@mike_kraft i agree. the cold war “justified” lots of foolish interference in internal politics. but Vietnam, for example, was not that. it was about preventing a distinct, self-governing territory from being taken by force. it was a “war lost” — with lots of absolutely unjustifiable US atrocity — but it was not absurdly founded, and perhaps not without deterrent effect. Korea was similar. the line between shambolic withdrawal of Afghanistan and Ukraine is pretty straight.