Tom Nichols: ‘One of the Myths’ Is This Idea That We Can’t Afford Financing the Russia-Ukraine War

Tur Is there a ░░░░░░░░ Europe wrinkle to this ░░░░░░░░ I mean if there ░░░░░░░░ pushback any meaningful pushback ░░░░░░░░ our allies in France ░░░░░░░░ the U K and ░░░░░░░░ to Keith Kellogg going ░░░░░░░░ there and trying to ░░░░░░░░ the borders and forced ░░░░░░░░ NATO membership for Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ there be blowback from ░░░░░░░░ toward the U S ░░░░░░░░ might change the calculation ░░░░░░░░ Sure Sure They could ░░░░░░░░ say OK well the ░░░░░░░░ States is proposing this ░░░░░░░░ Ukrainians don t want ░░░░░░░░ do it We ll ░░░░░░░░ sending weapons and money ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine You know one ░░░░░░░░ the one of the ░░░░░░░░ here is when you ░░░░░░░░ this earlier in your ░░░░░░░░ Kellogg says we can ░░░░░░░░ afford to keep doing ░░░░░░░░ Five percent of the ░░░░░░░░ S defense budget has ░░░░░░░░ about half of Russia ░░░░░░░░ military capability in this ░░░░░░░░ You know we are ░░░░░░░░ wealthy country The Europeans ░░░░░░░░ a wealthy country This ░░░░░░░░ t costing us that ░░░░░░░░ money That s an ░░░░░░░░ saw And it s ░░░░░░░░ of interesting because it ░░░░░░░░ the way that conservatives ░░░░░░░░ to argue with liberals ░░░░░░░░ say we have plenty ░░░░░░░░ money for guns and ░░░░░░░░ here But this is ░░░░░░░░ some this isn t ░░░░░░░░ the Iraq War where ░░░░░░░░ re you know thinking ░░░░░░░░ mobilizing huge resources of ░░░░░░░░ U S government Tur ░░░░░░░░ let me on that ░░░░░░░░ one of the arguments ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump and his ░░░░░░░░ have made about the ░░░░░░░░ in Ukraine the war ░░░░░░░░ war in Israel is ░░░░░░░░ we shouldn t be ░░░░░░░░ on stuff happening overseas ░░░░░░░░ should be focused on ░░░░░░░░ here at home That ░░░░░░░░ would be better spent ░░░░░░░░ at home If that ░░░░░░░░ is not spent on ░░░░░░░░ arming Ukraine or on ░░░░░░░░ arms to to Israel ░░░░░░░░ that does that money ░░░░░░░░ redirected toward welfare programs ░░░░░░░░ it go into Social ░░░░░░░░ or Medicaid Does it ░░░░░░░░ to a child tax ░░░░░░░░ Does it go to ░░░░░░░░ parental leave for everybody ░░░░░░░░ this country Nichols Yeah ░░░░░░░░ is one of the ░░░░░░░░ false choices in American ░░░░░░░░ This is something that ░░░░░░░░ you know every four ░░░░░░░░ If only we weren ░░░░░░░░ spending the money here ░░░░░░░░ d be spending the ░░░░░░░░ there If only we ░░░░░░░░ t sending it to ░░░░░░░░ country we d be ░░░░░░░░ know spending it first ░░░░░░░░ all Americans need to ░░░░░░░░ the foreign aid is ░░░░░░░░ money spent in the ░░░░░░░░ States A lot of ░░░░░░░░ weapons you know Senator ░░░░░░░░ had a comment the ░░░░░░░░ day about this apparently ░░░░░░░░ that many of the ░░░░░░░░ that are bought and ░░░░░░░░ to Ukraine are made ░░░░░░░░ Alabama People don t ░░░░░░░░ that most of American ░░░░░░░░ aid which is less ░░░░░░░░ one percent of our ░░░░░░░░ is spent in the ░░░░░░░░ States on American workers ░░░░░░░░ American products And the ░░░░░░░░ that you can simply ░░░░░░░░ well things happening in ░░░░░░░░ parts of the world ░░░░░░░░ never affect us is ░░░░░░░░ and short sighted And ░░░░░░░░ it s an old ░░░░░░░░ tactic to say oh ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t be concerned ░░░░░░░░ know we have to ░░░░░░░░ more about Paris we ░░░░░░░░ t care about Paris ░░░░░░░░ have to care about ░░░░░░░░ That s a false ░░░░░░░░ and it s always ░░░░░░░░ a bad dichotomy Tur ░░░░░░░░ Paris France Paris Texas ░░░░░░░░