| It doesn't matter whether one side is right or wrong, or whether one side is more or less extreme. Your tactics don't work and lead to harm. Let's work from your Taliban example. The extreme pressure placed on the Taliban does nothing to move them out of power, but it does lead to mass famine in Afghanistan, for people who don't deserve it. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver just did an episode. They're in power. They should have their accounts unfrozen. Aid organizations should be able to help people in Afghanistan. Let's work from you Ukraine example. What change would you like to see? Sanctions on Russia have a few impacts: 1. They reduce Russia's ability to produce weapons 2. They isolate people from the West and make them more vulnerable to propaganda 3. They hurt 140 million people, most of whom didn't ask for the war 4. They support Putin's message that the West is out to get Russia ... and so on. When the war started, I pushed for much more military aid than was provided, but also for weaker and more targetted sanctions. The point is that simply "taking a stance" and lashing out doesn't lead to change. There need to be tactics involved, and one needs to think through impact. The impact of having "blue" and "red" businesses, communities, and schools is very, very negative. One side needs to take a stance on saving baby's lives, and another on women's rights. That's fine. One needs to take a stance on respecting the Bill of Rights, and the second on reducing gun violence. That's okay too. However, there are appropriate forums in which to take those stances so we don't all just end up hating each other, and so where possible, reasonable compromises can be found. |