> Don't you see that each side can say the exact same thing? As an intellectual, you have to be able to step outside yourself and look at the bigger picture. You can't be simply caught up in the mob's passions.

There are no two sides on this, theres one side that is.

- Raping and torturing children in Ukraine [1]

- Commiting Genocide in Ukraine [2]

- Commiting Crimes agianst Humainty in Ukraine [3]

The other side is defending itself from a brutal imperlaistic regime that is trying to erase it off the map

> When the shoe is on the other foot, e.g. the USA blockaded Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, we violated international law and also your principle that "sovereign countries can make whatever security arrangements they want, with no consequences". Obviously that principle is dangerous (just like "anyone can have a gun"), because it just allows more escalation to happen until things boil over. I support Kennedy for establishing a direct line with Khrustchev and both sides taking nukes off neigboring countries (USA from Turkey, and USSR from Cuba). Cuba had every right to ask USSR for help, as USA was belligerent and the year before sponsored the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion to try to invade and regime-change Cuba. Also look at what USA had done to Haiti... they occupied, regime-changed, destroyed their democracy and literally enslaved the population[1]. at the time, Cuba didn't want that. Even so, Kennedy was right to call out Khrustchev and de-escalate with Cuba. To this day, however, the UN votes overwhelmingly (more overwhelmingly than condemning Russia's invasion) for USA to end its embargo on Cuba [2], but we don't, even though Cuba presents no threat.

America did something that was wrong 60 years ago does not preclude that Russia is doing terirble things for terrible reasons right now.

> Dialogue and de-escalation is always preferable to justification of escalation and expansion.

Tell that to the Russians who just continually do terrible things when people try and de-escalate.
The Russians will only de-escalate when they have a foot to their throat or a rope around there neck.

> I mean, come on, which country would be viewed as the greatest threat to democracy and peace? Well, we know which by a large margin -- because polls have been conducted worldwide [3], [4] so you can't say it's "just" Russia or "just" Putin or "just" the Islamic world, etc.

Whats this cost to do with Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine? your whataboutism is commendable but ultimately useless.

> The reality is simple: USA wanted this war to happen, to weaken its geopolitical rivals.

Wow so Russia can just pull out of the war then right? so it doesn't fall into Americas trap?.

> Also, we know already from most previous invasions of USSR/Russia that they were actually baited into invading [8] [9] -- the goal isn't to justify what they're doing, but to say that we need to stop our own provocations, and the first step is to acknowledge them [10] and the CIA's role in them [11]

Man Russias really stupid they keep falling for the same trap, its like they just want to keep invading countries doesn't it?

I have the strangest feeling no source will convince you, cause you as an 'intellectual' appear to have aligned your brain entirely with what Russian propaganda try's to push

[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russian-troops-raped-tort...

[2] https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/09/russia-committing-...

[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60690688