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Why John Mearsheimer Blames the U.S. for the Crisis in Ukraine

newyorker.com

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Re: Why John Mearsheimer Blames the U.S. for the Crisis in Ukraine

#11

Post by saiya-jin »

This is so subjective... do you believe every person deserves freedom? Or are you happy with accepting that some parts may never have them, because whatever reasons, maybe to get the emotion of extra security, however temporary it may be? Answers might make you lean in this topic to each side.

I am never too far from blaming US fuckups in past decades, be it Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iraq again, and maybe some more. But I still struggle to find any meaningful reason to accept freedom denial to a country who is fighting so hard to retain it, against clear, completely amoral and frankly abhorrent aggressor. Just because Russia has nukes? Well then we can always back away from any conflict... till we have nowhere to back and they are stronger, bolder and more numerous than we can handle.

Russia has been asking for this for a long time. They are meddling in internal politics, in many cases very openly, for past 20 years. One example out of many - blowing up munition depot in Czech republic very openly, laughing at any investigations. Trump is a topic on its own. And every single time, without exception, they were/are the force of evil. Force of death, corruption in many ways.

So, if we stand up this one time, I believe it will have huge consequences for decades to come. It can show other bullies where are the lines that shouldn't be crossed. Otherwise, there are no lines, and psychopaths in power can do whatever they want, wherever they want. And for sure they will just like now.

Re: Why John Mearsheimer Blames the U.S. for the Crisis in Ukraine

#15

Post by mantas »

secabeen wrote: post #8

I took a number of classes with Mearshiemer in college. He's right on many things, wrong on others. In this case, he's right that NATO expansion at least contributed to the current situation, but I think he's wrong in undervaluing the great increases in peace and prosperity that have been gained in those countries that did join NATO.

The best question to ask those who are on a fence... Would Russia attack Ukraine if it was a NATO member? :)

Re: Why John Mearsheimer Blames the U.S. for the Crisis in Ukraine

#16

Post by hutzlibu »

majormajor wrote: post #9

Mearsheimer also is directly blaming Ukraine here in a way that hardly seems reasonable. "When you’re a country like Ukraine and you live next door to a great power like Russia, you have to pay careful attention to what the Russians think, because if you take a stick and you poke them in the eye, they’re going to retaliate. States in the Western hemisphere understand this full well with regard to the United States."…

"Putin has fucking nukes, is he seriously afraid of being invaded himself?"

He is afraid of insignificance. Once there was a great RUS empire, now there isn't. Many russians feel sad about that.

I don't to be honest, because those great empires, whether from the tsar or sowjets, were mainly known for slave conditions for most people.

Re: Why John Mearsheimer Blames the U.S. for the Crisis in Ukraine

#17

Post by sidibe »

thawaya3113 wrote: post #3
wrycoder wrote: post #2

The journalist, Isaac Chotiner, thinks he's a lot smarter and in better command of history than John Mearsheimer. That's really annoying.

Not really. He lets Mearsheimer himself get into a knot where he rebrands imperialism into “great power politics”.

Mearsheimer and other geopolitical overthinkers are in a fantasy where small countries should have or have no will of their own and would never choose to reorient to liberal democracy without USA forcing it on them no matter how much more attractive EU is than being a Russian vassal

Re: Why John Mearsheimer Blames the U.S. for the Crisis in Ukraine

#18

Post by mantas »

majormajor wrote: post #9

Mearsheimer also is directly blaming Ukraine here in a way that hardly seems reasonable. "When you’re a country like Ukraine and you live next door to a great power like Russia, you have to pay careful attention to what the Russians think, because if you take a stick and you poke them in the eye, they’re going to retaliate. States in the Western hemisphere understand this full well with regard to the United States."…

Putin feels invaded from the day USSR collapsed. By countries that were annexed or controlled by USSR regaining sovereignty.

Re: Why John Mearsheimer Blames the U.S. for the Crisis in Ukraine

#19

Post by propesh »

empressplay wrote: post #13
propesh wrote: post #12

Quoted post unavailable.

One man shoots another man in the street. To say that act is strictly down to the two of them is an extremely naive and outdated philosophy.

Ok, who is to blame outside the hand-waiving of the whole world? And I guess we should just throw out common criminal law foundations of 5000 years.

Fine, I say lets blame the sun.

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