But this is so much more public and blatant which gives it more weight.
More 'public' than leaving Afghanistan with 1000's of Americans (and allies) in-country - with no plan to protect them? Did Russia invade Ukraine after that? Where were NATO and US when Russia rolled up Georgia and then snatched Crimea from Ukraine?
You would argue that it has helped the US Military preparedness through helping to remove older systems and turbocharging production that will assist greatly for the IndoPac region.
I would ask - With a two to three year gap in inventory over next couple of years? Our preparedness today is far short of 2020, and the threat from China is far greater. We were energy independent then, today we are back to 2001 threshold of production vs requirements of US capacity to suport itself.
So you want the USA to formally declare war? Really??? That's the who benefit of supporting Ukraine - one get's Russia severely diminished without spilling any American or other blood. The Ukrainians aren't asking for people to die for them. They are just asking for the means to defend themselves.
No, I do not want US to formally declare war. I want our Congress to Accept THEIR Constitutional responsibility to debate the issues, and decide whether the sitruation in Ukraine constitutes the clear and present danger that the People perceive worth fighting for - not Presidential fiat. We have been fighting proxy wars since post Korea without national concensus or clear criteria for being engaged - other than the eternal "Red Menace' - but never a defined exit strategy.
I am NOT anti-Ukraine.
I AM livid that the NATO/EU/US leadership let this happen in the first place.
It was preventable (IMO) via unified face to Russia with commitments to both harsh and immediate economic sanctions (i.e. continue sanctions on Nordstream) combined with commitment to present Russia with military presence of boots on the ground - in Ukraine in the form of 'war games' between Ukraine and NATO. I suspect that tempering the 'war games' to just include EU based US forces on a temporary basis with a lot of 'discussions' in the background between US and Russia would be necssary to keep 'NATO on ourborders' from triggering a nuclear response from Russia.
That of course is fantasy for a multitude of reasons.
I am sad that more than a million'teen age kids' and men on both sides will not have a good reason to be dead... not to mention children, old folks and women are caught up in the conflagration.