Enough of the "we"; it is the weak Western politicians sucking up to the Woke who have been slack. And the lamentations of another armchair expert are not going to change that. We don't need academics telling us what we already knew.

Poor old truth under attack again.

Without the interference of prevaricating Politicians, wars can be shortened and actually concluded.

The US with its superior economic strength and technological advantage, lost the Vietnam war entirely because of them.

Who bears the cost of war, are the people.

As long as I’ve lived, I’ve heard the cry from the same “people” who are the biggest losers in war, that Politicians, and their families should be obligated by force if necessary, to actually fight and die on the front line of those wars they create and prolong.

Dan.

A rude awakening indeed! Only warm and comfortable fools living in a fools paradise would think otherwise.

Imagine if all that firepower now being directed at Ukraine was aimed at a practically defenseless Australia. Were most of the population lives in exposed coastal cities, jammed in like tinned sardines! In high rises almost totally dependent on a continuous and hugely exposed, coal-fired power supply to function! And only two weeks of fuel supply?

Moreover, the various political parties have used the divide and rule paradigm to win power, to the point were there is a ready made extreme right wing, fifth column, anti-Australian cohort, who to a generic man believe the sun shines out of Putin's rear end, and are ready, willing and able, to help our potential adverseries?

Doing trade deals with China just finances their military expansion, just as our reliance on fossil fuels funded Mr Putin's military adventures in the Ukraine and elsewhere!

Our best future lies in being united, strong and totally independent! And that means we need both nuclear power and nuclear weapons as a deterrent! We also need to get into the space race big time, to ensure if for no other reason, we cannot be attacked from there! And we need to end the practice of exporting our most able minds and the better ideas. Nor are we served by the silencing of some of our more able minded oldies at a time where their wisdom and experience has never ever been more vital!

Simply put, there are some things more important, particularly now, than a few fat cats, their political cronies, making an unearned and an undeserved quid!
Alan B.

Danny boy. If only that were possible!? We could send Mr Putin in to the conflict with the Ukraine at the head of the most exposed ground force. To duke it out with the Ukrainian President. Where like more civilized Gentlemen they could settle it with (ball and powder) flintlocks at forty paces!?

A little lead pill between the peepers might cure Mr Putin's problems? but only if there is something left up there (as little grey cells) to effect?
Alan B.

What should the West learn from it and what measures they must now undertake?

Maybe DON'T STAGE COLOURED REVOLUTIONS IN OTHER COUNTRIES
- In order to cause conflicts and give NATO a reason to exist?

I'm sick of all of it, sick of all the lies.
- The first casualty of war is the truth -

And I'm sick of the US, the UN, the WHO, the WEF, the UK, the EU, the Ukraine, sick of China, sick of Scomo, sick of lying useless incompetent politicians, sick of mainstream media, sick of the pandemic, sick of the rigged 2-party system, sick of preferences, sick of social justice, political correctness, gender and ethnic quotas, sick of ALL 'agendas', sick of left-leaning schools, sick of University's, sick of women's issues, sick of equality, sick of minorities, sick of gay and transgender celebrations, sick of all this fake democracy and manufactured world.

Its all BS.

Democracy is just the tool they use to put nations in debt to the Western monetary system, and then rob nations.
The 2-party system just divides immigrants against nationalist, to sell our nation out to international treaties and our infrastructure out to foreign wealth management funds (bankers)

Russia is the sovereign state.
We are all VASSAL states of the Western International Order;
Who seem to have decided Russia and China's future already,
That they bow to our so-called western values.

Our nation is not a nation anymore, it is merely a global region.
Scomo's no more a leader than the manager of Bunnings;
When the real leaders gather around the Wesfarmers boardrooms.
He might as well be clinging onto Biden's inside pocket at present.

Why can't the Queen just grant us freedom from the Union Jack,
And give us nuclear technology as a parting gift
we could be neutral on our own continent without these global influences and obligations?

- Remain a voice of sense

How is helping start a war against Russia in ours or anyone's interests?
Answer is: It's not, but to get a war started they have to first convince us all it is.

Good point Armchair Critic- Kudos.

Armchair Critic said- "Why can't the Queen just grant us freedom from the Union Jack,...
we could be neutral on our own continent without these global influences and obligations?"

Answer- Don't agree with getting rid of the Queen or Royalty though. Probably we do need to be much more independent of other externalities and global influences.

Good points Alan.
The upshot is that the smaller the country the more important it is to
have nuclear weapons.
As Ukraine has had demonstrated, no weapons no protection.
Any reason to think Putin will stop at previous iron curtain countries ?
Nato membership will be no protection. Norway is close at hand.
The same argument from Putin, attack Russian forces the nukes are ready.
Why would the US use nukes to save Norway ?
Just because Norway signed a piece of paper ?

Bazz said- "The upshot is that the smaller the country the more important it is to have nuclear weapons."

Answer- Sounds right for Australia. Kudos Bazz.

<< The question is what lesson the United States and its allies should learn from it and what measures they must now undertake to prevent Putin or any future ruthless Russian autocrat from ever daring to invade another country. >>

Perhaps the US could begin by examining its own track record first. Why did it invade and/or bomb Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria? The US is in no position to lecture others against doing what it has itself been doing for decades.

<< Although the Biden administration knew for several months, based on solid intelligence, that Putin was planning to invade Ukraine and shared that information with our allies, they did not provide the Ukrainian army with defensive and offensive weapons ahead of time. >>

The US has been arming Ukraine continually since the coup it instigated there in 2014. Well before its recent shipments of weaponry, it had already gifted Ukraine with several billion dollars worth of military hardware. US military officers have also been advising Ukrainian neo-Nazi militia throughout that time.

<< The Biden administration must now carefully recalibrate its China policy. Notwithstanding their deep conflicting issues, it is time to mend relations with China. >>

Yes it is time. A good start would be for the US to cease interfering in Taiwan. It must end its arming of the island and its talking-up of war with China. The reunification of Taiwan and China has nothing to do with America. If we are to have any chance of peace, the US needs to butt out and stop using Taiwan to goad China into taking military action.

The world energy situation is becoming critical.
The major oil companies have lost interest in the oil industry.
They know that there is no long term life in the industry and their
attitude has been noted by the car manufacturers.
All the huff & puff about Russian oil & gas will only be relevant till
the current panic is over.
Australia has a couple of weeks supply in each area. Two oil tankers
a day have to arrive in Sydney to keep us on the road.
One submarine could paralyse most of NSW in a week.
We are to all extent not in any war games.
An army, navy & air force without fuel is down to footsloggers.
China if it wanted to claim Australia because a Middle Kingdom Admiral
claimed it we would be in a similar situation to Ukraine.
In any case there is no need for Australia to have been claimed, it
is automatically a vassal state just by being here.
China has bypassed any arguments about vassal states by the use of
The Belt and Roads program by waving money under the noses of needy
governments.

It will take genius politicians to negotiate our path through this mess.