The British Army wasn't in much better condition - still having frontline biplanes, for example. While the problems with the French army weren't a lack of a equipment, or good tanks per-se, but generally horrific tactics and faith in a Maginot Line that had an obvious flaw. While Czechslovakia was on the other side of Germany. And really - it's a tired old chestnut.
There are no parallels here. It's just a tired cliche trotted out by warhawks to justify any little exercise in military adventurism. There are many odious things about Putin, but even at his worst, he is no Adolf Hitler. In many regards, he is no worse than another country with a history of putting the rights of small nations aside when it was convenient, or butting into the affairs of countries near it's sphere of influence and fucking their shit up when it was in its own interests to do so. Just think for a moment, that feeling you're experiencing right now might be how the rest of the world feels when America announces it's bringing 'democracy' or 'free market' to another country.
Never mind that you're forgetting one critical thing. Half of Ukraine is quite happy to have the Russians there. These people elected a president who chose to approach closer ties with Russia following an electoral mandate. Then the other half of the country flipped its shit and overthrew him - most of whom were more pissed off about how he handled the pro-EU protests, than his policies as such. The whole thing is such an utter readymade clusterfuck that touching it with anything but kid gloves could lead to a massive explosion. Hardliners in the east actually want to be close to Russia. While the West wants to move closer to the EU, and most people are just stuck in the middle of it all. The whole region is an utter mess left behind by the Soviet Union's disassembly.
Starting a war, or intervening in any manner will, at best, kick off a bloody civil war in the Ukraine that'll quagmire Russia, and at worst, touch off a full blown shooting war between some major world powers. You want to draw an analogy with World War 2, then howsabout I link to World War 1, where a finely balanced system of alliances and national commitments lead to an entire continent being dragged into war with itself over the stupidest of reasons and lead to the deaths of millions, while setting the stage for its horrific sequel. If we want to learn the lessons of history, then why not look at the other World War, which was triggered by reckless belief and the certainty that a war would be quick, or for whatever reason, wouldn't ever happen over something trivial....
If there is one lesson to be learned from World War I, it's to not launch merrily into a jingoistic, idealistic war when you have no idea how far and wide your quick over-by-christmas decision can escalate. Especially when both powers still have the ability to turn each other into softly radiating ash if things accidentally spiral out of control. And don't ever say they won't. All it takes is one dickhead commander with a chip on his shoulder to give one order at the wrong time. Even a one-in-a-million shot, is still much too high.
Ukraine is just not worth the risk.
Gentlemen. War is wrong. It is always wrong. And it has not yet reached the point where it is necessary either.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
There are no parallels here. It's just a tired cliche trotted out by warhawks to justify any little exercise in military adventurism. There are many odious things about Putin, but even at his worst, he is no Adolf Hitler. In many regards, he is no worse than another country with a history of putting the rights of small nations aside when it was convenient, or butting into the affairs of countries near it's sphere of influence and fucking their shit up when it was in its own interests to do so. Just think for a moment, that feeling you're experiencing right now might be how the rest of the world feels when America announces it's bringing 'democracy' or 'free market' to another country.
Never mind that you're forgetting one critical thing. Half of Ukraine is quite happy to have the Russians there. These people elected a president who chose to approach closer ties with Russia following an electoral mandate. Then the other half of the country flipped its shit and overthrew him - most of whom were more pissed off about how he handled the pro-EU protests, than his policies as such. The whole thing is such an utter readymade clusterfuck that touching it with anything but kid gloves could lead to a massive explosion. Hardliners in the east actually want to be close to Russia. While the West wants to move closer to the EU, and most people are just stuck in the middle of it all. The whole region is an utter mess left behind by the Soviet Union's disassembly.
Starting a war, or intervening in any manner will, at best, kick off a bloody civil war in the Ukraine that'll quagmire Russia, and at worst, touch off a full blown shooting war between some major world powers. You want to draw an analogy with World War 2, then howsabout I link to World War 1, where a finely balanced system of alliances and national commitments lead to an entire continent being dragged into war with itself over the stupidest of reasons and lead to the deaths of millions, while setting the stage for its horrific sequel. If we want to learn the lessons of history, then why not look at the other World War, which was triggered by reckless belief and the certainty that a war would be quick, or for whatever reason, wouldn't ever happen over something trivial....
If there is one lesson to be learned from World War I, it's to not launch merrily into a jingoistic, idealistic war when you have no idea how far and wide your quick over-by-christmas decision can escalate. Especially when both powers still have the ability to turn each other into softly radiating ash if things accidentally spiral out of control. And don't ever say they won't. All it takes is one dickhead commander with a chip on his shoulder to give one order at the wrong time. Even a one-in-a-million shot, is still much too high.
Ukraine is just not worth the risk.
Gentlemen. War is wrong. It is always wrong. And it has not yet reached the point where it is necessary either.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?