A Q&A with Alexander Vindman on his new book, "The Folly of Realism". His book explores the lead-up to the 2022 Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. policy and the implications of the war.
Lastly - look at this comment from VINMAN: “But that outcome depends on a fundamental shift in how the administration understands power, deterrence, and the costs of appeasement.”
Now read it from a non-Western perspective if you can: “The outcome depends on a fundamental shift in how we understand power, deterrence and the costs of appeasing the U.S. or West”…meaning the toleration of the slow eastward expansion of NATO (you falsely promised you don’t do it in return for German unification and the coming down of the Wall) … is that also “Western values and morality”?)…or your own Monroe Doctrine in which you unilaterally declared that nobody will be allowed to build bases or deploy missiles or military forces etc in your self-declared zone of security”? You are doing precisely what you are accusing Russia of…rather face the uncomfortable truths, blindspots and cognitive biases before you embark on another crusade of “Western values”…the Rest of us know what this colonial mindset and project means for us…
So the “liberal values” that neo-realists” wants to spread like secular missionaries, should perhaps start at home by restoring the autocratic imposition of settler colonialism on the natives in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to start the whole “moral-based” missionary mission? The problem with realism is that it falsely assumes “anarchy” and build its flawed doctrine from there…and neo-realists falsely believe that they believe - and practice - democratic values themselves (they don’t invade, oppress, do techno-surveillance, occupy and invade other countries etc.)
Thank you for the recommendation and your commentary - it is much appreciated. The narrative of a “full-scale” invasion is factually as incorrect as the narrative of an “unprovoked” Russian invasion…surely facts matter even in a Commentary?
Ukraine is a neo-Nazi infested country - read the Jewish Forward in which many many warnings about this have been published long before the start of the Russian SMO - and we should all fight this rightwing scourge - as I am sure you would agree as you mentioned this:
This is an approach that can not only defend but renew our free societies and help spread their values. The first pillar, value primacy, reflects neo-idealism’s morally based approach to geopolitics; it conceives of core liberal democratic values as ideals to strive for – and sees these values as our most fundamental interests. From this value primacy follows the need for: military readiness, effective internationalism, geo-economic realism, inclusive dynamism, ecological modernization, democratic futurism, and societal cohesion. By combining these tenets, neo-idealism offers an approach that addresses both internal and external threats to our democracies and allows us to marshal the various sources of our power.
I'll have to add "the Folly of Realism" to my reading list. Thanks.
well written and a good read. thank you
Thank you. I look forward to reading “The Folly of Realism.” Thanks, Mick.
Lastly - look at this comment from VINMAN: “But that outcome depends on a fundamental shift in how the administration understands power, deterrence, and the costs of appeasement.”
Now read it from a non-Western perspective if you can: “The outcome depends on a fundamental shift in how we understand power, deterrence and the costs of appeasing the U.S. or West”…meaning the toleration of the slow eastward expansion of NATO (you falsely promised you don’t do it in return for German unification and the coming down of the Wall) … is that also “Western values and morality”?)…or your own Monroe Doctrine in which you unilaterally declared that nobody will be allowed to build bases or deploy missiles or military forces etc in your self-declared zone of security”? You are doing precisely what you are accusing Russia of…rather face the uncomfortable truths, blindspots and cognitive biases before you embark on another crusade of “Western values”…the Rest of us know what this colonial mindset and project means for us…
So the “liberal values” that neo-realists” wants to spread like secular missionaries, should perhaps start at home by restoring the autocratic imposition of settler colonialism on the natives in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to start the whole “moral-based” missionary mission? The problem with realism is that it falsely assumes “anarchy” and build its flawed doctrine from there…and neo-realists falsely believe that they believe - and practice - democratic values themselves (they don’t invade, oppress, do techno-surveillance, occupy and invade other countries etc.)
Thank you for the recommendation and your commentary - it is much appreciated. The narrative of a “full-scale” invasion is factually as incorrect as the narrative of an “unprovoked” Russian invasion…surely facts matter even in a Commentary?
Ukraine is a neo-Nazi infested country - read the Jewish Forward in which many many warnings about this have been published long before the start of the Russian SMO - and we should all fight this rightwing scourge - as I am sure you would agree as you mentioned this:
This is an approach that can not only defend but renew our free societies and help spread their values. The first pillar, value primacy, reflects neo-idealism’s morally based approach to geopolitics; it conceives of core liberal democratic values as ideals to strive for – and sees these values as our most fundamental interests. From this value primacy follows the need for: military readiness, effective internationalism, geo-economic realism, inclusive dynamism, ecological modernization, democratic futurism, and societal cohesion. By combining these tenets, neo-idealism offers an approach that addresses both internal and external threats to our democracies and allows us to marshal the various sources of our power.