Thinking you can destroy a militant group in Gaza and end Palestinian resistance to Israeli apartheid and ethnic cleansing by allowing one side to wipe out a string of cities and displace the entire population and murder as it sees fit in perpetuity is early twentieth century thinking at its worst. It is an ideological plan, not a practical or moral one.

The war needs to be stopped, the region occupied by neutral third parties, and international criminal proceedings should begin for Israel, Hamas, and any other parties who have contributed to crimes that violate international law. Following that, Palestinians need to be granted (geographically contiguous) statehood. Only the United States is in a realistic position to realize these objectives. If it does not take these actions, it is demonstrating that it does not seek a decisive resolution.

Thinking that you can end Russian aggression in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, or West Africa by imposing sanctions on Russia, or by sending weapons to an occupied weaker combatant locked in a, now years long, World War I era trench stalemate is early twentieth century thinking at its worst. It is a strategy of political convenience, not a practical or moral one. It’s like Iran thinking it can destroy Israel by arming the various militant groups around it. Exactly the same ridiculous magical thinking.

Either Ukraine should be immediately admitted to the NATO alliance, and action should be taken to end the war peacefully and return Ukraine’s territory annexed by Russia, or a joint military campaign should be initiated to remove Russian forces from the area and remove their ability to make war in the near future. Only the United States is in a realistic position to realize these objectives. If it does not take these actions, it is demonstrating that it does not seek a decisive resolution.

The 20^th century methodology of treating conflicts as something to be managed over the long term must end if the world is ever to know peace over any length of time. The great game of other peoples’ lives must end. These other places are not even the game pieces to the people making these decisions. They’re the board. It’s unethical, cruel, and counterproductive to the goals of peace and stability. The politics and strategies of wishes and hopes must be replaced by those of action, of results.