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Daily Kos and War [1]

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Date: 2023-05-22

Most members of Daily Kos would describe themselves as anti-war. Most of us opposed the Iraq War during the G W Bush administration. Most of us would be opposed to an American attack on Iran. Many of us think that the Defense Department is bloated and wasteful and is used as a pork barrel piggy bank by some politicians.

But now we find ourselves talking about the relative merits of various tanks, planes, and artillery pieces, the importance of logistics, and learning how to assault an entrenched position. I participate in this as much as most. Are we contradicting ourselves?

I am not a pacifist and most Daily Kos members are not pacifists. That is obvious by our support of Ukraine’s fight against invasion. What makes a war worth fighting? A lot of people are being killed, is there any alternative?

One obvious reason is opposition to wars of aggression. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is clearly motivated by vanity and greed for power. The invaders wage war with cruelty and lack of care for the lives not only of Ukrainians but of their own soldiers. Another example of a war of aggression is the rise of the ISIS extremists. I think most members of DKos supported the American support for the opponents of ISIS.

The other reason is the one I think tips the balance. The Ukrainians have shown that they are willing to fight to defend their country. They must think it is important enough to fight and sometimes die. That means something. When ISIS attacked, the Kurds fought back with everything they had. It is a lot easier to support people who are determined to resist.

I guess the point of all this is that maybe we should take a little time to step back from the minutia of war and try to determine when we should support fighters in a war. War means death and destruction. This is not some sort of game, it is real life and the damage is huge and often irreversible. It might not always be easy. In World War II Stalin was as bad a tyrant as Hitler. The Germans and the Japanese fought very hard in their wars of aggression, that is why that war was so difficult.

I have come to a clear decision that we should support Ukraine. The Russian invasion was totally unnecessary. It has demonstrated the cruelty and lack of care for human life of the current Russian regime. If anyone has reason to fight, it is the Ukrainians. Our help gives them a chance to succeed.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/22/2170731/-Daily-Kos-and-War

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