[Schneed10]

Ok set the rational actor vs not rational actor thing aside for a second because I don’t think that’s the main point.

I’m not sure what the difference is between the Berlin Airlift and what we’re actually doing in Ukraine. Because the US and other NATO countries are supplying Ukraine and avoiding direct conflict. And in Berlin supplies were flown in to sustain the Western controlled portions of Berlin. How the supplies are arriving there, whether by land sea or air, I don’t see any relevance. And which countries are providing the supplies, also not relevant.

Further I think you continue to focus on the events of the last 50 days rather than thinking ahead to the next 50, or 500, or 5000. The US and NATO must plan for contingencies, up to and including a Russia-China alliance and co-opted military engagement, the nuclear threat, and a determined Putin who may devalue the lives of his own soldiers - he may be willing to accept more losses than most leaders would to accomplish his objective. He draws that determination from a brainwashed public who supports him.

If Russia has exposed a 40 mile column of tanks with inadequate air cover once, do you not believe they’ll do it again? Or even that the US military even needs a door to be that wide open to walk through it? Just a little ajar is all we need to severely handicap their ground force in Ukraine.

So why rush in? You’re saying we’ve lost a chance, I’m saying we need to be ready for a sustained significant war that the western world can’t lose. First things first, shore up defenses in the Balkans, the Baltics, and complete the indoctrination of Sweden and Finland assuming they do indeed intend to join. Form a plan to maintain maritime control of the Adriatic so as to pin Russia’s navy within the Black Sea. Work with Japan Australia South Korea and India to plan for contingencies should China come to Russia’s aid - requiring a naval blockade of the South China Sea. etc

Because the second we do something like strafe 40 miles of Russian tanks with 30mm cannons from a squad of A10 Thunderbolts you have to assume Russia will activate contingency plans of its own and we have to be ready to maintain the upper hand, no matter which actions they take.

So you sustain Ukraine, don’t escalate unless you have to. Keep Russia busy and bogged down there while you spend your time planning 50 ways to kill them on every front.