And the USA has helped overthrow the government of numerous countries. Much cheaper than a military attack, and doesn't carry the same stigma.
You should read more about what happened in 2014. the West (US) essentially overthrew the Ukraine government and installed their own. Ukraine bombed their own people in areas nearest Russia.
This was about NATO expansion and broken promises by the West.
As far as the armchair battle strategy, good luck with that. You would have had massive escalation and Russia wouldn't have just rolled over. The thought that we can easily take out Russia or defeat them without consequences by throwing some US air assets into the mix in Ukraine is fantasy. Where were the EU planes...???
Stick to your appeasement theory, history won't see it that way. For now, we (the US) just need to be out. The EU will handle it from here. I'm sure they'll just stick some air assets up, 10-20,000 troops, fire a few fancy missiles and it'll all be over.
The bigger fun will come watching the EU try to actually manage that corrupt piece of land going forward even if they get all of the former Ukraine land back and Russia pulls out tomorrow. (it wont) .You'll be babysitting that piece of dirt for a very long time while the military contractors get rich and your government keeps you focused on that while they rape your country and import another 10 million Muslims
www.independent.co.uk
You rubbed our USA noses in a lot of things I agree with (not every single point). I don't consider google a reliable source for anything, yet concede that the war stats are at least "kinda sorta" correct. USA (the country, not most of the people) likes wars. Overall we have lousy leadership. Most of the rational people just want to be comfortable, have a family, and live in peace. Being a politician or corporate bigwig works against this, so we end up with mostly irrational politicians and corporate bigwigs. For the ones further to the right, the wars let them yield their power and amass riches. For the lefties who want to tell everybody how to live and what to think, and are too dumb to see the unintended consequences, the wars are a vehicle to impose their version of how the world should be on others, and they too get financially rich in the process.
Hmm, you gave us all these examples above but I think he's talking mostly how how Europe is ungrateful. I haven't heard much from Vietnam, Communists, North Korea or Iraq with regard to being all bent out of shape about the US and involvement or lack thereof in Ukraine. The European are all in a tizzy-fit because Uncle Sam is tired of the grift whereby the USA foots most of the bill for what Europe sees as a direct threat to Europe. In the meantime, Europe promotes values that are not consistent with America, Europe doesn't invest in their own security and choses to spend their money foolishly on social welfare programs. Uncle Sam is broke, what don't you get? We can't afford the grift and quite frankly it's not fair to Americans. Instead of complaining about America why not man-up Europe and put your resources to work to defend yourselves? America isn't Europe's enemy but you treat us that way; ungrateful and pissed off that we'd close our wallet. This is the same resentment that people often see from relatives who are down and out but get financial support from their wealthier family members. They resent the fact that they are helpless and dependent on others. This is what it seems that Europe is feeling; ungrateful resentment.
