Mearsheimer and Rosato: Russian Invasion Was a Rational Act

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I don't now anything about international relations.

So I try to only draw tentative conclusions about all this.

I'm inclined to think that we screwed up by making it reasonable for Russia to invade.

Though, once T-72s started rolling across the border, I think we were all obligated to side with Ukraine.

But more and more I come to appreciate what a dicey game it is to try to understand complex issues with Washington-Post-level understanding. (And this isn't part of my anti-Post jihad. I mean: that level of understanding even when the Post was good.) Even before news organizations like the Times and the Post lost their minds, you just can't understand much about such things with zero expertise and zero practical experience.

At any rate, I'm torn between wanting Ukraine to kick their asses and just wanting the killing to stop. And all the positions in between, if that makes any sense.

In the background is my view that the ChiComs are the biggest threat to the U.S. and world peace. I wish there had been some way for us to hammer out a modus vivendi with Russia. Then we could have focused fully on China. Perhaps even with Russia somewhat on our side.