Liberal Forum

jerrab » 01 Feb 2023, 4:50 pm » wrote: ↑

01 Feb 2023, 4:50 pm

you cannot possibly say anything good came with false idea that ukraine could join nato,

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The fact that the NATO status question was  no spam  as Putin signaled that he was serious about an invasion — so plainly that the U.S. government was spelling it out with day-by-day updates — was an error, and potentially a catastrophic one. It may sound cruel to suggest that Ukraine could be barred, either temporarily or permanently, from entering a military alliance it wants to be in. But what’s more cruel is that Ukrainians might be paying with their lives for the United States’ reckless flirtation with Ukraine as a future NATO member without ever committing to its defense.

I've read the last 7 or 8 pages of this thread, and was relieved to see that, aside from the occasional drive-by **** postings from the USUAL suspects... ahem... there has been interesting point and counterpoint from both right and left of the political spectrum.  

Much of the comment critical of Ukrainian support seems to me to be either based upon historical context (who and what Ukrainians WERE at one time), or the presumption that the conflict exists extraneously of the will of the Ukrainian people. 

Of the first, who and what Ukraine WAS at one time in history should have little bearing (imo) on who and what they are now, or more importantly, who and what the WANT to be. 

Which brings us to the second, in which some suggest that Ukrainians are being played as pawns by outside forces from the west (NATO, etc.). Such arguments, I think, ignore the will of the people themselves, if not impugning their INTEGRITY. I would think, that if Ukrainians weren't determined NOT to be under Putin's thumb, if indeed they are merely being used as pawns,

they would not be literally fighting to the DEATH to RESIST... I would think.