Seems like this barrage of sanctions and anti-Russian sentiment will do nothing but push Russia further toward China. I really don’t see the West removing them easily, even if Russia withdrew immediately. No one seems to care about arriving at a solution that will minimize bloodshed. Instead the media is more reminiscent of 1984 and drumming up a war against Eurasia than of rational realpolitik.
This is the true birth of a multipolar world. Let’s hope it doesn’t lead to more conflicts.
> Seems like this barrage of sanctions and anti-Russian sentiment will do nothing but push Russia further toward China.
It seems like it's doing massive damage to the Russian Economy. They can go towards China but that won't help much, plus China has ambitions of its own so it may end up de facto a vassal of China if it's not careful...
> No one seems to care about arriving at a solution that will minimize bloodshed.
All the sanctions were announced beforehand, Putin still decided to invade... The only way to minimize bloodshed now is to force a withdrawal and get some guarantees somehow it won't happen again. (either Ukraine in NATO or properly armed by NATO)
> If the sanctions didn’t work before, I don’t know why they would work now.
Just look at short term effects: Ruble is down 30%, Russian banks in EU are going bankrupt, interest rate jumped to 20% so anyone with a loan in Russia is screwed... There's talk of seizing people's savings... Nobody can buy foreign currency... Perhaps they'll go back to trading with Kent cigar packs like in former USSR.
Longer term, it's assumptions, it's doubtful sanctions will go away any time soon, I'd look at Iran and Cuba for possible effects.
It also decouples EU and everyone else from Russia and it grants some immunity to Russian influence. (harder to do election meddling if you're cut off and everyone is against you)
> I don’t have the answers, but certainly any move toward more militarization of the world is usually a bad thing.
Proper defense does tend to prevent invasions. It's a bitter pill to swallow for a lot of folk that Russia will invade at any opportune time and it's best to be prepared.
If you meant Russia, there has to be consequences for its actions, so yes. Nobody wanted the war or to have to impose sanctions.
If you meant it as a praise, biggest nuclear power, after some point it doesn't matter anymore, both US and Russia can destroy the world by themselves. (also note that warheads on wikipedia doesn't track MIRVs, each of those can split off in space and target multiple cities on reentry)
In NATO there's also France/UK that can destroy Russia by themselves.
No praise, just a fact. There should be consequences, I agree 100%, I am just afraid that some kind of consequences could provoke even worse outcome in mid-long run.
> If the sanctions didn’t work before, I don’t know why they would work now.
Because these are different and harsher sanctions. That's why people are complaining more about them now, and why they might might perhaps finally work.
> I don’t have the answers,
Yeah, that's becoming abundantly clear.
> but
...you like to bloviate?
> certainly any move toward more militarization of the world is usually a bad thing.
"Every country has an army. Its own, or someone else's." (Can't recall where the quote is from, but that doesn't make it any the less true.)
This is the true birth of a multipolar world. Let’s hope it doesn’t lead to more conflicts.