Glenn Greenwald

You can always avoid war as long as the other side just submits and does everything that you tell them to do.

The problem is that very often they don't do that.

And many of the worst wars have happened not because leaders wanted wars, but because once you start threatening military conflict, you have military buildup, tensions increase, you have escalation, you have miscommunication.

All these things can happen in a very unintended way.

This is a very dangerous game to be playing.

Like, yes, I do believe that Donald Trump doesn't want to fall into some major quagmire in war.

The problem is, is that the policies that he's pursuing are very likely to lead to that.

I mean, what if the Venezuelans don't submit to all of his orders?

He's already said, we'll be happy to put brutes on the ground.

And that now you have an escalated situation.

Look at how Vietnam began.

We're going to send some advisors.

We don't want war in Vietnam.

And within a few years, we had tons of military, tons of soldiers.

And within a few years after that, there were 60,000 American dead soldiers.

Not because anyone ever set out and said, I want to have a decadal war in Vietnam, but because the policies we pursued led inexorably to that.

Good to see you.

I did not come festive.

I feel a little bit like the Grinch after that big buildup you gave yourself about how Christmassy you are, but I'm going to try and get in the holiday spirit, even if it's not with my clothing and background.

Let's have so much fun.