Things They Don't Teach at Harvard

Matthew Yglesias

@mattyglesias

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12h

War is bad. Nuclear war is very bad. Peace is good. We should hope for a settlement to the Ukraine War sooner rather than later. But the idea that the US government is the proximate obstacle to any of that is partisanship, propaganda, or madness.

It's our war, Matt.  Own it already? We're the ones paying to keep it going.  Think strategically:  What's our goal, our endgame? (Define it practically in territorial border lines, not... "saving world democracy".) Who are we funnelling these fund to, exactly??  What's "victory" look like? How much to buy a win already and stop the tease?

It's simple, really:

A regional conflict without an outside superpower stepping in with billions to back "our side" ends much more quickly than a never-ending, blank-check war. 

If Daddy WarBucks cuts Zelensky's allowance, he has incentive to negotiate on behalf of his people.  You might not like to admit that Ukraine will be making territorial concessions, but you'll be proven wrong.  The war will end.  The billions in weaponry will be cut.  The US taxpayers are holding our warriors and policymakers accountable for the money they are spending.  (Aren't we?)

It so simple some people figured it out in February, Matt.  One way or another, you'll get there.  You don't have to like how wars end, but nobody ever really "wins".  It's good that people tire of fighting.  Life goes on.  There are less costly ways for the world to work, than turning to warring every few years to weaken an opponent, as if it's like simply paying for world lawn-maintenance.

Where in the world did we get that idea from?