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Who’s a Reservist?

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In Russia, every man who went to college is considered an army reservist. You can either get drafted out of high school or go to college, get military training and military rank there, and become an army reservist who is eligible to be drafted at any time.

N holds the rank of lieutenant in the Russian army because he went to college. It’s an old Soviet system of complete militarization.

So when people say, “Putin is only drafting military reservists,” they don’t understand that it’s pretty much all men. Or at least, all men who don’t have money for a bribe.

19 responses to “Who’s a Reservist?”

  1. el Avatar
    el

    My aunt lives in Russia and has 2 sons who can be drafted, though we all hope it won’t happen for various reasons (work, health, invalid father). She doesn’t want to leave her home. Her son doesn’t want to leave his flat and a teaching position to wash floors in Israel. Another son is married to a Russian woman, has a daughter. She doesn’t want to leave her mother and a teaching position either. Things are complex. Not all people who stay are 100% fools or whatever.

    Btw, loved this song, both melody and lyrics. Very suitable to what our family is thinking of now:

    Разбор слов песни “Сел и поехал” группы “Несчастный случай”.
    https://avva.dreamwidth.org/3322675.html

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  2. el Avatar
    el

    My aunt’s younger son bought a ticket to Israel a week from now.

    We were so happy and then a few hours later my aunt phoned and said that a new order forbids men from leaving Rostovskaya oblast. 😦

    Don’t have words.

    He should have immigrated in summer, but didn’t, and now I don’t know what will happen.

    If somebody orders them to army, is there a way to hide? How? Do you have info, please?

    May Putin die in tortures. Only swear words now. 😦 😦 😦

    We are such a small family left. Only 3 of us in Israel, and my aunt’s family in Russia.

    Hoped he would be safe in Israel. 😦 😦 😦

    Btw, here is another reason why Israel is necessary despite the wars my country has.

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    1. cliff arroyo Avatar
      cliff arroyo

      “should have immigrated in summer, but didn’t”

      He probably counted on putin showing some kind of rationality at some point (like many western countries) and didn’t think he had to openly resist the government (despite the risks). A lot of people are going to be paying a high price for just letting the government do what it wants.
      If he didn’t figure out by Bucha where things were going to be headed then I’m very sorry….

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      1. el Avatar
        el

        \ didn’t think he had to openly resist the government (despite the risks).

        I wouldn’t “openly resist” any government in today’s Russia either. Would you? Honestly?

        In order to be arrested and drafted straight from a police station like has already happened in Russia? Because I do not see what he could’ve done alone except destroying his life.

        A harmless nerdy school teacher resisting alone Russian machine of repression is a joke. One needs armed opposition with a political program, like communists in 1917.

        Regarding Bucha, I know Russia commits war crimes. However, google for instance “2014 Gaza War” and see in wiki “Between 2,125 and 2,310 Gazans were killed during the conflict while between 10,626 and 10,895 were wounded (including 3,374 children, of whom over 1,000 were left permanently disabled).”

        Israel prides itself on being careful not to kill civilians, yet you see…

        EVERY war, including the ones waged by USA, is one huge Bucha.

        That’s why I cannot feel the shock and surprise expressed by many Westerners.

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        1. cliff arroyo Avatar
          cliff arroyo

          “I do not see what he could’ve done alone except destroying his life”

          Which he may have done anyway…
          It’s less an individual failure than a massive society-wide russian collective failure that has gone on for centuries.
          russia has no means for removing a leader….. let that sink in. hundreds of years of history of tyrants and autocrats and worse and they still have not found a way for a non-traumatic transfer of power. That is test in Society 101 and they’ve failed it continuously.
          Ukrainians stood up to an unjust government twice (2004 and 2013-14) and Poles did so many times (beginnning in 1956 a Polish uprising against the communists took place just before the Hungarian uprising)
          Poles and Ukrainians seem to understand ideas like ‘human dignity’ and ‘individual rights’ that simply don’t exist in russia.
          And the idea is not to resist at the last minute (when it’s too late) but earlier when other people are likely to join. russians have known they live in an increasingly totalitarian society for many years now and their passivity and indifference to suffering of others will have horrible effects for other people.
          I’m very sorry for your relative but if he finds himself in Ukraine I hope he can find a way to safely surrender (not as easy as it sounds).
          Most importantly, if he manages to stay out of the army before the whole mobilization shit show collapses (as its showing signs of already) he needs to leave as soon as possible.

          Liked by 1 person

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          1. Clarissa Avatar
            Clarissa

            This sad, resigned passivity is exactly why I emigrated. And it wasn’t over anything as serious as war mobilization. I got tired of repeating, “If we all say no, there’s nothing they can do to us.” Since then, Ukrainians somehow got it but Russians never did.

            I saw several videos yesterday of Russians in small towns “protesting.” They stand there, passively and morosely, like cattle. They could destroy that recruitment center to smithereens. They could overpower the few scared little policemen in minutes. But they just stand and look aggrieved. I’ve so had it with their aggrieved look. Do something already! Do it to save your lives, you dumb cattle.

            It’s like during the lockdowns. We had some of the strictest lockdown orders in the country. But we didn’t pay attention and just went on with our lives. People reopened their businesses and saved their livelihoods. And nobody did anything to us.

            Yes, there was never a danger of anybody shooting at us but that’s because we never let it get so far. You accept one injustice after another, and eventually it gets to the point of shooting. Find some dignity, some independence, and don’t let it get to the point where your life doesn’t belong to you.

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          2. Clarissa Avatar
            Clarissa

            This is all they know how to do. Get drunk and pass out:

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            1. Clarissa Avatar
              Clarissa

              Another possibility for a nation that’s too passive to protest: just don’t show up. Everybody, don’t show up.

              “Yes, but I’ll be arrested!”

              300,000 people will be arrested? Seriously? What will that look like exactly? At least a million police to effect the arrests and a staggering number of facilities to hold the arrested men will be needed. This is unrealistic.

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        2. Clarissa Avatar
          Clarissa

          Bucha isn’t about death in wartime. It’s specifically rape, torture and murder of civilians, in particular children, women, and the sick who aren’t fighting. Do Israeli soldiers routinely gang-rape Palestinian 6-year-olds? I think we would have heard about it if they did. Do they have torture chambers? Do they castrate Palestinian prisoners and film themselves doing it?

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        3. Clarissa Avatar
          Clarissa

          Did you watch yesterday’s Arestovich and Feigyn? I highly recommend. It’s specifically about what Russian men should do.

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          1. el Avatar
            el

            \ Did you watch yesterday’s Arestovich and Feigyn? I highly recommend.

            No. It’s very hard for me to watch videos, so I watch a few.

            When the 2022 war started at the great scale, watched more, but now got tired with work and all. Prefer to read.

            Now heard that my relative may yet leave. But it’s true for today, who knows what’ll be in a week. On Sunday the Jewish New Year begins, yet the mood is far from celebratory.

            Liked by 1 person

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            1. Clarissa Avatar
              Clarissa

              I hope he manages to get out, I really do.

              Please remember that we have a limited number of Jewish New Years that it is given to us to celebrate in our lives. We can’t let these bastards steal one of them for us. We must experience every ounce of joy that we can wring out of existence because if we don’t, they win. You help our victory by having a good time and celebrating like never before. Shana Tovah!

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              1. el Avatar
                el

                Thank you for your support. Shana Tovah!

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    2. Clarissa Avatar
      Clarissa

      I’m very sorry this is happening to your cousin.

      I also have a cousin in Russia who can be drafted. He’s Ukrainian, from the Donbass. I hope things work out for him and I hope for the best for your relative.

      Here’s a link on how to give yourself up to the Ukrainian army: https://www.google.com/amp/s/fakty.com.ua/ru/ukraine/20220910-bilyj-prapor-i-zbroya-na-zemli-instrukcziya-dlya-vijskovyh-rf-yak-pravylno-zdatysya-v-polon/amp/

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  3. cliff arroyo Avatar
    cliff arroyo

    “heard that my relative may yet leave”

    I hope he makes it out… first rule of escaping… leave everything you have to, don’t go back for luggage when you have your chance, run!

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. cliff arroyo Avatar
    cliff arroyo

    “Putin is only drafting ”

    The kind of good news is that the “mobilization” is turning into a massive shit show… the English version of generalsvr indicates that putain was told that the absolute last date limit for any kind of mobilization was in the middle of July but his usual indecision caused him to wait two months too late (and the system might be suffering from internal sabotage).

    They can’t even supply boots to current conscripts (telling them to steal them from dead soldiers) or give weapons to them that aren’t 50 years old (or older) and they think they can mobilize a million soldiers?

    It’s kind of amazing to see in real time…. putain couldn’t be doing more damage to russia if he were trying (I’m almost about to believe he’s a ringer sent in by the CIA to destroy the place).

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Clarissa Avatar
      Clarissa

      Immediately after announcing the mobilization, Putin left Moscow and hid in one of his places far away. The money to build the palaces was stolen from those poor bastards who are lining up to be mobilized. Now their lives are shit, so they don’t mind dying. It works pretty well.

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  5. el Avatar
    el

    Прямо захотелось прочитать Войну и Мир —

    В газетах, из которых впервые узнал старый князь об Аустерлицком поражении, было написано, как и всегда, весьма кратко и неопределенно, о том, что русские после блестящих баталий должны были отретироваться и ретираду произвели в совершенном порядке. Старый князь понял из этого официального известия, что наши были совершенно разбиты.

    «Война и мир»

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  6. el Avatar
    el

    This looks like trolling, but who knows —

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A conservative literary critic and college professor

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