What are we to conclude about these contradictory wars (in Gaza and Ukraine) and
American attitudes toward them? The more democratic and defensive the power, the more Americans support it—but only up to a point. Even more, they demand quick victory—and lose interest when the wars stagnate, costs increase, and protests grow. When Ukraine and Israel began costly counteroffensives, the former losing thousands and the latter killing thousands, the American public began to be less invested in either war.