Ukraine Hot Take

 There are going to be times when the temptation for a diplomatic solution to Ukraine is overwhelming, and it's going to seem like the progressive wing of the Dems are vindicated. Look at Putin's apologists on the Right and try not to fall for the same temptation.

We have no actual military presence in Ukraine and the Ukrainians are literally willing to fight to the death because of Putin's meddling to weaken their country. The very reason we are in the situation we're in is because of Putin's meddling in our own countries, and if Putin believes he can extract much of what he wants by continued force, there is no limit to what he or his successor demands next, nor is there limit to what Xi will demand, or whoever Putin's next collaborator will be to occupy the White House (and please face it, that's probably coming very soon).

Putin has literally compromised the ability of democracies around the world to remain democracies. A negotiated settlement is an acknowledgement that we're ok with that. I can understand believing in negotiating with Putin if you believe that we are still a democracy or that we never were, but if enough of you believe in either fiction, you are in for such a shock....

Diplomacy is a tool in a big toolbox, and with people operating in bad faith, it is only useable if backed with the threat of force. So many people who advocate diplomacy as the basic solution to problems abroad have no trouble with advocating violent resistance at home like the Left's own personal Bush administration. If you've been so shielded from threats abroad that you think diplomacy is the de facto solution to the world's problems, it's because you've been shielded from the realities of the world's violence by the threat of American force.

The baseline state of the world is neither peace nor war, it's conflict that has a chance of moving into either state. If you expect that we can create a peaceful world, you don't understand humans, you don't understand conflict, and you refuse to apply the standards to dictators abroad which you hold to Republicans at home - dictators who have already accomplished everything Republicans have merely set out to do.