As far as I understand it, the realist perspective in foreign policy denied that Ukraine has any right to self-determination, that all that matters is power. If you want foreign policy to have a moral dimension, caring about things like human rights and democratic values, then you should eschew realism, probably in favor of liberal idealism.
The argument is between those who would tolerate Russian injustice in Ukraine because they crave a world order that remains free if nuclear war, perhaps because they believe that great powers are forces of nature whose actions are neither just not unjust, versus those who believe the tension caused by fear of Armageddon is not enough to deter the pursuit of justice.
Why should realism be the basis for American foreign policy?
What should US foreign policy be going forward? Should it be based on the realist perspective in international relations or should it be something else?
I don’t have any fucking idea what that paragraph is even talking about. Mearsheimer isn’t claiming to stand in solidarity with the oppressed. It’s the neocons who are claiming that, but as I understand it their record is somewhat spotty when you look into things a bit.
As far as Mearsheimer leading or not leading with this or that, yes, you might have to read as many as ten pages or listen to several of his lectures to understand what he’s saying.
it’s day 13 of strikes against Ukraine. checking in with keeeeed, he’s still both-sides-ing between Russia and checks notes US.
meanwhile, unconfirmed but nevertheless independent estimates of russian losses against ukraine stand at 11+k dead, 2+k captured, 30+k wounded now showing up in military hospitals in russia. that’s a third of the invasion force, keeping in mind that their most battle-ready battalions went in during the blitzkrieg.
Invasion force is about 200k in raw troop numbers.
I think UKR still outnumbers the Russians in raw troop #s, and by a ton if you count reservists, which may not fight but can be crucial for supply and non-combat roles in dangerous places.
My biggest fear now is a huge UKR contingent gets surrounded and shelled to death. I assume they are doing everything to make sure this doesn’t happen. Even if they lose Kyiv, if they still have their full force intact, they can wreak havoc on a very very long front line that will be hard for Russia to defend.
only about 1/3 of that would be combatants and the remainder supply and medical. Some of the latter would have been injured, but the vast majority would be the former.
Right, my understanding is that Polish pilots can fly Russian or American jets, Ukrainian pilots can only fly Russian jets, and Poland can’t afford to just give away their Russian jets or they won’t have enough left. Plus Poland doesn’t want to give them directly.
So we give Poland F-18s or whatever the equivalent of the MiG-29 is, they give us the MiGs, we give the MiGs to Ukraine, and Putin goes and fucks himself.
