So in the end it's just a punishment for having been born in a wrong place at a wrong time.
That's what war is, unfortunately. Millions of people in Ukraine are currently being "punished" for exactly the same offense, only in ways infinitely worse, as I don't need to tell you.
There was absolutely no reason the war had to coming into being at all. But now that we're stuck with it, the only effective questions are -- what can be done to hasten its end; provide some level of justice for those affected the worst; and to make it clear to the responsible parties that something like this can never be allowed to happen on European soil ever again?
For their own part -- it's not like the Western governments really have any other choice. Even though the sanctions are having a far more limited effect than they initially hoped -- they simply couldn't keep doing business with Russia as usual after what happened in 2022. That's all there is to it.
Meaning, they've no choice but to apply the strongest possible sanctions as they might reasonably be able to (for some definition of "reasonable"). It's a cold and calculated strategy - but again, they didn't chose this situation, and that's the moral calculus that they are now forced to adopt in response to the situation that Putin created for them.
> I like how you absolve the Western governments of any agency of their own.
Cut the crap. Russia's regime decided to start a war of invasion. It's an initiative from Russia and Russia alone, and all consequences are derived from Russia's actions. There is no way around it.
Ah, yes. Just one day Putin woke up and decided to start it. Nothing before.
But you know, the most funny thing here is what you would never say "USA's regime decided to start a war of invasion in Iraq/Afghanistant/Yugoslavia. It's an initiative from US and US alone, and all consequences are derived from US's actions. There is no way around it."
Actually in the case of Iraq at least, not only do many, many, many people say exactly that -- they were saying so at the time it happened, and not only saying it but marching in the streets, in crowds of hundreds of thousands, and screaming it at the top of their lungs -- in the vain hope that someone might listen.
In fact I'll say it right now (minus your jingoistic lingo about the USA's "regime" which really doesn't apply to its government of course):
The US government decided to start a war of invasion in Iraq. It's an initiative from the US and the US alone, and all consequences are derived from the US's actions. There is no way around it.
There, done. And guess what -- the exact same description applies 100 percent to Putin's invasion of Ukraine. It really was just as voluntary and made-up and evil and stupid as the Iraq invasion. It's an initiative from Russia and Russia alone, and all consequences are derived from Russia's actions. There is no way around it. And (just as with Iraq) anyone can see through the fog, and see the situation for exactly what it is they want to.
More fundamentally: you know, the whole "hypocrisy" debate is really quite impotent and useless as applies to these situations, across the board. Much better to focus on why the evil happened, who is responsible and how to stop the evil currently and prevent it from ever happening again.
That's what war is, unfortunately. Millions of people in Ukraine are currently being "punished" for exactly the same offense, only in ways infinitely worse, as I don't need to tell you.
There was absolutely no reason the war had to coming into being at all. But now that we're stuck with it, the only effective questions are -- what can be done to hasten its end; provide some level of justice for those affected the worst; and to make it clear to the responsible parties that something like this can never be allowed to happen on European soil ever again?
For their own part -- it's not like the Western governments really have any other choice. Even though the sanctions are having a far more limited effect than they initially hoped -- they simply couldn't keep doing business with Russia as usual after what happened in 2022. That's all there is to it.
Meaning, they've no choice but to apply the strongest possible sanctions as they might reasonably be able to (for some definition of "reasonable"). It's a cold and calculated strategy - but again, they didn't chose this situation, and that's the moral calculus that they are now forced to adopt in response to the situation that Putin created for them.