Russia, it's mostly been talk. The public likes the idea of being able to defend themselves without American support in the abstract, but if it comes with the caveat of "What if you have to make small cuts to your social programs?", the answer is an overwhelming "NO". If they're serious about their own defense, it'd require a multi-year commitment with raising spending to 3% of GDP to repair 35 years of atrophy and I don't think most in Europe are at that point yet.
I haven't forgotten John's words: that in a crisis war, all thoughts of rationality are tossed aside.