War in Ukraine: tanks rolled and stopped 1h outside Kiev. I have served in Artillery (EU country). I have seen what the Russian MLRS have done to Grozni some years back. Russians could have flattened Kiev in a week. I assume the move was to push Zelensky to quit. When they saw that this is not happening (the gamble didn't pay out) they fell back to the oblasts/regions they wanted to 'obtain'. This way they avoided a bloodbath (DDG's AI tells me Kiev had approx 2.9m population in 2022). Also if they would have flattened the capital (and killed or maimed 2m civilians in the process) then any 'moral justifications' Russians had would be eliminated. Also most (everyday people) in Russia feel Ukrainians are like brothers to them and they wouldn't forgive/forget Vlad the bloodsucker.
War of 1812 vs today: There are very few countries that have been in wars non-stop for decades. Yes, it's the USA. Maybe they don't call it "war with X country" but once you got military and they walk on foreign soil, packing guns, killing locals, yeah.. that's war alright (plus missiles, plus artillery, plus drones, plus warplanes, plus battleships, plus aircraft carriers). So imho the only country who is R-E-A-D-Y for war within a minute is the USA. Canada has Trudeau, and policemen wearing red, and horses, and snow. Sorry.. no chance. (I am leaving nukes aside as they guarantee M.A.D.)
Besides, all NATO countries participate in missions all over the world, which includes Canada. Americans seem to have nation-wide amnesia forgetting how many allied soldiers died fighting side by side with them.
Would you also have predicted the war in Ukraine the same way?