Take of the day: on opinions about disarment, I trust people who had experience with war more than unbombed folks.
What makes me not believe in absolute pacifism. It is easy to sit down drinking cappuccino/IPA/dubai labubu matcha with working electricity and no air raid alarm, and talk about all those high culture concepts of no borders and no weapons, in the center of empire. Secret is, when you are actively invaded every so often, you cannot afford giving up your means of self defense.
Great example of it is Budapest Memorandum. Before, Ukraine had the third biggest nuclear potential in the world. President Kuchma gave them up for a promise that the land will stay untouched, and borders will stay protected.
In 2014, russia invaded in Ukraine. In 2022, russia did it officially. We remember Volnovakha, Bucha, Mariupol, Bahmut, Irpin. Spiderweb helped to take down multiple bomb airplanes, reducing russia’s means of shelling civilians. If Ukraine had not had any military, there would not be Ukraine anymore.
If you live at heart of empire, it is arrogant to expect invaded countries give up their weapons. If you want demilitarization, make empires do it first.
