Imagine, if you will, this neighborhood scenario:
A good friend of the neighborhood, but not a member of the neighborhood “Club” begins being pulverized by a thug from the adjacent neighborhood.
The neighborhood, in forming their “Club”, agreed that they would defend from outside bullies ONLY those who are in the club. Since the “good friend” is not in the “club” the neighborhood merely stands by, watching, as they exchange predictions of how badly the thug will pulverize their “friend.”
Does it seem clear to you that, in spite of the fact that the good friend of the neighborhood is not in their “Club”, that the neighborhood has a moral obligation to defend their friend?
Is the neighborhood using the lack of club membership as an excuse to avoid confrontation with the bully?
If the neighborhood has that much fear of the bully, it makes you wonder if they would act even if a member of their own club was being pulverized.
This is the situation with NATO, the US, Ukraine, and Russia.
I have to ask: Is NATO using Ukraine’s lack of membership in their “Club” as an excuse to deny their moral imperative to help a “friend” who is being pulverized?
If there was no NATO, would they feel more compelled to help their friend?
If NATO denies the clear [to me] moral imperative to help their “friend” because he is not a member, you have to be concerned about their resolve to help each other if one of their own was being pulverized. This is especially true if their reason for not defending Ukraine is because of their fear of the bully – which is undeniably the case here.
If they are willing to sacrifice their non-member friend because of their fear of the bully, there is a good chance they would not defend one another due to the same fear.
Or is NATO a mere “protection racket”, the likes of an urban mafia that only protects the merchants that paid their protection money?
Here is the kicker to me:
The United States spent untold billions of dollars and untold thousands of lives over a 20-year period in Afghanistan training, defending, funding, equipping and fighting for a nation who’s people had a radically different culture, that didn’t really want us there, that disdained the values of the West, and which had no motivation to defend themselves, just going half-heartedly through deceptive motions, and whose leaders fled their nation days before its rapid fall.
Then we have Ukraine: A friend, having as many shared values as any ally we have, an enemy of our enemy, having an uncanny will to fight to defend their freedoms and begging for our help while being pummeled by the overpowering bully next door.
And what does NATO do? Nothing.
What does the United States of freakin’ freedom loving ‘merica do? Not much.
Ukraine isn’t part of the “Club.”
The perfect excuse to pretend the “moral imperative” doesn’t exit.
The history books won’t treat these actions kindly – if freedom loving countries are even around to write them.
