such a shame to see both sides so entrenched in their hatred for each other.
we should withhold aid from Ukraine and focus all of our efforts on Israel and Iran first, i thought.
but that was before i factored in the raw materials variables in this puzzle;
- maintaining oil production output levels in the Middle East by establishing western presences there, and protecting those bases a lot more vigilantly than the Biden administration has done so far.
- holding on to grain and wheat producing lands in Ukraine
and then there's the sheer territorial advantage factors :
- holding on to Ukraine and capturing Crimea and the Black Sea into effectively NATO jurisdiction, may serve as a constant reminder to the Russians not to become too arrogant with western governments, in all sorts of fields, even cyberwarfare and elections fraud.
- teaching Iran the lesson it needs puts the entire Middle-East at rest.
but, there's also the looming, ready-to-erupt conflict on and around Taiwan,
making this whole deal a bit like walking a tight-rope.
you can't just invest 10x as much in your defense budgets, that would be portrayed and likely even seen as an act preluding to WW3, somewhere down the line.
i say we aim for another say 12 trillion[1] (inflation-adjusted) USD defense expenditure over the course of the next 20 years..
but this time coming from all of the NATO countries, not just 1 (the US).
[1] the war on terror cost between 5 and 8 trillion according to publications found via a simple google search
our enemies will say we have no right to claim right of passage (for free) on the open seas and in specific countries' lands, to do peaceful mutually-benefitial trade with the people living there, and to be able to transport the products to our lands, but we have held that right ever since peaceful trade got police and military support (even inside our homelands of course), which is a VERY long time ago!
