ww1 was the final stage in many european empires' collapse.
ww2 was the final stage in imperial germany's collapse (may as well say it finished off the remaining european imperial powers too).
etc.
i am only being facetious, anyway. i don't think china or india will swing behind russia and kick off a global conflagration. i do think, however, that the only way out of this bloodbath is for putin to go. and i also think that there is nothing that anyone outside of russia can do, ultimately, to effect or compel this change. the bloodbath will continue until something gives within the internal dynamics of their political system/society.
the ability for us to depose the leader of a nuclear-armed state from without is basically nil. we haven't even considered it with the kim dynasty in north korea, with their handful of nukes and their economy on a permanent state of life support. we stand zero chance against a foe like putin who is ideologically committed to their position.
crises like this make it perfectly clear, if it wasn’t already, why rogue states like iran or north korea so ardently pursue nukes. they really are the last redoubt in terms of self-preservation and self-determination. the UN/NATO is totally feeble in how it counter-acts russia because of this.
Last edited by uziq (2022-03-02 13:39:16)