I'm confused as what else Ukraine is supposed to do. Hold elections, where people queueing up have the potential to become causality rich targets. I read the mysterious but well written email and it could be legit, but it could be a form of informational warfare. During my globe trotting days, I did run into Serbian army deserters who had thrown away their chance for a post war life, career, etc because they did not want to commit war crimes. Is Ukraine asking of their young men to become war criminals, be part of a war of aggression against another country
After the war, would it be fair to a person who fought and suffered to expect to treat another person who avoided whatever as a citizen on equal terms. Is this war really just about Putin, or is about being free enough to build a country that can live without the corrupting influence of the likes of Putin and the oligarchs. Seems like from I have read that this war has been going on for hundreds of years, so I can't imagine that it would come as a surprise that a person, growing up as a Ukraine, would be asked to do what their ancestors had done not willingly but out of necessity too.
Maybe what isn't be said is that many of these people have given up already, and if so it would make sense not to risk your limbs being turned into hamburger. Who knows, but it is tough situation all around and there are definitely multiple points of view, multiple historical precedents about the harm that forced conscription does down the road to a country's body politic. My impression is that many Ukraines treat this war as an existential war not against body but also against the spirit of what is called Ukraine. Those that are fighting this battle have so much historical precedence to be asking ugly things to prevent even more ugly things from happening on their soil. Who doubts what would happen if russia did win in this post truth world for Ukraine and for our own rules based countries.
China has a system where a person convicted of a crime is allowed to pay somebody to served their prison sentence. The rich have always found ways to escape going to war. Leonard Bernstein in WWII was spared going to war because he was considered a cultural asset. What if everyone's children would've been classed as a cultural asset during WWII, and the NAZIs had more time to develop its rocket program. Similarly, what is likely to happen if russia senses that Ukrainians are having systematic manpower problems, vis a vis what if their RADA had voted against the new law. Would russia back off or increase its efforts? On the other hand, what if russians understood that this war was going to take much longer. Nobody knows which road will lead to peace the quickest. If Ukraine did surrender, given their history, there is a good chance there would be a civil war and civil wars are often extremely ugly.
If I was an 18 year old male, waiting for the next Eurovision contest to air in Vienna, Austria, ya I would not like not having my passport renewed. But, there are large multi generational issues at play and while as an armchair credit I can sympathize, I too have a responsibility to say out loud that regardless of the forces of chance, the world would be a much better place if we all exercise our responsibilities to our fellow citizen(s). Should our freedom come at the expense of another person's freedom.
I'm confused as what else Ukraine is supposed to do. Hold elections, where people queueing up have the potential to become causality rich targets. I read the mysterious but well written email and it could be legit, but it could be a form of informational warfare. During my globe trotting days, I did run into Serbian army deserters who had thrown away their chance for a post war life, career, etc because they did not want to commit war crimes. Is Ukraine asking of their young men to become war criminals, be part of a war of aggression against another country
After the war, would it be fair to a person who fought and suffered to expect to treat another person who avoided whatever as a citizen on equal terms. Is this war really just about Putin, or is about being free enough to build a country that can live without the corrupting influence of the likes of Putin and the oligarchs. Seems like from I have read that this war has been going on for hundreds of years, so I can't imagine that it would come as a surprise that a person, growing up as a Ukraine, would be asked to do what their ancestors had done not willingly but out of necessity too.
Maybe what isn't be said is that many of these people have given up already, and if so it would make sense not to risk your limbs being turned into hamburger. Who knows, but it is tough situation all around and there are definitely multiple points of view, multiple historical precedents about the harm that forced conscription does down the road to a country's body politic. My impression is that many Ukraines treat this war as an existential war not against body but also against the spirit of what is called Ukraine. Those that are fighting this battle have so much historical precedence to be asking ugly things to prevent even more ugly things from happening on their soil. Who doubts what would happen if russia did win in this post truth world for Ukraine and for our own rules based countries.
China has a system where a person convicted of a crime is allowed to pay somebody to served their prison sentence. The rich have always found ways to escape going to war. Leonard Bernstein in WWII was spared going to war because he was considered a cultural asset. What if everyone's children would've been classed as a cultural asset during WWII, and the NAZIs had more time to develop its rocket program. Similarly, what is likely to happen if russia senses that Ukrainians are having systematic manpower problems, vis a vis what if their RADA had voted against the new law. Would russia back off or increase its efforts? On the other hand, what if russians understood that this war was going to take much longer. Nobody knows which road will lead to peace the quickest. If Ukraine did surrender, given their history, there is a good chance there would be a civil war and civil wars are often extremely ugly.
If I was an 18 year old male, waiting for the next Eurovision contest to air in Vienna, Austria, ya I would not like not having my passport renewed. But, there are large multi generational issues at play and while as an armchair credit I can sympathize, I too have a responsibility to say out loud that regardless of the forces of chance, the world would be a much better place if we all exercise our responsibilities to our fellow citizen(s). Should our freedom come at the expense of another person's freedom.