On Thu, 2 Mar 2000 21:23:04 +0100 (CET), Michael Polak wrote:
> On Thu, 2 Mar 2000, Samuel W. Heywood wrote:
>> Hello Michael:
>> It is a great honor and a privilege for a citizen to be selected to serve in
>> the forces that guard one's country and protect her ideals of freedom and
>> liberty. It is most shameful and selfish for one to love his career and his
>> academic pursuits more than he would love his own country. You can search
> I don't share this opinion, and I think I can I quite like my country,
> which I think I have proved by not moving to some other countries, where
> various companies were offering me well paid jobs, either temporary or
> permanent. By simple fact that I decided to stay here in Prague, I helped
> my country a lot, because I convert my income from USD to local currency
> and support local economy in many ways.
> I don't believe that conscription-based army can help ideals like
> democracy of freedom. It is true, that many battles on side of democracy
> were won by conscription-based armies, but look at armies of totalitarian
> or military countries during recent two centuries: ALL of them were
> conscription based !!! Drafted Czech men in Austrian army were fighting
> Czech volunteers ("Legions") who were supporting Western nations in World
> War I. I have absolutely no illusions of role of conscription in history,
> and most Western European politicians too: most EU countries already
> abolished conscription. In my country they are planning it too, but
> parliament is proceeding way too slow :-(
> And I really don't share your definition of "honor and privilege". Yes,
> maybe I would decide to defend my country of choice as volunteer, but
> definitely it won't increase my love to certain country if I am FORCED to
> defend it. Now way.
>> everywhere on the net and you will never find a freeware version of Liberty
>> that is certifiable as authentic. Beware. None of the counterfeit versions
>> are functional, and they are all virus-infested. As for the Genuine
>> Authorized Edition, The Author of the Copyright will most happily issue
>> the Unlimited Usage License to anyone who regrets very much that he has but
>> one life to give for it. The asking price is so nominal that virtually
>> everyone with a dedicated heart may easily afford to buy it. Apply for your
>> very own personalized copy today. Sign up and register!
> In Europe, we have learnt exactly opposite thing, and we have learnt it
> the hard way. MOST European nations had conscription based armies, and
> MOST of them were fighting each other in very evil ways for centuries.
> Today, it is absurd to have classical army, because it is useless againist
> up-to date weapons: regular army can be used only to terrorize civilians,
> as was proved in Kosovo or Chechnya (but you may name also other wars of
> other countries, which happened some time ago..), but soldiers are useless
> against high-tech weapons, they are just canonen-fodder.
Soldiers are indeed most useless when they engage by conventional means an
enemy equipped with superior technology and resources. Ethiopian warriors
wielding spears proved most ineffective against an enemy rolling over them
with tanks. Equally futile was the famous Polish cavalry charge attacking
a Panzer division. Rather than to stand one's ground and fight in a
conventional and traditional manner, there are many other options besides
surrender and capitulation. The defenders may conduct guerrilla warfare
campaigns, as did the French patriots in WWII. Another option is to wage
non-violent disobedience movements against the occupying power.
I can very well understand the philosophical objections to the principle
of conscription. Everyone hates to have any kind of obligation forced upon
them by their governments. It would indeed be a far better world if all of
its citizens would willingly agree to offer their services to their
respective countries whenever their governments should have need for them.
The problem is that in many countries there are not enough volunteers. Any
nation that fails to adequately prepare itself to deal with the potential
threat of aggression from the outside or subversion from the inside will
most certainly be taken over by a greedy and evil power. Then follows the
enslavement of the conquered peoples, and their conscription by a
government that is far more corrupt than the vanquished one they declined
to defend.
I see your attitudes as very high minded and idealistic. Your philosophy
provides the right answers for living in an ideal world. Unfortunately,
that is not the kind of world we are living in. I think you should also
very carefully examine and consider some realistic perspectives. I want
you to know that I think that your feelings are quite normal and typical
and just as romantic as expected of a young man of your age. I know, I've
been there.
> Additionally, my country is not in war, army and conscripion is just heavy
> economical disadvantage for us. And yet again, I would consider
> _volunteering_ in army of realy free and democratic country, but 1) they
> force me instead of aske me whether I want or don't want 2) I have still
> certain doubts about certains laws valid in my country and certain doubts
> about our leaders, so I may decide not to volunteers.
> Ooops. No choice. Absolutely no choice under communist goverment, very
> little choice under democractic (military or civil service).
> There are countries, which I consider to be very free, which don't have
> conscription, or at least not while they are not in war: UK, Canada, New
> Zealand, and just recently, most EU countries.
>> The setup options will allow you to easily configure your program either
>> for civilian use as well as for armed forces use, or even for both.
>> Make sure that you order the version that is compatible with your operating
>> system.
> Arachne is free for non-commercial user, and works even without
> registering. Linux is even more free and anarchic and works even better
> for people who are patient enough.
If Linux is like an orderly anarchy, then I can well understand why you are
into it.
All the best,
Sam Heywood
-- This mail was written by user of Arachne, the Ultimate Internet Client
