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Ukrainian Civilians Receive Five Weeks of Military Training
Tens of thousands die, yet pro-war cheerleaders scream for more from their couches.
Within five weeks, 18 to 50-year-old Ukrainian store clerks, pastry chefs, hairdressers, taxi drivers, and service workers train for combat. Some voluntarily joined, while others didn't have a choice, but they will go to the frontlines, and many will die.
A government that forces people to kill or be killed isn't moral, and there is nothing noble about dying for your country. Most armies receive three months of basic training and ongoing exercises to prepare for battle. Still, trained killers endure post-traumatic stress and mental health disorders because killing people isn't innate.
We glorify war, but there's nothing glorious about it—war is a government's failure to negotiate and compromise, opting to sacrifice citizens' lives instead. Maybe, I'm naive, or perhaps, I value human life, but I would pursue every option to de-escalate disputes, and Ukraine, Russia, NATO, and the US had ample opportunities.
I would rather kill myself than bear the horrors of war, so I don't understand the mindset of the pro-war cheerleaders who advocate for violence from the comfort of their couch. Do they know people call out for their loved ones…