Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine was 12th century animalistic, sickeningly inhumane, and most important of all, mindless. Think about it. If plunder is one’s goal, or simply one of getting, the easy answer is openness to goods, services and people. This way the country choosing openness over invasion is taking in the best of what people in the other country produce, and as though they live next door. Also, if your country is better run you’ll attract the people who make the country not invaded desirable in the first place, and without loss of blood and treasure.
So while Putin’s actions vis-à-vis Ukraine are reprehensible, I’m strongly of the view that the U.S. should have no role in helping Ukraine defend itself. The excellent Bret Stephens of the New York Times asserts that the “most vocal opposition” to U.S. involvement in Ukraine comes from the “hard right,” and it’s opposition that at least on the surface lacks a “coherent philosophical grounding.” The view here is that Stephens has been too dismissive, and unwilling to look deeper into the why behind opposition. It’s not as shallow as he claims. Please read on.
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