A Ukrainian Fable by David Horsey

[Solly Mack]

I understand what is happening now is a balancing act - but I also understand that it is the Ukrainians who are paying the cost of that balancing act and they could lose even more.

[Hekate]

1. Horsey is very good & the fable is quite apt. nt

[dalton99a]

2. Kick

[orangecrush]

3. Kick

[blm]

4. 😢

[localroger]

5. Missing the part of the fable where the snake can press a button and kill everybody

...including of course the boy, Horsey, you, me, and everyone else. Maybe it's not so much a snake as it is a dragon? But no, then everyone would think the metaphor is about China. Things are so complicated.

[gratuitous]

6. Also missing

A mission and an exit strategy. Is it enough to kick Russian troops out of Ukraine? Would Russian troops be pursued on Russian soil? Does Russia's ability to launch a military offensive have to be blunted? How blunt? How would the U.S. or NATO know they've "won"? How long will it take? How much will it cost, and who pays for it besides the U.S. taxpayers?

[localroger]

7. Yep, all that

The No Fly Zone would be a great gesture but a terrible tactical move. I understand why Z wants planes but those too are easily traced to their origin and supplying them might become an "act of war." But more effective, cheaper, and easier is to flood the place with man-portable anti-aircraft missiles. Which appears to be our strategy, and if so it's a good one. This gives the Ukrainians a way to keep their airspace dangerous enough to the enemy to be a big deterrent without putting anyone else's flags out there. It does not benefit anyone, least of all the Ukrainians, if Putin manages to find a good enough pretext to start lobbing nukes.