In the midst of all of our cheerleading for Ukraine, Ross Douthat says we should leave plenty of room for dissent. Is he right?
Absolutely! There is always room for splashes of cold realism when public enthusiasm runs ahead of good sense, as long as the arguments are made in good faith. If you’re a “New Right” admirer of Putin who believes that the war is a contest between a properly masculine leader and the woke, feminized West, however, you’re not making the realism argument in good faith, and we have no reason to listen to you.
Fortunately, Douthat is not in that category, but some of his friends are. Here’s looking at you, Mr. Ahmari.