What created this moment?  How did the world come to watch on television a six-year old Ukrainian girl succumbing to her injuries from a Russian bomb in tragic, senseless death?  The most powerful military force in the world watching on the sidelines?  The most powerful military alliance in the world standing by, thousands of miles away?

Fear of nuclear war is seemingly rational, but fear itself is a poor decision-making paradigm.  It seems that it is this fear which drives U.S. decisions to steer clear of direct confrontation with Putin’s army, which is currently bullying Ukrainian population centers—even willing to shell nearby nuclear power plants.

Confronting bullies with economic sanctions is not “standing with Ukraine.”  If you witnessed a defenseless child being assaulted in the street, how would she feel about you promising to go after her attacker’s bank accounts and ability to be economically mobile?  The child would yell out, “No! Please help defend me against my attacker!”

With knowledge comes responsibility.  With power the same… We all know Putin’s army is committing wrongs against innocent people, threatening the peace and safety of Ukraine, Europe and the world at large.  A military defense exists to defeat Putin…  Why not use it now to control air space above a largely defenseless Ukraine—

Pushing back on the bully.  Scaring back the bully.  Making the bully rethink his aggression until he backs down as the Soviets did when we pushed them back in Afghanistan in the 1980’s.  Repeated appeals to “our NATO allies” and waiting for Putin to take all of Ukraine in a bloody, unnecessary invasion represents fear.

A fear of confrontation.  A fear of the bully.  Is that America?