Every drunk russian that stumbles out of a bar
My point is that eastern Ukraine perhaps doesn't hate Russians. Maybe even would like to be part of Russia instead of part of Ukraine.
Like Texians who didn't want to be part of Mexico. US passed a bill authorizing annexation of Texas if the Texians voted in favor of annexation. They so voted, and the US so annexed. Even though Mexico said it would be an act of war if the US did that. the Mexican-American War ensued. And the US got Texas -- as well as Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
The Donbass voted to be part of Russia -- was that a scam, or do they feel that way? Despite mainstream western governments and their friendly new agencies saying it was a scam, who knows? I'm skeptical about all news and statements these days.
To me, the Ukraine War is a huge tragedy all around that seems like it could have been easily avoided.
Irrelevant. Our system is stronger and we can absorb more pain. Their system will crater first.
It's how we defeated the Soviets. And present day russia is a pale, pale shadow of the Soviet Union.
The Soviets defeated themselves with an authoritarian system that their citizenry hated and with a moronic, doomed-to-fail economic system -- socialism. We hurried it along with a lot of military spending that the Soviets tried to keep up with. But they were doomed regardless.
The current Russia has a large problem with corruption. But their economy functions vastly better than under Soviet socialism. And there are plenty of places in the world that are happy to buy their oil and other resources.
There will be downs, and ups, as this or that sanction is tweaked, and then circumvented. But sanctions or no, laws or no, impediments or no, willing customers win in the end.
That's why there have been, are, and probably always will be black markets.
The US severely criminalizes illegal drug use, sales, transport, and manufacture. It has spent a $TRILLION in the War on Drugs. Yet there is still plenty of drug use. And so much money in it that drug cartels sometimes vie for national control or at least control over regions of nations (Columbia, Mexico). Maybe even enough to buy off some US politicians (seeing how things have been handled with respect to fentanyl, border, OxyContin, etc.).
Next we need
There are things that maybe could work, but are very unlikely to be done for auxiliary reasons.
My opinion is that a lot of money is made from, and a lot of distraction is created from, the Ukraine War. I would not at all be surprised if the largest motivation is to keep it going as long as possible.
