To the Editor:
Re “What if Putin Didn’t Miscalculate?” (column, March 30):
The choice situation provided by Bret Stephens, whereby Vladimir Putin is taking part in a high-stakes sport for extra modest features, will not be solely solely believable, it additionally has a lot of the details on its aspect.
Russia’s invasion power of 150,000 to 190,000 troops was by no means going to be sufficient to overcome and quell all of Ukraine, a rustic twice as giant as Italy. But it surely was seemingly sufficient to grab a lot of jap and southern Ukraine and rain terror and dying upon all of its main cities — together with the capital, Kyiv — till the federal government was compelled into a positive negotiated settlement.
Such a settlement, which might seemingly incorporate Crimea (which Mr. Putin seized in 2014) and far of energy-rich jap Ukraine into Russia, would fulfill Mr. Putin’s purpose of a land bridge to Crimea and an expanded Black Sea fleet to attach with Russia’s rising naval presence within the Center East.
The West, and the Biden administration, might attempt to promote this as a “victory” for Ukraine and the West, for stopping the entire lack of Ukraine. However until the Ukrainian freedom fighters are considerably capable of flip the tide — or the world is ready to maintain punishment towards Russia for its many heinous violations towards Ukraine — Vladimir Putin might very properly come out forward.
Stuart Gottlieb
New York
The author teaches American international coverage and worldwide safety at Columbia College.
To the Editor:
Bret Stephens makes a superb level in “What if Putin Didn’t Miscalculate?” He posits that the battle is actually an power struggle and that Russia stands to come back out of it with much more oil and gasoline reserves than at current.
However all these fossil fuels are nugatory to Vladimir Putin and Russia if there aren’t any markets. Europe ought to announce instantly that it’s decoupling from Russian gasoline, giving a five-year window during which to seek out different sources of power. And it ought to use that interval to construct out renewable energy and thus meet worldwide targets in 2030 for progress in decarbonizing the financial system due to the local weather risk.
Europeans will find yourself with inexpensive power and progress in assuaging world warming. And Mr. Putin’s oil and gasoline reserves will likely be as nugatory because the proverbial buggy whip.
Stephen R. Dujack
Charlottesville, Va.
To the Editor:
The dominant narrative is that Vladimir Putin badly miscalculated on his forces’ capacity to shortly take Ukraine, that he’s sad and dismayed by the West’s unity and financial divestiture, and that he is likely to be loopy now. Bret Stephens means that we is likely to be underestimating his intentions, and that he was actually after Ukraine’s power sources and shoreline and that he is likely to be loopy like a fox.
It appears apparent that Mr. Putin thought Russia may pretty simply take Ukraine, all of it, for power useful resource causes but in addition many different benefits he thought he would acquire. It has not been straightforward and even attainable thus far. In that he did miscalculate. However I feel his fallback place on land, sea and useful resource acquisition is, as Mr. Stephens suggests, not catastrophic from his perspective.
The place I feel that the West has maybe badly miscalculated is in believing that Mr. Putin is sad for Russia to be reduce off from the remainder of the world. Primarily based on repeated remarks he has made earlier than and after the invasion of Ukraine, he appears to really feel that the affect of the West is a contagion on his folks and their tradition.
Isn’t it simply attainable that he wished one other Chilly Struggle, during which he utterly controls his folks and their entry to data, eliminates dissent and burnishes Russia’s repute as an incredible threatening power on the planet? We might have helped him obtain targets we didn’t notice he had.
As a result of Western international locations, like most peoples of the world, set up their priorities round peace and prosperity, it may be onerous to think about a worldview during which peace and prosperity aren’t the priorities. The truth that Mr. Putin will not be sure by these motivations is a bonus for him. We should always hold that in thoughts.
Wendy Shapiro
Mill Valley, Calif.
A Lesson for Unions From the Amazon Vote
To the Editor:
Re “How 2 Associates Birthed Union Inside Amazon” (entrance web page, April 3):
The victory final week for employees to have a union on the Staten Island Amazon achievement middle needs to be a useful wake-up name for labor. The Amazon employees voted to have higher wages and a direct voice in decision-making to enhance their security and total work circumstances. They determined they wanted to type their very own union to attain these outcomes.
At Starbucks shops, members are additionally demanding a direct voice in decision-making about how their workplaces are run fairly than go away these selections solely within the palms of administration.
An vital lesson for unions, from these latest organizing drives, is that to win, they should discover methods to supply at this time’s employees a voice in decision-making in addition to combat for higher wages and advantages. Making this occur can assist rebuild the labor motion.
Peter Lazes
West Stockbridge, Mass.
The author is a visiting professor on the College of Labor and Employment Relations, Penn State College.
Therapy for Intercourse Offenders
To the Editor:
Re “The Exploitation of Choose Jackson,” by Emily Bazelon (Opinion visitor essay, March 31):
Whereas I used to be appalled by the vicious and despicable questioning of a feminine decide by male Republican senators, I do imagine that our justice system is in want of an overhaul with regard to sentencing pointers for intercourse offenders.
I’m a therapist who has offered remedy and counseling to many intercourse offenders, together with very younger juvenile intercourse offenders. What I discovered from my observe and the analysis within the discipline is that sexual offenses have little or no to do with intercourse per se and loads to do with energy and management.
Sentencing pointers don’t take this into consideration after they slam a jail door shut considering that justice was served for society and for the victims. Not so! Except remedy is obtainable and mandated, these folks will offend many times as soon as their sentence is served — lengthy or brief, it doesn’t matter!
Restoration from sexual habit is a lifelong endeavor, identical to recovering from alcoholism or drug habit. Except the justice system understands and addresses this, no sentencing practices are going to be adequate.
Manuela Bonnet-Buxton
Cornelius, Ore.
