The Importance Of The US In The Ukraine War | Prof. John Gray

Professor John Gray describes the important influence the US have had in protecting democratic nations from invasion, and explains why Ukraine cannot rely on other European powers for protection.
John Gray is an English political philosopher with interests in analytic philosophy and the history of ideas. He retired as School Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Gray contributes regularly to The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement and the New Statesman, where he is the lead book reviewer.
Gray has written several influential books, including False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism (1998), Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals (2003), and Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia (2007). False Dawn has been translated into sixteen languages.
A singularly original thinker, his books are widely acclaimed as seminal, significant and even prophetic.
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[@becky7385]

Isolationist? Is that what we call folks who don't want to send billions and billions to the foreign war grift machine every single year?

[@1isaacperkins]

yes isolationist, that's what it's called when a country doesn't want to engage outside it's borders. definition of a word doesn't change because of money spent on war.

[@Kefuddle]

Yes, hilarious! It is like the word "populist" is used for politicians offering what the demos wants in a democratic society :D :D

[@andrewforbes2577]

Perhaps not a dictionary definition, but you hit the mail on the head. We should take care of our own country, people first. Family first is ineluctable common sense.

[@cuongtraninh809]

@@andrewforbes2577 you have, you have to share. Don’t be selfish. Ukranians also human beings like your family, your relatives.

[@andrewforbes2577]

This channel is exceptional. Thank you, Mr. Anderson. Keep up the good, noble work.

[@georgesutter2256]

Never trust a politician with a candy stripe tie

[@tad27612]

Where Ukraine would be if the US weren't meddling, is Ukraine would have settled by following Minsk agreement. This conversation is so ahistorical.

[@DakuHonoo]

Without the american meddling, there wouldn't be an armed coup and ousting of the pro-kremlin president and thus no minsk treaties. Crimea would probably still be under Ukraine.

[@jimbocho660]

Exactly. Gray is usually excellent but he's way off the mark here.

[@imnotanalien7839]

The idea that the US taxpayers have to financially support or solve any other sovereign nations’ problems is ludicrous. The U.S. is 4% of the worlds population and yet most of the world feels it’s the US responsibility to defend and feed and send medicine to anyone who ‘needs’ it. Countries have to change to capitalism….Europe is weak because they don’t have a large private sector middle class. And BTW… if Europe was really concerned about Ukraine/Russia… they would have come up with more than 500M …. they could borrow…. like the US taxpayers have been forced to do. They are just use to the US paying for their defense! (75 yrs.). The U.S. is also getting strapped with European infrastructure projects. And they need to stop listening to Greta…and go back to fossil fuel!!

[@robertholland7558]

The USA profits enormously from the defending feed and medicating those that “need” it. Make no bones about it, the USA would be broker then broke without these “ responsibilities “. PS “they” are not just “using” the USA, they USA charges “them”an arm and leg and then some!

[@RobBCactive]

Europe does have a large private sector and middle class, the EU for example is attacked by the left as "neoliberal". The EU provided €500mn early and has repeated that, but member countries as nations with tax payers contributed much much more. Europe also engages in programs to stabilise the developing world by access to markets. It isn't just reactive to disasters.

[@SnakeHelah]

You smoked too much trump weed I'm afraid. Do you really think the US just does it out of the kindness of their hearts? War is profitable. There's money to be made for the US in terms of lending aid. Nothing comes for free. Yes, the us is primary and main contributor to NATO militarily speaking, but the US also used members of NATO for their own military goals. A defensive alliance is a defensive alliance. I don't see most NATO member countries foreign policy involving incursions in the Middle east. Make no mistake, the issues that plague the US and its citizens that you think are caused by externalities, are largely to do with domestic policy, not foreign policy, not immigrants or whatever the scapegoat is that you think is responsible. Of course, it's always some external force and some "other" that's easy to blame for all the domestic issues, amirite? And what does fossil fuel have to do with this? Again, I want some of that crack you're smoking. Using fossil fuels just means more dependency on Russia as they're a country that has large amounts of them and bases their economy on their exports. Whether you like it or not, the Ukraine war has only kickstarted more need for alternative energy sources as nuclear/natural wind/hydro/solar etc for the developed countries around the world. The trend is going to move towards those energy sources, not away from them as time goes on. I can't believe how much sensationalist fearmongering is contained in your one comment, lol.

[@MicMc539]

Yankee Go Home !!! Been saying it since '66 and you pricks just won't listen. Yankee Go Home !!!

[@mick947]

Unfortunate that they didn’t discuss how and why the war came about and what they thought of NATO expansion. I get the feeling this video was harshly edited.

[@hermannschraut87]

even 2 wise man cant see past their Nose 🦊🐺

[@illnatural]

What would have happened if the US hadn’t intervened? In the Balkans, in Ukraine, Middle East, Libya, Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Panama? Peace. That’s what would have happened, “professor.”

[@hikerJohn]

If not for the US, Ukraine might be speaking German now with the rest of western Europe

[@RobBCactive]

In 2022 there has been 8 years preparation (mostly by Ukraine itself), there were further acts of Russian aggression. Was the US/NATO able to respond in 2014? Everyone in Europe knows Schroeder/Merkel's Ostpolitik with Russia has failed. Frankly seeing another Brit talk in this paternal way is quite funny given that even past basic priorities like ASW have been reliant in French/German plane cover. Now Germany is rearming and other countries increasing spending, that is within NATO. The real key threat the west faces is from within, the authoritarian populists which have been encouraged, funded and inspired by Putin's Russia.

[@MicMc539]

Putin did it !! He's everywhere !!!!!!

[@Kefuddle]

This is such a mindless line of thought "What if the Americans weren't there". Who are these people?

[@nwabuking8830]

The USA is a great nation. WWI, WWII, Land- lease, Apple, KZbin, Tesla! You want the Chinese and Russia to be in charge?

[@wpariah]

Agreed. Plus post WWII, massive Marshall Plan & Berlin Airlift that enabled W. Europe to recover from the war while facing down the Soviets.

[@jimbocho660]

@@wpariah Vietnam, Laos, Nagasaki, Afghanistan, Iraq, Chile, Libya....

[@mick947]

Why does it have to be one extreme or the other? Like John Gray has recently said something along the lines of ..not many countries want a society like America has now. I would of thought even you would agree with that.

[@achtung001]

John..i watch all your vids..this clown has no idea..the US is on a downward spiral

[@thereselarfield7177]

Yep… I agree

[@DakuHonoo]

I agree with the statement that this guest is a clown. Low IQ geopolitics clown.

[@ArielBerdugo]

Isolation is obsolete.

[@Kenneynrg]

Not if you have nukes

[@SnakeHelah]

@@Kenneynrg North Korea has nukes. Do you really think they're having a good time there? The world is now interconnected and there's no reversing that, at least not without some nuclear apocalypse type scenario. Whether you like it or not, we all depend on the same global economic machine that provides all our needs. If countries were isolationist, we literally wouldn't have 90% of all goods we enjoy.

[@tad27612]

@@SnakeHelah The government of North Korea is having a good time. The world is becoming increasingly unentangled thanks to the sanctions.

[@tad27612]

Isolationism is a boogeyman man argument. India isn't isolated yet refuses to be part of the sanctions, which are in fact a way of trying to isolated Russia.

[@SnakeHelah]

@JOe DeLeon ?