I’m a big fan of your work in campaign finance reform. With all due respect, I think you’re way off on Ukraine.

We’re being lied to - and it’s obvious to anyone who actually looks at the facts. That’s what surprises me about your position.

Were told that this is an “unprovoked war”. That message is very intentionally driven home in virtually every article in the New York Times. They all, virtually without exception, refer to the “unprovoked war in Ukraine”. Never just the “war in Ukraine”. When the truth is, the war in Ukraine could hardly be more provoked. In fact, if it becomes any more provoked, we’ll be in WWIII.

We’re told that this is all about Putin. You tell us that. Everyone tells the public that, and the Western public now believes that.
When the truth is, this has has very little to do with Putin. Any Russian leader would have the exact same position. Ukraine joining NATO has been a red line for every Russia leader for 30+ years.

We’ve reduced Russia’s legitimate national security interests to a nonissue. It’s never even discussed - by anyone in the West. The Western public is unable to even consider Russia’s actual position, because we’re told that this is all about a mad man. It’s him, not his position that’s being evaluated.

And you know, as well as I do, that this violates a fundamental principle of both negotiation and communication - namely, separate the people from the problem.

You’re correct in observing that we’re at the brink, of what could be a true and immediate existential threat. In a nuclear age, war is no longer an option. This isn’t 1945. We’re not the only ones with nuclear weapons. And Russia has 6,000 of them.

The hubris is amazing. And if Putin is a mad man - it’s even more insane to behave as we have.

And we’re not there defending democracy. That too is a lie. Roosevelt didn’t defend democracy when Germany had occupied France and was bombing Britain. Ukraine isn’t Britain or France and Biden is no Roosevelt.

It’s also worth noting, that our hypocrisy knows no limits. In 1962, the U.S. had no problem violating Cuba’s sovereignty over the Cuban Missile Crisis. We would never allow Russia or China to place offensive missiles or troops in Mexico or Canada. And we would most certainly invade to stop it.

So, why is this different?