Whatever the outcome in Ukraine, 'war will always be with us' (?)

[RD2003]

'At the end of the Cold War, we convinced ourselves we had found the one system that was the best for all of humanity. We attempted to force that system on others, who had no cultural or historical links to its development and instead unleashed long-suppressed and highly destructive old enmities and loyalties. What we did through naivete and arrogance, Putin is now doing deliberately to further his own ends. '

A former soldier writes (Andy Owen served in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army, reaching the rank of captain. He completed operational tours in Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan):

The lessons of Ukraine: Now the West must accept that war will always be with us

A former military intelligence officer argues that Putin’s ambitions will not end here - and that we must recalibrate how we respond to agents of chaos

www.theneweuropean.co.uk

 

[RD2003]

A neo-con also argues for the inevitability and permanence of war and its threat as he tries to revive the shattered dreams of 1989.

The Price of Hegemony

Can America learn to use its power?

www.foreignaffairs.com

 

[ska invita]

A neo-con also argues for the inevitability and permanence of war

Cant read that as paywalled but no surprise, theres always a neocon endless war bastard who can be called on to argue for that

whats this thread about?

 

[Kaka Tim]

Cant read that as paywalled but no surprise, theres always a neocon endless war bastard who can be called on to argue for that

whats this thread about?

The usual, it's about rd2003 and the sound of his own voice. How many threads has he started on this thread in order to impart his wisdom on us? I suspect its more than I've managed in 20 plus years.

 

[Supine]

'At the end of the Cold War, we convinced ourselves we had found the one system that was the best for all of humanity.

No we didn’t

 

[nogojones]

Is this like the Pope is Catholic thread?

 

[Pickman's model]

'At the end of the Cold War, we convinced ourselves we had found the one system that was the best for all of humanity. We attempted to force that system on others, who had no cultural or historical links to its development and instead unleashed long-suppressed and highly destructive old enmities and loyalties. What we did through naivete and arrogance, Putin is now doing deliberately to further his own ends. '

A former soldier writes (Andy Owen served in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army, reaching the rank of captain. He completed operational tours in Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan):

The lessons of Ukraine: Now the West must accept that war will always be with us

A former military intelligence officer argues that Putin’s ambitions will not end here - and that we must recalibrate how we respond to agents of chaos

www.theneweuropean.co.uk

But what do you think?
Do you think?

 

[Sue]

The usual, it's about rd2003 and the sound of his own voice. How many threads has he started on this thread in order to impart his wisdom on us? I suspect its more than I've managed in 20 plus years.

Slacker.

 

[RD2003]

The usual, it's about rd2003 and the sound of his own voice. How many threads has he started on this thread in order to impart his wisdom on us? I suspect its more than I've managed in 20 plus years.

Obviously, instead of starting a new thread, I would have merely posted various links in the main thread if some crybabies, who can dish it out but not take it, hadn't gone whinging to teacher and got me banned from it. As for you, you seem to have no hesitation in imparting your own wisdom to the rest of us. And a jolly good thing too.

Don't think I've ever started a thread on U75 prior to that.

 

[RD2003]

No we didn’t

You might not have. Neither did I. But mainstream political thought agreed to a greater or lesser extent, on the idea that liberal democracy had triumphed, with no serious challengers on the horizon. It explains New Labour and the political gutting of most other nominally social-democratic political parties for one thing.

 

[RD2003]

Cant read that as paywalled but no surprise, theres always a neocon endless war bastard who can be called on to argue for that

whats this thread about?

I was just posting up a couple of arguments from different angles in the hope that it would spark some discussion, particularly among those who adhere to ideologies that purport to have a rational explanation for why war takes place and how it can one day become a thing of the past.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Hmmm
war is shit
(you can disagree on this statement)
Yes wars will kep happening lke they always have
Q:
how can we stop this?

 

[RD2003]

Hmmm
war is shit
(you can disagree on this statement)
Yes wars will kep happening lke they always have
Q:
how can we stop this?

We can't. Not least because of the historical failure of the ideloogies that had claim to be be able to put a end to war.

The victors in the ideological war circa 1989 laid claim to the key to universal peace. If ony people would relax and accept their lot. Whether as individuals, social classes or nations. It hasn't happened. It never was goinjg to happen.

The ideologies that purported to have the key to an end to war have been defeated. As we see, even if only on U75, they can only tail-end those who insanely advocate, however psuedo-sophisticatedly, an escalation to a possible/probable nuclear war.

Here is the bad news: lots of dead Ukrainian (and Russian) citizens is an utter tragedy. But in comparison to lots more of us dying over summat we have no control over it's a picnic. I can't help that more than anybody else can.

It's the way it is, suckers.