Russia Invades Ukraine 2022

[Robert]

It has chosen to invade the one country that didn't join NATO, Ukraine.

Georgia and Crimea were not NATO countries and were invaded by Russia. So Ukraine is not the one country. This does show a pattern of expansionism. Some my be "justified" because lines were not drawn correctly. Some is because Russia is taking what it wants or feels it needs. I think the leadership are still working with some of a superpower mentality. I think the way past that is working with them instead of fighting them. This keeps them from partnering with places like China and North Korea.

[mike]

Inflation this year in Russia

[barnhart]

I feel sorrow for the Russian people. At the same time it seems like their capacity to suffer without is limitless.

[Szdfan]

I feel sorrow for the Russian people. At the same time it seems like their capacity to suffer without is limitless.

Russian history is basically one disaster after another.

[Ken]

It has chosen to invade the one country that didn't join NATO, Ukraine.

Georgia and Crimea were not NATO countries and were invaded by Russia. So Ukraine is not the one country. This does show a pattern of expansionism. Some my be "justified" because lines were not drawn correctly. Some is because Russia is taking what it wants or feels it needs. I think the leadership are still working with some of a superpower mentality. I think the way past that is working with them instead of fighting them. This keeps them from partnering with places like China and North Korea.

Crimea is part of Ukraine. But yes, Georgia is the other example. Although since it is located to the east of Turkey it is kind of borderline to consider it part of Europe. It is directly north of Iran. And I suppose there are lots of Byelorussians who believe that Russia has invaded their country as well but with the invitation of their president.

[Ken]

I feel sorrow for the Russian people. At the same time it seems like their capacity to suffer without is limitless.

Russian history is basically one disaster after another.

It is also the last country that is still engaging in 19th century style imperial conquest with the intent to annex territory. Unless perhaps you count Israel's annexations in the West Bank and China's actions in the South China Sea.

[Szdfan]

I think the leadership are still working with some of a superpower mentality. I think the way past that is working with them instead of fighting them. This keeps them from partnering with places like China and North Korea.

I think there was a window during the Yeltsin years in the 90s when Russia and the US could have drawn closer together. I think that was a missed opportunity by the US. Countries only work together where their interests align; unfortunately, Russia's desire to dominate its neighbors doesn't align with US interests. I think Russia should be an international pariah for annexing Crimea in 2014 and then invading Ukraine. I don't think that's justifiable.

There are limits to how much cooperation the US can do with authoritarian regimes. Or at least, there should be.

[R7ehr]

There are limits to how much cooperation the US can do with authoritarian regimes. Or at least, there should be.

Why though? As a Christian, my interactions, my “cooperation”, with governments are pretty similar in that I am bounded to obey God rather than men, but to obey and honor the king. Nowhere do I read differences in my mandate that depend on the government I’m interacting with. And as Christians, we are to spread the Word in all nations.
That is my mandate.

But what is Americas mandate? If you view it as I do, that it is a secular kingdom of this world, with no special standing in the eyes of God, why should American cooperation be limited to liberal democracies? What is the underlying premise for that? Is there some law? Is it merely a pragmatic truth? Why should it be so? Did God say so?

[Szdfan]

There are limits to how much cooperation the US can do with authoritarian regimes. Or at least, there should be.

Why though? As a Christian, my interactions, my “cooperation”, with governments are pretty similar in that I am bounded to obey God rather than men, but to obey and honor the king. Nowhere do I read differences in my mandate that depend on the government I’m interacting with. And as Christians, we are to spread the Word in all nations.
That is my mandate.

But what is Americas mandate? If you view it as I do, that it is a secular kingdom of this world, with no special standing in the eyes of God, why should American cooperation be limited to liberal democracies? What is the underlying premise for that? Is there some law? Is it merely a pragmatic truth? Why should it be so? Did God say so?

I feel like there is often an attitude that only Christians or the Church have ethics and obligations and that the world can do whatever they want because they don’t have the same ethical mandate that the church does. I think that’s a fallacy for a couple of reasons—

1) The Church constantly falls short of its ideals and ethical obligations and so I don’t think is the shining beacon that people think it is. Tonight I read of another case where church systems are protecting a known sexual predator. I don’t buy it that church systems are holier than secular ones.

2) I don’t think you need faith to be ethical. Secular organizations and institutions should also operate in ways that are ethical even if they don’t have a faith mandate.

Countries cooperate with one another based on their own self interests. Sometimes that means they end up doing the right thing. Sometimes it means they get in bed with tyrants. I don’t think it’s great that the US supports the Saudis or that it got into bed with the Pinochet regime in Argentina. I think it’s okay to call that out when the US government fails to live up to its own ideals.

[JohnH]

Szdfan do you feel the US government has made a mistake when many states have chosen to kill babies????