Johnny,
While I understand your points I mostly disagree with them. Mainly because the points are somewhat too general.
For example, the 100+ billion in US aid to the Ukraine. The vast majority of that money never goes to the Ukrainians. It is spent here in the US
https://www.csis.org/analysis/past-present-and-future-us-assistance-ukraine-deep-dive-data The Ukrainians generally receive older 2nd line equipment from the US- M1A1's (not the current model), M2's and M3's- much more commonly M113's and MRAPs: both of which are obsolete in US inventory. Those get provided through Presidential drawdown, and the new appropriation get spent on new gear for our troops. Creative accounting get used a lot, valuing a M113 the same as the new Bradley replacement, for example- which is patently BS. Ammunition is different animal at this point, as the Ukraine is starting to get a little bit of new production from us, but (only after we replenish our own as is logical) in general they get the old stuff like Himars cluster rounds that we can no longer use or ATACAMS at the end of their useful life. As you can see in that article, about 1/3 of the aid to Ukraine is for aid to refugees. That money is used to give them aid in their own country or in Poland (though personally, I'd much rather see Ukrainian refugees in our country than illegal aliens).
As to giving aid to Maui that falls under a different auspices of the government (FEMA). Biden should have jumped on the disaster and addressed it promptly- that he didn't feels like it was a dig at Tulsi Gabbard for not "staying loyal"- with the citizens of Maui paying the price. Previous Presidents have done similar things to punish the "wayward". Linking it Ukrainian aid is like saying the government should have defunded NASA to pay for Maui.
As I've mentioned way back in 2022 (I think it was), as a percentage of GDP several European nations have exceeded US aid to Ukraine. Not in total $ given, but if the US gives $2 out of $100, and Latvia gives $2 out of $10, who has actually given more? The parable of the widow's mite certainly applies here.
I disagree that there is no accounting of money spent- some of it is very well accounted for- there are a lot of new contracts issued with very clear accounting. Is some of the money "black"? Most assuredly. Has some of the money been wasted? Also most assuredly- we are after all talking about people here, for every 100 decent ones there's gonna be a Hunter Biden or ten to screw things up. Sometimes they get away with it, sometimes they get caught.
Also, money is far cheaper to give than blood. I'd rather help the Ukrainians fight for themselves than have to send my grandkids or your kids/grandkids to fight- which will (I am certain) happen if Ukraine loses.
I kinda agree with your next point about the elites, but I dont think they want war as much as obscurement of the other issues/problems. War is always uncertain and ceases to give the other side an easy "out"-And you never know if the other guy says "Enough" and pushes the button. A constant ramp up of rhetoric and tension achieves the same thing far more safely.
As an illustration I believe most civilized countries learned an object lesson from the Falklands war- Argentina needed a distraction for its staggering 3000% inflation rate and the junta chose war as that distraction. However, they failed the "what if" test. Just because you don't think your opponent will respond over what is essentially a chain of rocks in the South Atlantic doesn't mean they won't.
Finally, if war comes we will definitely bear a burden, a harsh one- but as long as it doesn't go nuclear we wont bear the majority of that burden- it will be our European allies whose lands get literally "raped and pillaged".
As to "for what reason", I have to point out that completely echoes a French saying from 1939, "Why die for Danzig?". In answer, you do it because simply because (paraphrasing here) "all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing". If I have learned nothing else from history, I've learned that to be true.
