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The Meaning of Russia’s War on Ukraine

Onkar Ghate, Elan Journo, Aaron Smith

Presented at: New Ideal Live

Date: Mar 02, 2022

Russian’s war against Ukraine has riveted world attention. Protesters within Russia have opposed their own regime’s war, and around the world many have voiced support for Ukraine. Join Onkar Ghate, Elan Journo and Aaron Smith as they analyze the philosophic meaning of the war, the global reactions to it, and the war’s wider implications for America and freedom.

Among the topics covered:

  • America’s long-standing lack of a real foreign policy;
  • The cause of this approach: the refusal to think of foreign policy in moral terms;
  • Whether businesses and governments should trade with countries like Russia;
  • How America’s and Europe’s unintelligible actions have harmed Ukraine;
  • Putin’s miscalculations about the results of the invasion;
  • The amorality of deference to or praise for Putin;
  • Policy changes needed to signal the willingness to reform foreign policy along moral lines;
  • Why abolishing the United Nations is needed to withdraw moral sanction from Russian and Chinese tyranny;
  • The importance of giving moral and material support to Ukraine;
  • Additional diplomatic and economic punishments of Russia that the U.S. can inflict;
  • How a morally principled foreign policy is needed to maintain long-term opposition to Russia’s threat.

0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:30 America's lack of foreign policy
0:04:55 Refusing to think morally
0:09:04 Trade with Russia?
0:14:46 America and Europe have harmed Ukraine
0:21:56 Putin's miscalculations
0:27:40 Amoral defense, praise of Putin
0:34:31 Needed policy changes
0:45:21 Abolishing the UN
0:50:01 Moral and material support to Ukraine
0:54:54 Additional punishments of Russia
0:58:44 A morally principled foreign policy

politicsforeign policy

Parts: 1

Handout: none

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