"This is a far cry from the “several thousand” that Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said..."
Well yeah, but he was probably, as ever, the smartest guy in the room at the time. It's usually wise to apportion pinches of salt in accordance with people's opinion of themselves in rank among smart people in a room, paying particular attention to anyone who may have been a member of the (Oxford) Bullingdon Club. This, as is so often the case, it would seem, is NOT an exception but goodly illustration of the guideline.
"...“replacement migrants”..."
Works for Poland: it's either them or others from Syria or Libya or elsewhere, where once peaceful and stable societies ("Was Libya the most advanced nation in Africa?" Google AI Overview
"Yes, Libya was once considered the most advanced country in Africa: Human development In 2010, the United Nations Human Development Report ranked Libya as the most advanced country in Africa for human development.
Standard of living Libya once had one of the highest standards of living in Africa, with free healthcare and education.
Per capita GDP Libya had one of the highest nominal per capita GDPs in Africa, due to its oil revenues and small population.
Libya's economy is primarily dependent on oil, which accounts for over 95% of export earnings and 60% of GDP. The country's wealth was built after the discovery of significant oil reserves in 1959. However, Libya's stability has been shattered since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.") have been destroyed by UK/UN/US Axis hegemony, with Israel now preparing to work on Syria (again).
"It’s beginning to dawn on everyone..."
Duh!
That's what you get for listening to the smartest guys in the room!
Well done! My conundrum is whether the marital-addition of Annie Applebaum to Sikorski creates a "smartest" whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
"The impression that observers are left with is that continued Western aid for Ukraine is questionable if its own draft-aged citizens abroad aren’t interested in fighting for their homeland. "
This assumes that moral considerations play any role in thr western calculus. They do not, any more than western leaders care what Crimeans think. Ukraine could turn into an uninhibited desert and western governments suddenly would affect a touching concern for the rights of the lizards.
Anyway, I know plenty of healthy Ukrainian men of military age. Most are all "Slava Urkiana!" and none are in any hurry to return to participate in any glorious victories to come.
When the current Ukraine government becomes a government in exile in London or Brussels, they would have better luck in recruiting, at least initially, with all the lard overflowing.
When I was young, I judged Viet Nam draft dodgers, as we called them, harshly. When Jimmy Carter pardoned them so many years later, I judged him harshly. It's only now, sadly, that I am over my patriotic brainwashing and can see how wrong I was.
Patriotism and love of one's country is admirable in the context of being attacked, but it is not only -not admirable when your country is the aggressor, it is stupid. There is no honor in giving one's life in support of objectives other than defense of those you love. But, when defense is required, duty calls.
So, how shall we judge these kids in Poland? Do we judge them as cowards because they lack knowledge of how cynical their leaders are and fled out of fear for their lives, or do we judge them as intelligent for perceiving at some level that duty did not call in this fight? Hard to say, but I lean toward the later much more than the former.
If the intention was that this legion consist solely of Ukrainians, this exercise was risible from the outset. No Ukrainian that truly wants to fight would ever have left Ukraine in the first place.
Contrary to the mostly scornful commentary directed at these people, I find myself reserving judgement on draft-age Ukrainians that have left the country. To begin with, the desire to get out from under destruction raining down from the skies is an utterly rational act, particularly if you have family you wish to take safely out of harm's way.
Also, I am in no position to assess the general attitudes of common Ukrainian citizens. They live in what they know is a corrupt country, where too many of their "leaders" are looking out only for Number One, and have shown themselves willing to take maximum advantage of the ordinary citizen whenever opportunity presents itself. This is evident from Zelensky on down.
Then there is perhaps the belief that a small number of ultra-nationalists are driving public policy towards war, and a total lack of desire to fight for these things. Listening to Zelensky's speeches prior to his election, it is clear that he was running on a peace platform where all Ukrainians would live peacefully side by side, with everyone's rights respected. A majority voted for him because he promised peace, not a war to create a new "4th Reich." It seems clear that a majority were willing to peacefully coexist beside the Russian-speaking part of the population.
But now that active war has started, destruction proceeds and people continue to die. Anger and bitter feeling has been unleashed that will be hard to reverse, since once such sentiments reach a certain point, they tend to feed on themselves. A sane majority can see where this is all heading, and chooses not to sacrifice itself for a cause it doesn't even believe in.
Considering that, since its foundation, Ukraine has treated its population with undisguised cynicism, I don't see why the population should respond in kind.
Sikorosky, in the prank call with Vovan and Lexus, said that Poland was sending any Ukrainian convicted of a crime back to Ukraine. Does that seem to be the case?
I'd expected there to be a much greater crime issue in Poland by now, perhaps this is why.
"But there are not that many willing people.”
At least the current "smart"phone generation is "smart" enough to reject dying for USofT/UK/EU BULLSHIT.
"This is a far cry from the “several thousand” that Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said..."
Well yeah, but he was probably, as ever, the smartest guy in the room at the time. It's usually wise to apportion pinches of salt in accordance with people's opinion of themselves in rank among smart people in a room, paying particular attention to anyone who may have been a member of the (Oxford) Bullingdon Club. This, as is so often the case, it would seem, is NOT an exception but goodly illustration of the guideline.
"...“replacement migrants”..."
Works for Poland: it's either them or others from Syria or Libya or elsewhere, where once peaceful and stable societies ("Was Libya the most advanced nation in Africa?" Google AI Overview
"Yes, Libya was once considered the most advanced country in Africa: Human development In 2010, the United Nations Human Development Report ranked Libya as the most advanced country in Africa for human development.
Standard of living Libya once had one of the highest standards of living in Africa, with free healthcare and education.
Per capita GDP Libya had one of the highest nominal per capita GDPs in Africa, due to its oil revenues and small population.
Libya's economy is primarily dependent on oil, which accounts for over 95% of export earnings and 60% of GDP. The country's wealth was built after the discovery of significant oil reserves in 1959. However, Libya's stability has been shattered since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.") have been destroyed by UK/UN/US Axis hegemony, with Israel now preparing to work on Syria (again).
"It’s beginning to dawn on everyone..."
Duh!
That's what you get for listening to the smartest guys in the room!
Well done! My conundrum is whether the marital-addition of Annie Applebaum to Sikorski creates a "smartest" whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
"Well done!"
?
"...a 'smartest' whole..."
I should think THEY most likely believe that's the case. Belief doesn't always work in reality, though.
R U hyperventilating?
?
I was following-along & ridiculing them!..?
OK, fair enough... Each to his own.
Not quite sure what it's got to do with the state of my breathing, though. (No, I'm not hyperventilating.)
"The impression that observers are left with is that continued Western aid for Ukraine is questionable if its own draft-aged citizens abroad aren’t interested in fighting for their homeland. "
This assumes that moral considerations play any role in thr western calculus. They do not, any more than western leaders care what Crimeans think. Ukraine could turn into an uninhibited desert and western governments suddenly would affect a touching concern for the rights of the lizards.
Anyway, I know plenty of healthy Ukrainian men of military age. Most are all "Slava Urkiana!" and none are in any hurry to return to participate in any glorious victories to come.
The cold, hard calculus: how can you arm, and fantasize victory via, non-existent troops.
When the current Ukraine government becomes a government in exile in London or Brussels, they would have better luck in recruiting, at least initially, with all the lard overflowing.
When I was young, I judged Viet Nam draft dodgers, as we called them, harshly. When Jimmy Carter pardoned them so many years later, I judged him harshly. It's only now, sadly, that I am over my patriotic brainwashing and can see how wrong I was.
Patriotism and love of one's country is admirable in the context of being attacked, but it is not only -not admirable when your country is the aggressor, it is stupid. There is no honor in giving one's life in support of objectives other than defense of those you love. But, when defense is required, duty calls.
So, how shall we judge these kids in Poland? Do we judge them as cowards because they lack knowledge of how cynical their leaders are and fled out of fear for their lives, or do we judge them as intelligent for perceiving at some level that duty did not call in this fight? Hard to say, but I lean toward the later much more than the former.
If the intention was that this legion consist solely of Ukrainians, this exercise was risible from the outset. No Ukrainian that truly wants to fight would ever have left Ukraine in the first place.
Contrary to the mostly scornful commentary directed at these people, I find myself reserving judgement on draft-age Ukrainians that have left the country. To begin with, the desire to get out from under destruction raining down from the skies is an utterly rational act, particularly if you have family you wish to take safely out of harm's way.
Also, I am in no position to assess the general attitudes of common Ukrainian citizens. They live in what they know is a corrupt country, where too many of their "leaders" are looking out only for Number One, and have shown themselves willing to take maximum advantage of the ordinary citizen whenever opportunity presents itself. This is evident from Zelensky on down.
Then there is perhaps the belief that a small number of ultra-nationalists are driving public policy towards war, and a total lack of desire to fight for these things. Listening to Zelensky's speeches prior to his election, it is clear that he was running on a peace platform where all Ukrainians would live peacefully side by side, with everyone's rights respected. A majority voted for him because he promised peace, not a war to create a new "4th Reich." It seems clear that a majority were willing to peacefully coexist beside the Russian-speaking part of the population.
But now that active war has started, destruction proceeds and people continue to die. Anger and bitter feeling has been unleashed that will be hard to reverse, since once such sentiments reach a certain point, they tend to feed on themselves. A sane majority can see where this is all heading, and chooses not to sacrifice itself for a cause it doesn't even believe in.
Considering that, since its foundation, Ukraine has treated its population with undisguised cynicism, I don't see why the population should respond in kind.
Sikorosky, in the prank call with Vovan and Lexus, said that Poland was sending any Ukrainian convicted of a crime back to Ukraine. Does that seem to be the case?
I'd expected there to be a much greater crime issue in Poland by now, perhaps this is why.