Going to War Against Russia

There's a few things people need to keep in mind when considering whether or not to enlist for a war, and now is probably a good time to think about this, before everybody gets so caught up in irrational thinking that they can no longer think straight.

First thing to remember is that wars are fought between states. The default position for anarchists should therefore be to avoid it as much as possible. We're at perpetual war with the state anyway, and it doesn't make much difference to us who's in charge of the local state apparatus unless the enemy is vastly more oppressive than what we already have. In fact, a foreign power may make things easier for us due to the inefficiencies that emerge from its efforts to manage things remotely.

Things to consider in this respect, include taxation rates, cultural differences and history. Russia has a flat income tax at 13%, its an orthodox Christian nation, and it has shown itself to be benign when in contact with the West.

Finland was better treated under Russian rule than under Swedish rule. The Swedes insisted on Swedish language and culture being taught in schools. The Russians, on the other hand, allowed for free expression of Finnish culture.

Russian troops pulled out of Austria, western Germany, and Norway after the second world war. They kept their promises, so there's no reason to believe that Russia will break any promises or behave badly after winning a war. They are not cultural imperialists, and life under Russian rule is not necessarily any worse than under local rule.

Another thing to keep in mind is the enemy's motives. What is the goal of the expansion? Is it to gain control of resources and land, or is it to gain control of one's own borders? In the case of Russia and Ukraine, we're most likely looking at the enforcement of a doctrine. The Russians want to keep NATO our of Ukraine. Beyond that, they have no special goals. They aren't going to steal anything, or force the Ukrainians to become Russians.

Enlisting to fight the Russians is therefore a highly risky venture that only makes sense to whom a NATO membership and the current Ukrainian government are of great personal importance. My guess is that most Ukrainians are neither particularly fond of NATO nor their own government, so we're not likely to see a rush of young Ukrainians enlisting for a deadly fight. They are better off keeping their heads down while the fighting lasts and then return to their old ways once the dust settles.

As far as practical everyday life is concerned, it makes little difference to the average Ukrainian whether their government is run by NATO friendly stooges or Russia friendly vassals. The differences between the two options are certainly not worth risking one's life over, so I'd be surprised to see a great number of highly motivated Ukrainians taking up weapons against the Russians.

Snipers

By davric - collection personnelle, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link