> I could see a dude in Ukraine having exactly the same perspective vis-a-vis Russia in 2013, and look how that turned out.

Nobody in Ukraine who wasn't already explicitly pro-Russian thought that in 2013, did they? Russia-aligned individuals poisoned the third president of Ukraine during his presidential campaign, very likely with direct assistance. You'd probably have to go back to Leonid Kuchma's term to find average Ukrainians not profoundly concerned about Russia, and that was a relative high point.

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palmotea 6 hours ago | parent [-]

> You'd probably have to go back to Leonid Kuchma's term to find average Ukrainians not profoundly concerned about Russia, and that was a relative high point.

You're being too literal. I'm sure Ukrainians weren't actually so stupid as many Americans can be.

My point is you could transplant that logic (elevate individual, myopic interests and gripes; lose sight of the community you're part of), into a situation that we've already seen play out (Ukraine v. Russia).

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dofm 6 hours ago | parent [-]

I am observing that it is a bad analogy.

China is not a threat to the daily life of individual Americans in the way Russia has always presented a threat to Ukrainians.

China isn't even a threat to the the daily life of individual Americans in the way that Russia was (and arguably is)

	▲	palmotea 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> China is not a threat to the daily life of individual Americans in the way Russia has always presented a threat to Ukrainians. My whole point is that looking at it from the perspective of the "daily life of individual Americans" is the wrong one. Also, while no two situations are going to be exactly the same, I think it's false to say "China is not a threat to the daily life of individual Americans." It'd be happy to turn the US into a weak, low-tech country whose only exports are agriculture and natural resources. I can't find it right now, but I've read a quote from some high-level Chinese official to that effect.