Two things can be true regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. One, the Russians are absolutely unjustified in their aggression and should be opposed in reasonable ways. Two, the Ukrainians are doing everything they can to draw more nations into the conflict by fighting an information war, and that sometimes includes exaggerated claims.
People who are capable of thinking past the next five minutes understand that Ukraine deserves support but that a broader war with Russia is a really bad idea. Adam Kinzinger is not one of those people. After calling for a NATO-enforced, no-fly zone in Ukraine some days ago, the Never Trumper has now renewed that demand based on reports that the Russians are shelling a nuclear power plant.
This is a good moment to renew my call for a no fly zone, at the invitation of the Ukraine government. I fear if this continues, we will have to intervene in a bigger way
— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 4, 2022
While most Republicans look at Kinzinger and believe he shouldn’t be near the levers of power because of his views on the former president, I look at Kinzinger and believe he shouldn’t be near the levers of power because he’s a dangerous moron. This is what unchecked neoconservatism looks like, manifested as a desperate thirst to start another world war. And for what?
What is happening to Ukraine is terrible. But it is not within the national interest of the United States to play nuclear Russian roulette with Vladimir Putin. If you set up a no-fly zone, that means you’ve got to start shooting down Russian planes. Once that happens, the relatively contained war in Ukraine spreads from the eastern part of the country to multiple nations in Europe, and that’s assuming Putin doesn’t just save you the trouble and launch nuclear weapons.
Then there’s this from Lindsey Graham, who appeared on Sean Hannity’s show Thursday night to call for the assassination of Putin.
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Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?
The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out.
You would be doing your country – and the world – a great service.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 4, 2022
Yes, I’m sure that will help deescalate matters. Surely, Putin will call off his invasion of Ukraine, now that an American senator has called for him to be assassinated. How long do you think it will take the Russians to start using Graham’s statement as a propaganda boon? All this does is solidify an “us vs. them” mentality that will drive support for the war inside Russia.
This is the same type of short-sighted garbage that led us into two decades of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is no forethought in what Kinzinger and Graham are suggesting. They haven’t weighed the risks or considered the costs. They are just shooting from the hip, and shooting from the hip is a surefire way to hit something you didn’t intend to hit. War is not a game, and I don’t think most Americans care to enter another major one so that two politicians can feel tough.
Again, I support Ukraine’s right to sovereignty. I’m all for helping them in ways that make sense. But it makes no sense to start a shooting war with Russia, either via shooting down their planes or by suggesting their leader should be murdered. This idiocy needs to stop before Americans start dying.
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