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PaperclipPerfector  5d ago (text post)   26540 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of February 17, 2025

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it was helped along by the West

Again, in what way? Specifically. I suppose you could say that the EU created friction by offering Ukraine a trade deal that was liable to agitate Russia, but that just brings us back to the issue of Russia feeling entitled to dominate Ukraine.

But to my mind, you really can’t engage with the war and the causes or likely outcomes unless you can explain what all sides actually believe is going on and why they’re making the decisions they’re making.

When Trump says "You should never have started it", he's not engaging in cold-blooded causal analysis and I see no reason to pretend that he is. Like, yes, obviously Russia/Putin has a perspective on why the war is justified, but there isn't actually that much divergence between pro and anti-Russian positions on why Russia invaded Ukraine, just in how seriously you take their justifications.

Again, in what way? Specifically

Up to 2014 the US had spent at least ~$5 billion on 'pro-democracy', 'civil society' and 'independent journalism' operations directly and via NGO of the sorts to see their funding cut recently.

He is not engaging in causal analysis at all, he is criticizing Ukrainian leadership for not making a deal. This is literally his next sentence. Trump is not a guy who speaks precisely, you can’t read so deeply into his throwaway comments.

His 'throwaway comments' are backed up by a 'peace negotiation' where to all appearances he is planning on selling out to Russia. He's also doubled down on this line, so apparently more than just a throwaway comment.

More broadly, Trump is President of the United States. People are going to take him seriously, and they should take him seriously. That Trump says ten insane things a day and he only means three of them is not an indication that you should write off what he says.

It is, however, a perfect example of how (not) to engage in media coverage over him.

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