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SGT Ruben Lozada
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Good afternoon LTC Eugene Chu. Excellent post. Thank You for sharing this Sir.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
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LTC Eugene Chu Hopefully a Learning Experience for China. Allways better to Learn from other Peoples Mistakes!
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CPT Jack Durish
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I tend to agree with Xi. I'm having problems understanding the resistance in this nation to helping Ukraine. I'd gladly hear from those who disagree with the policy, however, the only explanation I've heard so far is that we have more important issues to spend our money on here at home. Yes, we do, but if Russia is successful in subjugating Ukraine, I suspect that we'll be spending more on their next misadventure (including blood)
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LTC Trent Klug
LTC Trent Klug
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CPT Jack Durish My responses to your questions to SFC O'Mally. 1) We are a trading nation. What do we get in trade with Ukraine? According to 2021 figures, 0.1% of all imports was from Ukraine. That's not a whole lot of trading going on.

It's hard to see how we had a dog on the fight in WW1. We weren't attacked in any way. I know the German message to Mexico was part of the pretext to entering the war, but really there was zero American interests at risk. WW2 is moot. We were not neutral. I use our Lend Lease program to Russia and Britain for my statement.

Entering the war was easy as we were attacked one day and the next the Axis declared war on us too.

2) Zelensky has shut down the press in Ukraine by consolidation. Only government approved news is released. He has imprisoned political opponents during this war. Only an autocratic thug does that.

3) You're right on the spending. However we have depleted our war stocks of weapon systems that will take years to rebuild. In the face of a possible actual ally being attacked, Taiwan, this is very disconcerting.
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CPT Jack Durish
CPT Jack Durish
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LTC Trent Klug - 1) Yes, we only trade 0.1% with Ukraine, but we trade heavily with the rest of Europe and the rest of Europe relies on Ukraine for wheat and Russia for energy. So, we have a dog in this fight.
WWI, see above plus Lusitania.
2) Churchill shut down the press during WWII and Trudeau is doing the same in Canada today. I haven't heard autocratic thug applied to them (well, maybe a few saying it about Trudeau)
3) It will take years to rebuild because we've allowed our weapons industry to go moribund. That is changing daily and in reviving our weapons industry we are better prepared for future conflict.
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SFC Casey O'Mally
SFC Casey O'Mally
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CPT Jack Durish
1) Ukraine is a very minor trading partner for us. They are much more important to European and west Asian (to include SW Asia) markets. Yes, at this point, all markets are global. But on that note, we have a dog in every fight everywhere. Which is ridiculous. We are not world police and we should stop trying to be.

And comparisons to WWI and WWII are not accurate. One country against one country is nowhere near comparable. In both World Wars, Germany was the main aggressor. But they were never operating alone.

2) https://www.reuters.com/markets/rates-bonds/ukrainian-court-freezes-property-ex-president-poroshenko-2022-01-06/

https://worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/volodymyr-zelensky-pandora-papers

https://euobserver.com/opinion/152478

https://www.cato.org/commentary/ukraines-accelerating-slide-authoritarianism#

3) I don't disagree. Spending needs to be cut EVERYWHERE. But if we are already in a massive deficit, ANY spending should be scrutinized even heavier. The bar to justify spending should be exceptionally high. There should be a clear justification for spending, a defined purpose/ROI/end state, and a clear completion date. The theory of "we are already massively in debt, may as well spend more" just doesn't cut it.
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LTC Trent Klug
LTC Trent Klug
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CPT Jack Durish Wilson shut down and imprisoned political opponents and interned Germans in the US, and German Americans. He doesn't get called out either.

No one bothers to mention FDR doing the same thing unless internment comes up. Doesn't mean they weren't autocratic thugs.

We have completely depleted our Javelin stock to just 'go to war' levels. Rearming units will be tough to do.
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