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Originally Posted by Sliver
I don't even know what realpolitik means and I don't know what you mean by "where we are". Is that a site or a philosophy? Does it sound like I'm using realpolitik talking points or something? Honestly never heard of it.
I don't know, man. Maybe you're right. I just don't see how NATO benefits. Right now we're supplying their army with weapons and expertise and risking no lives. I'm very sympathetic towards Ukraine and I'm 100% supportive of my taxes helping Ukraine's military and people come to our country. I also don't want my kids to get roped up into some conflict in Russia/Ukraine at any point ever, so am happy that an attack on Ukraine didn't trigger a full-scale war that obligated Canada to join.
Yeah, Ukraine is going to have an experienced, large and capable army after this if they win. That's great for them. Still don't see what that has to do with NATO, though.
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I think we have a moral obligation to protect these people under NATO after the war. The US and UK gave security guarantees in the 90s to Ukraine in exchange for denuclearization.
They've spent the better part of 20 years trying to join Europe/West, two revolutions rejecting Russian influence, and now a full out war of independence against NATO's sole geopolitical threat. Leaving them as a buffer zone between us and a hollowed out Russia would be seen as a betrayal.
They've done more in 15 months to eliminate the biggest threat to Europe than NATO has in it's entire existence. In 2021 Russia was considered the 2nd largest army in the world. Now that threat has been destroyed for at least a generation. We have paid almost nothing in blood and treasure for this.
Russia isn't an economic power and after the war will no longer be a military power. Why are we granting spheres of influence to countries with a GDP no bigger than Canada or Spain? The realist approach of tip toeing around a former superpower with an inferiority complex brought war to Europe in the 21st century. Authoritarianism was on the march prior to the war, and now it has been dealt a heavy blow which will reverberate for decades. I don't want my kid ending up in some ditch in Europe because we appeased delusion until it grew too large to handle.