I don’t think Representative Crenshaw should publicly confess to this. More hawkish on Russia than most of his colleagues, he’s in the habit of dismissing those who object to his views as “fools” and “stupid.”

But aren’t people who inveigh on grave matters of statecraft obliged to know something about those they consider our enemies? Dagestan is well known precisely because it’s been at the center of so much historical conflict between Russia and Persia. It’s been the site of post-Soviet rebellion, when Chechens joined in to try to create an independent state out of what has been one of the federation’s recognized and semi-autonomous republics.

I’m not saying every hawk should know the peculiar details about the legislature in Bashkortostan. But some rough idea about who the Dagestanis or the Tuvan people are would give you a guide to understanding not just Russia but its strengths and pain points.