Yesterday, I was doorknocking for the Greens. This is not an evangelical, foot-in-the-door exercise, but a matter of asking and listening. My version is some version of “What are the things you want to see changed?”
One lady’s response was, “Stop all these terrible wars.”
I managed not to cry in agreement.
The focus is currently on Gaza, but Ukraine is also an ongoing atrocity. Oleksandr Mykhed lived a great life until the Russian invasion. He immediately joined the army, and while he is still alive, many of his friends and colleagues are gone. He has just had a book published: The Language of War.
Please read this powerful interview of him by Charlotte Higgins.
Bobbing Around 
I wonder how many russians who are being forced into military service today, even know that (toward the end of WW2), the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – when Germany was on the brink of invading russia – all provided vast amounts of food, clothing, medical aid and miliary support in the hope that russia could re-organise themselves and defeat Germany… which they did.
Given what russia has recently perpetrated upon Ukraine, is that what russian conscripts really believe is in their country’s best interests? Bloody short memories, if that’s what they think is the case. Would they really want the blood of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians on their hands, just to satisfy the overblown egocentric views of a few megalomaniacs who don’t in reality give a damn what happens to them?
Once bitten, twice shy. No way should western powers have any sympathy for putin’s heartless, illogical regime. There will be an unfavourable outcome for putin; but more so for at least a million Ukrainian and russian families. And yes, The Hauge awaits you mr. putin.
Trevor Tucker.
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“The first casualty in a war is truth. The rest are mostly civilians.”
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