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Military power is neither inherently virtue nor vice it is a tool that can be used for good or ill. However, without it the voice of a nation becomes smaller and smaller until it becomes non-existent without the support of others.
Military power is neither inherently virtue nor vice
False. It's an evil. Some would say a necessary evil, but that's debatable.
without it the voice of a nation becomes smaller and smaller until it becomes non-existent
Bullshit. Organised murder isn't free speech, nor does it protect free speech. It's very often used to SUPPRESS free speech and democracy, though.
but that’s debatable.
Do you think Zelensky thinks military power is a useful tool? Do you think he and NATO are doing evil by defending Ukraine?
Putting my cards on the table; I am not the biggest fan of the US getting involved in another overseas war, even if it is only providing weapons. I am curious though how a defensive war fits into your "military power is evil" mindset.
Organised murder isn’t free speech
Having a military does not mean you have to participate in offensive wars.
Do you think Zelensky thinks military power is a useful tool?
I think the people of Ukraine would have found it useful for Putin to not use that "tool" against them.
But yeah, while I'm of course on his side with regards to the war itself, I also think that Zelinski is finding emergency war powers a very useful tool to suppress political opposition and otherwise further his own political power.
Do you think he and NATO are doing evil by defending Ukraine?
Of course not, but there'd be no invasion to defend against in the first place if not for the military power of genocidal war criminals like Putin
I am curious though how a defensive war fits into your "military power is evil" mindset.
As I pointed out above, it fits fine since there would be no necessity to defend yourself against military power if not attacked with military power.
there’d be no invasion to defend against in the first place if not for the military power of genocidal war criminals like Putin
I completely agree though with a caveat. I can't imagine a just way we would completely eliminate people like Putin.
The only way I could imagine is becoming the most oppressive and dominating force and pointing our weapons at anyone that glances at other territories. Incidentally, I think this pretty much what we did for 40 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, which explains the era of relative peace we are coming out of. Not that there was ever true peace, but mostly the world powers only played their proxy war games in much smaller nations.
I also think that Zelinski is finding emergency war powers a very useful tool to suppress political opposition and otherwise further his own political power.
I have been noticing the same.
I completely agree though with a caveat. I can't imagine a just way we would completely eliminate people like Putin.
You institutionalize them instead of giving them the keys to castels. Vikings turned their psychopaths into their most vicious fighters and isolated them from the rest, we decided to put them into positions of power both goepolitically and economically, then glorified them and it's now killing us. Before that psychopaths have been described and usually killed off on the spot. If we ever get to be a space fairing civilization it might be smart to utilize them as resource allocators on multi generation ships as their lack of empathy could actually benefit the survival of the whole in those situations but not when we allow them to use accumulation of wealth as their tool as it drains everyone's resources.
That is a lot to unpack, but I think you definitely have a few good ideas.
as their lack of empathy could actually benefit the survival of the whole in those situations
This in particular is an interesting idea. Would be interesting to see what "good" a "psycopath" could do within certain limits.
This in particular is an interesting idea. Would be interesting to see what "good" a "psycopath" could do within certain limits.
There are definitely many avenues in which they could excell at. I mean decisions which need complete objectivity maybe something they excell at consulting for where as if you allow them access to gaining unmitigated power your in for a bad time as we see today.
Before that psychopaths have been described and usually killed off on the spot.
What a naive misreading of history. What mythical era do you think this happened in?
Are you stupid? You know The Unscrupulous Man described in Ancient Greece? Countless times throughout early history they are frequently described based on their personality types and ways to "deal" with them....
Menelaus: "Am I a joke to you??"