It seems to me that there is a healthy element of seeking revenge against Putin for the embarrassing loss of HRC to Trump. How much a roll Russian interference actually played is debatable, except it still seems to be an article of faith in this administration and party faithful. Why else does it seem desirable to pump billions in war tech and munitions into Ukraine, and actively discourage any negotiated end to the carnage? How else can the utter absence of anti-war Democrats be explained? It seems that the very identity of the Democratic Party is codependent on Trump, and all other issues take a backseat. Even the issues, particularly the social issues surrounding race and gender, are advanced to keep the most MAGA Republican engaged as to promote that faction of Republicans as dominant. Can you imagine a world without Trump as an issue? We might even wish to step away from possible nuclear war is Dems engaged their minds with something other than Trump!
What does Putin stand to gain from deploying "tactical" nukes that he can't accomplish through conventional means? Russia is not lacking in artillery or long range rockets. Could the threat of tactical nukes be more effective than their actual use, especially given the risk of escalation? Saagar mentioned that the US response to a "tactical" nuclear attack would likely be to impose sanctions on countries who don't comply with existing sanctions against Russia. Recent comments by Modi may indicate a possibility that India would join ranks with the West, but what of OPEC? China seems like it may prioritize COVID-zero above preventing nuclear Armageddon. What hope is there that NATO can find an effective response to a Russian nuclear attack short of direct engagement in the conflict?
Hypothetical question- Questions have been raised by right-wing media around wokeness & gender ideology in the US Military (i.e. flight suits for pregnant Air Force pilots, reduced qualification standards for special forces, etc). IF the war in Ukraine were to escalate to true World War and IF the US needed to draft its own citizens once again- Would the draft take 2022 gender ideology into account? -Would women be drafted? -If so, would individuals be eligible/ineligible for draft based on their biological sex at birth or based off what what they identify as today? I recognize that this is an absolutely ridiculous hypothetical and there is no way anyone could know the answer, but thought it could be interesting to discuss how our domestic culture wars might impact our foreign and domestic policy in a tangible way. Also, please understand that this question is in NO WAY a judgement any person or their gender identity. Just an interesting thought.