This video about Russians fleeing military service and the inanity of their government (zookeepers) is insane.
Over 40 kilometers of vehicles in line to get the hell out of Dodge.
I applaud any and everyone for refusing and doing whatever they can to not be part of violence. Especially in the form of military service. Governments are essentially the drivers of war, people just seem to be swept up along for the ride. Individually, left to their individual conscience, people would not fight but for the push and pressure and drumbeats of government fools.
"In all history, there is no war which was not hatched by the governments, the governments alone, independent of the interests of the people, to whom war is always pernicious even when successful." - Tolstoy, Christianity and Patriotism (1895)
On this issue, I’m as Quaker as you can get without being a Quaker. I stand by the moral dictum of Tolstoy himself that it is morally superior to suffer violence than to do violence. I highly recommend his last book and most precious work - The Law Of Love And The Law Of Violence.
I think at these times of all those who’ve stood up for non-violence and peace. Of course, the usual heroes but also those like the Berrigan Brothers, I think of Sam Hamill and his Poets Against The War and Ploughshares project. I think of Thich Nhat Hanh and his dreams of peace. I think of all the dedicated people in eduction, promoting peace to students. Finally, I think of Emma Goldman and her dreams of a different order and world, of equity and peace.
These are some of my own influences on this topic, this fight against the madness that is institutional violence.
summer grasses–
all that remains
of soldiers' dreams
spring rain–
not writing a thing
I become sad
- Basho
We need to do more. We think we are “advancing” but morally, we are way behind our ancient forbearers. Truly. Our rabid destruction in the world, our budgets, and efforts expended on war and violence, our tribal partaking in violence, our mythologizing and glorification of wars and heroism daily on our screens … show our true insane colors.
We need to start seeing war and large-scale violence as a symptom of a world that does not guarantee the rights of its citizens, the people of this planet. This polluted water, the injustice, and the swill of human existence make war happen and possible. We need to fix things there, first.
But if you can’t change these things - flee. My door and my heart will always be open to any refusniks. True heroes.