The larger lesson here is that “government” - which is just a bureaucratic bunch of faceless individuals - truly does not care about you. Whatever assurances politicians give you, they will ultimately do whatever is in their personal best interest, not yours. That’s certainly what Zelensky and Putin have been doing.
I’d like to think that a great many individuals in Europe have noticed that one million people have been injured or killed for nothing. They see their own politicians leading the EU countries onto paths that are obviously not in the best interests of the majority of European citizens. I’d like to think that they are silently but frantically looking for a way to avoid the looming insanity.
So, I’m hoping Trump will be bold. He has little to lose by trying. Go ahead, Mr. President, buy Crimea - with funds from a bunch of billionaires, if necessary - and give it to Russia, if that’s what it will take to establish a lasting peace. (Or you whatever unorthodox strategy will work!) the European people will be (silently) grateful for any course that spares them.
The challenge for President Trump is that when neither side is particularly committed towards seeking peace, there is no real leverage to be applied on the other side to also seek peace.
Which I suspect is why Marco Rubio indicated the other day that Trump might simply walk away from the whole mess. Neither side really wants peace.
That might be the smartest play to make. If Europe is hell bent on war with Russia, the best course for the United States is almost certainly not going down that road with them.
True, that may be the best course for the US. But if Trump walks away, Europe may be doomed. I’m hoping that our master negotiator *finds* leverage that will compel Zelensky and Putin to just stop already! I don’t know what that would be (Nobel Peace Prize to the person who finds an answer.) But Trump, as head of the U.S., has economic, financial, diplomatic, military, and pure chutzpah powers to craft something. He wants to go down in history as one of the greatest all-time - okay, THE greatest all-time - President, so let’s go, Mr. President!
The larger lesson here is that “government” - which is just a bureaucratic bunch of faceless individuals - truly does not care about you. Whatever assurances politicians give you, they will ultimately do whatever is in their personal best interest, not yours. That’s certainly what Zelensky and Putin have been doing.
I’d like to think that a great many individuals in Europe have noticed that one million people have been injured or killed for nothing. They see their own politicians leading the EU countries onto paths that are obviously not in the best interests of the majority of European citizens. I’d like to think that they are silently but frantically looking for a way to avoid the looming insanity.
So, I’m hoping Trump will be bold. He has little to lose by trying. Go ahead, Mr. President, buy Crimea - with funds from a bunch of billionaires, if necessary - and give it to Russia, if that’s what it will take to establish a lasting peace. (Or you whatever unorthodox strategy will work!) the European people will be (silently) grateful for any course that spares them.
The challenge for President Trump is that when neither side is particularly committed towards seeking peace, there is no real leverage to be applied on the other side to also seek peace.
Which I suspect is why Marco Rubio indicated the other day that Trump might simply walk away from the whole mess. Neither side really wants peace.
That might be the smartest play to make. If Europe is hell bent on war with Russia, the best course for the United States is almost certainly not going down that road with them.
True, that may be the best course for the US. But if Trump walks away, Europe may be doomed. I’m hoping that our master negotiator *finds* leverage that will compel Zelensky and Putin to just stop already! I don’t know what that would be (Nobel Peace Prize to the person who finds an answer.) But Trump, as head of the U.S., has economic, financial, diplomatic, military, and pure chutzpah powers to craft something. He wants to go down in history as one of the greatest all-time - okay, THE greatest all-time - President, so let’s go, Mr. President!
Amen…excellent question to ask…too bad no one is listening….
For too long the narratives of the war in Ukraine have revolved around either Ukraine or Russia being somehow virtuous and the other being vicious.
Those are not narratives which drive towards any sort of peace. Those are the narratives which perpetuate war.
If we don't change those narratives, there will never be peace.
I don't have all the answers. I don't even have most of the answers. I just want to see people pursuing peace rather than war.