Kiev's Psychopomps Have Their Western Counterparts
Like it or not, Ukraine-style mobilization in Western countries isn't off the table. Here's what it's like:
Those of you who’ve been following the situation in Ukraine since 2022 are probably aware that a Ukrainian mobilization has taken place on a scale not see in Europe since the Second World War. Even Serbia’s response to the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s is dwarfed in comparison. While Kiev does fabricate statistics on a regular basis, we see no reason to believe they need to lie about personnel numbers - At least not to any great extent.
For the first six months following the start of the situation, young Ukrainians stirred on by emotional propaganda and social pressures flocked to military enlistment facilities across the country. Now, however, the situation has changed. More than two years in, with no clear sign of victory for Kiev, recruitment numbers have steadily dropped. This is a problem for Ukraine’s governing forces, not due to a practical demand for troop replenishment (Ukraine still vastly outnumbers Russia in terms of deployed personnel) but for less obvious reasons. One of them is simply the global propaganda benefits that come when a government has the support of a vindictive and bloodthirsty population. International visitors to UAF enlistment offices in 2022 would’ve found it easy to buy Kiev’s projected image of a unified, highly motivated nation passionately opposing an evil aggressor.
Now, us enlightened ones know this image of Ukraine for what it is - A fraud. But the masses of agitated young Ukrainians who queued to join the army two years ago believed otherwise. And what’s more, their belief in this vigorously-woven image and their readiness to fight and endowed Kiev’s political decisions with popular legitimacy - Even those made behind closed doors. Every peace deal declined, every shiny new weapon Zelensky begged for in front of some parliament or congress. All of this was based on Ukraine having a willing and supportive population prepared to fight it out. With that image gone, Zelensky looks more and more like the depraved dictator his critics accuse him of being - Especially now that he’s canceled this year’s elections.
Kiev needs fresh troops. But with all the men who’ve fled the country to avoid fighting, and the countless others already dead in this fratricidal war, it’s a desperate situation. And desperate situations are often met with desperate measures.
Allow us to introduce to you, our dear readers, the terror of Ukraine. No, it’s not the SBU, or the UAF, or even the lunatic brigades like Azov. Instead, Ukrainian men live in daily fear of a different organization entirely: The Ukrainian Military Registration and Enlistment Office.
What is this mundane-sounding tentacle of Ukraine’s overbearing state apparatus, you might ask? Take a look for yourself:
Yes. Ukraine’s Military Registration and Enlistment Office is a modern day press-gang. And a particularly vicious one at that. These groups have made waves across international alternative media due to their exceptionally nasty methods of targeting and forcibly mobilizing ordinary Ukrainians. In particular, the various instances of handicapped men being forced into service has repulsed audiences worldwide. Yet, stories such as this are only becoming more and more common as the situation drags on month after month.
“Whisper of the Front”, a Russian-language Telegram channel, reported the following:
The recruitment office kidnapped and tortured a paralyzed man. A woman from the Brovary district reported the abduction of her mobilized ex-husband in Khust, in Transcarpathia. The man had health problems, including paralysis of the face and arm, and was preparing for surgery. Despite this, he was kidnapped and tortured in a basement. After being tortured, he was declared "healthy" and sent to training. The wife appealed to the Human Rights Ombudsman. In the Khust region, this is the third case reported in which the relatives of the victims dared to speak up.
But the officers of Ukraine’s MREO aren’t just brutal, they’re also very clever. In a video shared to our Twitter account, officers stalked a man’s house until all the members of his family were home. Then, they shut off the power to the entire building. Being winter, you can probably imagine the sort of effect this would have on those inside. The idea is that when the man steps outside to check his power meter, his stalkers suddenly appear from behind, and promptly throw him into a van which is speedily driven away. Its destination: Parts Unknown. Most likely the front, after basic training under close supervision. An observation: Isn’t it interesting how, despite the ongoing conflict and the intense propaganda war waged against them, Russians are still very concerned about the wellbeing of Ukrainians? Stories like the one reported by Whisper of the Front, as we see it, show the deep compassion Russians feel for their Ukrainian brothers. Some things go beyond politics and labels.
The Press has long been an unsavory but practically necessary extension of warfare. Most beleaguered nations throughout history relied on it: The Romans, Persians, and Chinese are just a few good examples. During the Napoleonic wars, the practice was referred to as the “Levee en Masse” - It was highly effective, but plagued by controversy. Ultimately, a situation was reached where the Imperial government was forced to stop raiding French villages for conscripts, lest another revolution take place.
Could a similar situation arise in Ukraine? It’s unlikely. You see, Zelensky and his defense minister Umerov have used a clever tactic from the start of this conflict that would never have occurred to Bonaparte: Institutional gaslighting. And it works. The average Ukrainian hears: “We are winning. Russians are our blood enemies, soon we will free our homeland and reap rewards immeasurable.” And tragically, they believe every word of it. So, the brutalism and untruthfulness is overlooked. The mobilizations continue, and more Ukrainians perish day after day: With no end in sight.
Don’t think for a minute that what’s happening in Ukraine is limited to the Former Soviet Union or Eastern Europe. Not along, ago former United Kingdom Prime Minister and war hawk Boris Johnson made comments suggesting the UK may consider reimplementing national service, which was abolished in 1960. Of course, he assured the public he too would join the service. Of course he would, because when has Boris Johnson ever lied to anyone?
This sort of militaristic fantasy has gone from talk to action in Denmark, where the government recently announced it’s expanding its national service program to include women. Few countries in the world conscript women. Ukraine does, but of course they do. How could anyone expect otherwise? Ironically, many feminists in Ukraine complain that the mobilization of women hasn’t gone far enough and that not enough women have been sent to the front.
Please understand, dear readers, that just because your country hasn’t been to war in many years (looking at you, mein liebes Deutschland) or has an aging population (looking at you, una volta bella l'Italia) doesn’t mean a future mass mobilization scheme can’t or won’t take place. The age cap for mobilization in Ukraine is 60. 59-year-old men have been drafted and sent to the front. If something so absurd can take place without any serious resistance, what else could potentially happen?
While It might sound unlikely, it’s nevertheless a scenario worth taking into consideration. That why we’re here: To bring you news and concepts worth considering. So, don’t fall prey to Kiev’s Psychopomps, or London’s or Berlin’s. Don’t confuse national pride with ideological manipulation. Don’t make the same mistake Ukraine made.
We hope you enjoyed reading this week’s reflection, and would like to thank all of our new readers and subscribers who have joined us for the launch of this project. It means a lot. We intend to publish 3 scheduled posts on Substack each week, these being: Wednesdays (interviews) Fridays (reflections) and Sundays (translations). Of course, we’ll also publish additional articles on current events whenever necessary - For example, if there’s a serious change in condition at the front.
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