[spoiledtechie]

1. Create laws to shut down public knowledge.

2. Use those laws to shut down public knowledge.

3. Invade a country to see how the rest of the world responds.

4. This is the most important step. We respond with strength or we respond with diplomacy.

5. If we respond with diplomacy step 6 would be for Putin to invade another country. If we respond with force, it would lead Putin to respond with backtracking...

The choice is theirs.

[avmich]

Actually, soft force could be quite powerful. There is somewhat relevant Iran example.

I think the West has plenty of opportunities here. On the other hand, those won't come free - and I understand the hesitation. Yet again, to some - smaller - extent we have a situation, which is similar to what happened already about 80 years ago in Europe.