Maybe it has something to do with also needing international support in order to defend itself from its neighbor… talk all the shit you want about the US’s stance on Israel, but shifting that to Taiwan is on par with claiming Ukraine deserved to get invaded.

Which I now realize is probably your next line. Anyway, oh well

Same with people who blast music in public. There’s a bike/pedestrian trail near me I use a lot and people are constantly riding or running while blasting the worst music imaginable to everyone nearby. Maybe someday I’ll build up the courage to tell them to shut the fuck up… or at least teach them what headphones are. Maybe I could buy a bunch of cheap ones and just chuck them at the heads of anyone who apparently needs them.

he would prefer it to stay reasonably rich

I think he’d much rather eliminate one of the top economies and make more room for the Russian economy to recover. I’d imagine the simplified version of the plan goes something like this:

1. Make the US destroy all its current trade relationships
2. In manufactured desperation, the US drops sanctions and tries to lean on Russia as a new partner
3. ???
4. Profit