Long Duration War is something we are 'imposing' on Ukraine now...
Its Our/NATOs choice....Is it some sort of sick revenge because we fucked up so bad in the last 50 ys......Another opportunity to feed the MIC for a decade instead of months...But, that can't be it and No oil,,so I guess its really not that important?..
Ukraine has given up on asking for the best Weapons, or intervention, Putin Vetoed that,,,He vetoed 'Offensive' weapons all together so Biden says No Jets, No Tanks, No artillery, no anti ship and so on....Putin goes about his merry way with a bloody nose but no worries the west will make sure he is pushed out....
We cover up our weakness with Strong words of Condemnation! We stand by the Brave! We hate Evil! We gave you money again today! Putin is a Criminal!
Obama is right Democracies (including us) have grown flabby and freckles..... Former President Barack Obama spoke at length about the war in Ukraine on Wednesday, telling an audience in Chicago that the conflict is a "bracing reminder for democracies that had gotten flabby and confused and feckless around the stakes of things that we tended to take for granted," including the United States. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/04/06/politics/barack-obama-putin-russia-ukraine-war/index.html
Maybe the Ukrainians remind us of what we once were and we are embarrassed by it because we know we have no longer lived up to it since WWII...How dare they embody what we no longer are...
Maybe we are just scared, (most likely) but The US and NATO have made the choice to make this a long duration war for the Ukrainians....After watching the South Vietnamese Army run,,,Same in Afghanistan,,,So too shall it be in Iraq...But let folks stand up for themselves and the Dictator that invades sets the terms more than the rest of the free world combined...
Maybe it just makes us feel big having people beg and throw them cake instead of meat and potatoes....