Scholars are quick to overweight a lot of these systematic root like strategic forces, i think are really important. And then they totally discount any of the psychological stuff, whether it's mistakes, or whether it's just what people have as principles or values. It's funny, this is werd bifurcation. Whythouni everybody keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. Its itsts just been going on for so long, i justn andnd, never the twain meet andiits puzzling to me.
It's tempting to explain Russia's invasion of Ukraine with Putin's megalomania. Economist Chris Blattman of the University of Chicago talks about his book Why We Fight with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Blattman explains why only a fraction of rivalries ever erupt into violence, the five main reasons adversaries can't arrive at compromise, and the problem with trying to get into Putin's head (and why it's not all about Putin. Really).