By Yuriy Kasyanov
Translated from Russian by J.Hawk
Let’s speak openly. We are losing the war. The string of battlefield defeats, punctuated by the so-called “peace agreements” demonstrates the political powerlessness of the government and the total inadequacy of the military high command. Let’s count. The agreement to let Girkin [a.k.a. Strelkov] from Slavyansk, the destruction of our forces in the border sector D, Ilovaysk, the retreat from Lugansk airport, the loss of Novoazovsk, 32nd and 32st checkpoints, the defeat at Donetsk Airport, Debaltsevo…It’s a far from complete list of our failures. The list of victorious lies is even longer: we tend to call our defeats victories, and to blame the Kremlin for all the failures. If the retreat cannot be prevented then it has to be renamed, by calling it a “planned withdrawal” with subsequent military decorations and commemorative photos. The treacherous Putin can serve as an alibi personal cowardice and incompetence. Our losses are under-reported by a wide margin. We are short of equipment, artillery ammunition is nearly all gone; we can’t expect military aid from the glorious Western democracies. We can see the specter of total military catastrophe, the loss of even greater territories, an economic collapse, and the break-up of the state system of governance.
We are losing. We are losing because we are fighting an enemy which we do not want to defeat. The enemy is not the homegrown separatists, not Russian occupiers, and not even the entire “Russian world” of Putin. We are our own enemy number one: our cowardly short-sighted leaders and clumsy commanders; our new/old Rada, incapable of accepting the responsibility for the country; the mindless corruption which had become a part of our lives; our serf worldview which expects favors from a good master.
We do have enlightened minds, clean hands, and burning hearts. Nearly all of them are at the front. In general brains work better at war; life becomes more understandable and people show their true nature. Here you are valued by your deeds and not by your words; no rank, expensive equipment, or fashionable assault rifle are worth anything if the person is a craven coward. Here they fight well enough, to the extent that our GenStaff does not interfere; they consider each peace agreement the prelude to an even bigger war, and they know what needs to be done for that victory.
It’s different behind the front. Some are praying for the president, others curse him. While cursing, they find themselves a new icon on the blue screen, and pray to it. Behind the front, people put their hopes in the West, sanctions, and military aid. They consider all volunteers heroes, and the prominent battalion commanders Napoleons. Behind the front they don’t want to fight and don’t like bad news. In the battle between the truth about the war and the TV, the latter wins. When the reality of war penetrates mass consciousness, the citizens fall into cognitive dissonance with the propaganda inculcated earlier. It may end with a blind rebellion—an assault on the presidential administration, a siege of the GenStaff, the burning of the Rada, or the destruction of other foundations of the state which would only make our northern neighbor happy.
Complete story at - "We are losing"--Maidan die-hard toys with the idea of military dictatorship - Fort Russ
Translated from Russian by J.Hawk
Let’s speak openly. We are losing the war. The string of battlefield defeats, punctuated by the so-called “peace agreements” demonstrates the political powerlessness of the government and the total inadequacy of the military high command. Let’s count. The agreement to let Girkin [a.k.a. Strelkov] from Slavyansk, the destruction of our forces in the border sector D, Ilovaysk, the retreat from Lugansk airport, the loss of Novoazovsk, 32nd and 32st checkpoints, the defeat at Donetsk Airport, Debaltsevo…It’s a far from complete list of our failures. The list of victorious lies is even longer: we tend to call our defeats victories, and to blame the Kremlin for all the failures. If the retreat cannot be prevented then it has to be renamed, by calling it a “planned withdrawal” with subsequent military decorations and commemorative photos. The treacherous Putin can serve as an alibi personal cowardice and incompetence. Our losses are under-reported by a wide margin. We are short of equipment, artillery ammunition is nearly all gone; we can’t expect military aid from the glorious Western democracies. We can see the specter of total military catastrophe, the loss of even greater territories, an economic collapse, and the break-up of the state system of governance.
We are losing. We are losing because we are fighting an enemy which we do not want to defeat. The enemy is not the homegrown separatists, not Russian occupiers, and not even the entire “Russian world” of Putin. We are our own enemy number one: our cowardly short-sighted leaders and clumsy commanders; our new/old Rada, incapable of accepting the responsibility for the country; the mindless corruption which had become a part of our lives; our serf worldview which expects favors from a good master.
We do have enlightened minds, clean hands, and burning hearts. Nearly all of them are at the front. In general brains work better at war; life becomes more understandable and people show their true nature. Here you are valued by your deeds and not by your words; no rank, expensive equipment, or fashionable assault rifle are worth anything if the person is a craven coward. Here they fight well enough, to the extent that our GenStaff does not interfere; they consider each peace agreement the prelude to an even bigger war, and they know what needs to be done for that victory.
It’s different behind the front. Some are praying for the president, others curse him. While cursing, they find themselves a new icon on the blue screen, and pray to it. Behind the front, people put their hopes in the West, sanctions, and military aid. They consider all volunteers heroes, and the prominent battalion commanders Napoleons. Behind the front they don’t want to fight and don’t like bad news. In the battle between the truth about the war and the TV, the latter wins. When the reality of war penetrates mass consciousness, the citizens fall into cognitive dissonance with the propaganda inculcated earlier. It may end with a blind rebellion—an assault on the presidential administration, a siege of the GenStaff, the burning of the Rada, or the destruction of other foundations of the state which would only make our northern neighbor happy.
Complete story at - "We are losing"--Maidan die-hard toys with the idea of military dictatorship - Fort Russ
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