What I Say: I admire McMaster, but he is not the first person to suggest that Ukraine could be made into an "Afghanistan" for Russia - i.e., a long, drawn-out war of attrition which would ultimately fail. Perhaps it could, given the fierce resistance of the Ukrainian people; but to my mind this is no solution at all.
After 20 years of non-stop war, Afghanistan, so far as I understand from news reports, is now in ruins, physically and financially, ruled by murderous, fanatical theocrats, and in immediate danger of mass starvation. What the hell kind of life is left for the ordinary people there? How many millions of Afghans have died in 20 years? How many are maimed, crippled, widowed, or orphaned? To our abiding shame, the United States sat on that country for two decades and left it a living hell.
Is that the best Ukrainians can hope for? I ask you. We can't set all the world afire to save just one country from burning down - but can't somebody come up with a good plan to save both?
What would Captain Kirk do?
Today is the time for help, not tomorrow, or next week, next month, next year - but NOW, while there is still someone to save. Not 20 years from now.
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2 comments:
I certainly have no answers...and the questions are getting more difficult each day.
Yes, terribly difficult. Finally we know and *feel* the same questions our parents' generation agonized over, 80-odd years ago. Now we get it, we understand.
Or I do, anyway.
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