Hi Edwardian, thought hadnt seen your name for a while.

What you have posted is quite right and understand your point of view. I too have used my wallet to make a form of protest and will continue to do so. In fact I sold all my unpainted sets of a particular brand in my stash to buy some more Strelets figures & some 3D print ones. Dont get me wrong, they have made some excellent sets, but I just dont feel like I am happy to purchase them anymore. I was unimpressed about the move away from proper sets of figures anyway for mini's, plus scale creep had appeared in a couple of sets I bought. But the aggression against Ukraine was the final straw.
Avoiding products based on values is nothing new for me, as I have avoided other manufacturers in differing walks of life for various reasons anyway. So no issue there for me.

As for individuals who either support the aggression or are pacifists, I understand your exasperation.
Thing is every conflict has had people like this. This too is nothing new and I imagine will always be the case. Pacifists I know just want the bloodshed to stop, which is a very fair goal, but there is more at stake which isn't taken into account from a pacifist point of view. A big picture so to speak. History teaches what can happen if such aggression is dealt with in a softly softly approach. WW2 anyone?!
As for those who fully support the aggression, again that has always existed. Either by blind support, fanatics who hold same ideas as their leadership or simply as supporting their country. Propaganda and access to truth also plays a part which leaves many to not realise what is actually going on. Also if they dig too deep, they risk "a knock at the door". I also fully realise citizens living under such regimes also have to consider loved ones safety too. Its not a situation I envy for sure. Again, there are times when people have had enough and risen up against tyranny, but that time is up to them and how they go about it. In the open in "death or glory", or undercover like a French resistence type. Both have been succesful & also failed. I suspect sooner or later something will happen as history shows it always seems to.
Even change at the top..."et tu, Brute?".

So I wont condemn those trapped under a dictatoral system, rather point the finger at those moving the chess pieces. Basically, there are shades of WW2 in this conflict, as in what the general populace is led to believe, and how those who question are treated. Just trading one type of internment camp for another. God forbid if a certain other type rears its ugly head again.

So for me, this conflict has to run its course one way or another. Brushing it under the carpet would just leave a undercurrent brewing up again. Hasnt been helpful before.
We hope its Ukraine getting its borders back, but its a long journey ahead. While it would be wonderful that everyone just downed tools and went home in their own recognised countries, we all know deep down the likelihood of such events. The softly softly approach since Crimea 2014 didnt make a difference, so no reason to think it would now. Leadership change may make a difference, but for now, its going to be a drawn out war. Many innocent lives have and will continue to be lost unfortunately. Its a longstanding tragedy that the actions of a few or one, can so negatively effect lives of the many.
Right I am starting to sound like Spock so will end there!

Sad to see you go but understand how forums/social media can leave you feeling. Haven't missed a major amount on here, as understandably, its gone a bit quiet.

All the best Edwardian.

Well, vanity and morbid curiousity got the better of me, so I returned to this page. I know I said I was done, but I had to acknowledge such a thoughtful and well-expressed reply. Given the pugnacious tone I adopted, it was no doubt a better response than I deserved, so thank you, Roger.

I find myself in wholehearted agreement with what you have said and commend the way you said it.

And, yes, there is not a lot going on here on the forum, but I commend those who have found content worth posting, not least General Picton who remains at the height of his considerable powers.

It was ever a long road to freedom.

Dear Edwardian,

I understand that you may not even come back to read this, but nevertheless I would like to offer a civil rebuttal to some of your points. I apologize in advance for any harsh language I may use, as this is a topic that I am incredibly passionate about. I mean nothing on a personal level.

With that being said, an invasion by a foreign state is a human tragedy at any level. It produces death, destruction, and destroys families and individual lives. That I recognize. But from my individual perspective I don’t find the war in Ukraine to be a pressing issue.

As a citizen of the United States I have grown incredibly sick of my Federal Government and all of its disgusting hypocrisy and corruption. The current Ukrainian government is nothing more than a US puppet. Why should I wish to support Ukraine when I look around and see my nation's cities turn to desolate crime ridden wastelands. Mobs of degenerates loot and destroy, homeless people camp out wherever they please using their weekly welfare checks to buy hard drugs and commit crimes, all while waves of illegal migrants are piling up in urban centers relying on the Fed to take care of them using taxpayer dollars.

And what are we doing about it? Not a **** thing. So why should I wish for my government to send Ukraine BILLIONS of dollars. So Zelensky’s wife can continue to go on luxury shopping sprees in Paris? To buy more personal mansions in Naples? To illegally bribe and funnel more money to corrupt politicians? It’s absolutely enraging.

And you want to talk about the resistance over oppression and the genocidal effacing of nation, culture, language and identity? Take a look at the West right now. Our tradition and culture is being destroyed before our very eyes. I look around my town and see my national flag being replaced by gay pride flags and trans flags. Society right now wants me to celebrate the disgusting sexual fetishes of this group of people, while simultaneously mocking Christ and shaming me for my faith. There are individuals in my university that LITERALLY dress up as cats and dogs. They wear tails, collars, and leashes and demand that they be treated as literal pets. And the so called “leaders” of our society validate these people and tell them that this kind of behavior is ok. That’s just the tip of the iceberg as well. Europe is being flooded with migrants and refugees, and along with them come huge spikes in rape, murder, and acts of terror. Don’t believe me? Look at the numbers. In Cities like London and Paris, Englishmen and Frenchmen are **** near the minority. European culture and tradition is being replaced by people from foreign lands and nobody will admit it out of fear of “racism.” The United States and Western Europe will simply flood Ukraine with these far left ideologies, destroying its culture and tradition nonetheless.

Zelensky is already showing signs of this. Shutting down and banning the practice of Orthodox Christianity for NATIONAL SECURITY??? Are you kidding me? Postponing elections for what reason exactly? That is a direct infringement on democracy. Even Lincoln had to deal with an election at the most crucial point in the American Civil War. Zelensky is as corrupt as anyone, and I am incredibly unimpressed with his recent comments on Poland, especially after all they’ve done for him.

In regards to Russia itself, I have never been a Putin fan and do not endorse his needless invasion. But anyone that says the West didn’t provoke and want this war is in denial. Decades after the fall of the USSR and dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, NATO still exists. And why? Not only has NATO continued to exist, but it has steadily encroached and boxed Russia in. As a politically isolated country what did we expect Russia would do? Their incursions into Georgia, Moldavia, and now Ukraine can be easily explained by this.

Lets not forget either that after decades of murder and destabilization in the middle east, the US finally left, leaving the military industrial complex starving for business. What better than a large conventional war in Europe to feed this hunger? It is all just so incredibly sad. The Zelensky administration and Western nations are all too happy to use the brave people of Ukraine to boost their own personal profits and to exhaust Russian military power at the cost of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian lives.

I fear that if Russia loses this war the West will simply install their own puppet government in Russia, and turn it into the same liberal/globalist led dumpster fire that they are already turning our own countries into. A country that teaches its people to be ashamed of their past, their ancestors, and of their skin color (if you’re white that is). So despite the avoidable and tragic suffering occurring right now, forgive me if I throw in my support for Russia by doing something as little as purchasing from Zvezda. At the end of the day I would hate to see what would happen to both Russia and Ukraine if Russia doesn’t win this war.

With that being said, I love the people in this hobby and have no issue with those who disagree with me. I simply wanted to present my argument on this issue.

Thank you,
Asher

I hear Fox News have a slot coming up. Perhaps you should just throw your name into the hat…

Wow, Asher, I think I've just been Majorie Taylor Greened!

I really did not want to spark a debate, let alone participate further, but I am fascinated by what you said as it does go a long way to explain why you have reached certain conclusions. I appreciate the courtesy and the respect you have shown and will endeavour to reciprocate. I think it is safe to say, however, that I disagree with everything you have said(!). I'm not going to seek to dissaude you from your views - I suspect you are immovable and sincere in what you say - but I will seek to explain my point of view and, hopefully, you will at least appreciate that it comes from a place of good faith, and is equally sincere, even while you believe it to be misconceived.

First, though, I will sum up how your position comes across to me; domestic moral panic successfully mobilised in the service of a blood-soaked foreign tyrant. I am sure that is not your intention, yet it is the effect. The phrase "useful idiot" is a translation of a Russian concept from Soviet times to describe the well-meaning Westerners who unwittingly facilitated the USSR's dark agenda. And, yes, inadvertantly, you have been persuaded to advance the Kremlin's 'talking points'. I do not think you are an idiot - the demeaning part of the Russian phrase is merely a reflection of its profound cyniscism - but I do consider that such views are undoubtedly useful for Putin and hang Ukraine out to dry.

Further, even if I agreed with the various concerns you have about conditions in the US and the West, I would argue that the conclusion that we should not support Ukraine is a complete non sequitur.

That, in summary, is my position on your position. Now please indulge me further while I explain, as briefly as I can, how I get there. I will say again that I believe, with you, I am dealing with a sincere and honest person who cares about his society.

Let me start with some context. It is worth bearing in mind that, relative to the other nations that we might say form the "global West", the US is a startling outlier in a number of ways. These include such things as health care and gun ownership, but, more relevant to this topic, such things as the prevalence of fundamentalist christianity, the level and nature of patriotism, suspicion of Federal government and a recurrent strain of international isolationalism. Now I mention these things not to criticise them, but because, while they all seem to me to be underlying assumptions shining though your post, as dominant attitudes, they are uniquely US phenomena. Thus, while these attitudes might be the ones relevant to you, your starting point is not the same as that in most other western societies, including, so far, mine.

There appear to be two main themes that can be derived from your post. The first is in essence that Ukraine is an imperfect state, therefore undeserving of our help and support. The second is that the US has its own problems and needs to concentrate on those to the exclusion of aiding Ukraine. It will not surprise you if I say that I think both propositions are wrong, but I will attempt to tackle each in turn.

Is Ukraine perfect? No. It is a country that has to break the habit of decades, perhaps centuries, of endemic corruption under the tzars and communism. Yet it is trying. It is western-facing and understands it will have to clean up its act to join the EU, its cherished aim. It seems unduly harsh, not to say unrealistic, to blame it for not acheiving that overnight. When the 45th President of the US appears to be a patten of moral and financial corruption, it also might seeem a tad hypocritical. You can substitute Hunter Biden and his laptop if you prefer, and the point remains.

Ukraine is a new country and one that aspires to be free. In the face of an invading imperial power that seeks to take it back into its empire, it stands resolute and its sense of nationhood is being forged before our very eyes. To me that recalls to mind nothing so much as your own nation in the 1770s. Another parallel is the absolute necessity of foreign military support; in your case that was France.

Is the US perfect? On your own case, no, but does that lead you to conclude that it deserves to be invaded and be subject to genocide? What if revanchist Russian decided to take back Alaska? Should we, in the rest of the global West say 'well, the US is a basket case, people dress up as domestic pets for sexual gratification, so let it burn'?

Oh, and what if christain evangelicals, or, say, the Roman Catholic church in the US (which, one could argue owes ultimate allegiance to a foreign potentate), spied and progandised for the nation invading your country? Would it be wrong to tackle that?

Well, the US invaded by Russia is a ridiculous suggestion. Russia could not do that. The vast and much-vaunted US military would just end Russia. Yes, but if that wasn't so, should we in Europe or elsewhere leave you to burn? Thus, it seems to me, that your position is in a large part based on the knowledge that the US is too powerful and Ukraine is a long way away. That, however, should be recognised as a pragmatic excuse for not helping, not a moral reason why you should not help.

The reasons why you should help are many. They include the moral imperative of upholding international law, but they are also deeply pragmatic. If Russia and China are allowed, piece by piece to dismantle the international rules-based system in the face of a demonstrably impotant global West, then I'm afraid it's all over, and even the US will find it is not powerful enough to survive in isolation. However, I don't want to dwell on this as my focus is on what you have raised as talking points.

The second major theme in your post seems to be that 'we have big issues in the US we need to tackle these and cannot and should not help others instead'.

I have a couple of thoughts on this. First, some of the issues you identify in the context of your US in crisis thesis I would acknowledge as problems, though I would beg to differ as to their cause. Other issues are not, for me, problematic at all and I would dismiss as 'moral panic'. I do not think this is the main point here; as I say above for the sake of argument I could accept everything you said regarding this and still maintain that your conclusion, that the US cannot and should not help Ukraine is an erroneous non sequitur. So, I will just take a couple of examples. First, you describe a good deal of poverty and associated crime. The assumption is that this is attributable to the "disgusting hypocrisy and corruption" of the Federal government. I would question whether it is more likely to be the inevitable result of the particularly unbridled form of capitalism that is the American Dream. I don't know, but does it not suit the rich in your society to blame the Federal government, liberal values and the poor themselves for problems that might actually proceed from their own wealth accumulation? Who do these people rely on to persuade hard-working Americans of this view? Self styled anti-establishment types like Trump and Musk, the fake billionaire and the actual billionaire. Unpleasant charlatons both.

Second, the other type of criticism is one that many others in the West, particularly Europe, would not see as a problem, and this is the recurring theme of US 'moral panic'. You single out gay and trans people. Of course, flying a pride flag and the stars and stripes are not mutually exclusive, and many in the West simply think it obvious that people should be allowed to be who they are and have an equal chance at happiness. It does not diminish me, as a cis-gender straight male, for any of the LGBTQ+ community to live their lives as they choose. The particular factor in the US seems to be the dictates of evangelical Christianity. Here I will not persuade you, but two points occur. First, much of the global West is either broadly secular or less fundamentalist in its christianity, so is at least broadly tolerant. Second, we should interrogate how much of the US evangelical condemnation of LGBTQ+ is, in fact, doctrine, rather than the Word of God. There are misreadings of scripture, cherry picking of scripture and an insistence at taking scripture absolutely literally, but, again, on a highly selctive basis. It does rather look like faith shaped to justify prejudice, just as once your country used it to justify slavery with much the sense of certainty you evince. You will I know, disagree, but my purpose is merely to say there are broadly successful, free and happy western societies that thrive despite not using religion to persecute or condemn people who are different from you.

But, the final point is the decisive one. Accept everything you say, and your conclusion that it is too expensive to help Ukraine, remains flawed. Apart from the fact that the boost in US arms sales globally alone is likely to pay for the support given to Ukraine, billions of aid is nothing in the context of the mighty U S of A. You have sent something like 0.5% of your tanks (IIRC, it's a tiny percentage) and the total cost so far, one commentator I heard last week say, is the cost of running the US for 27 minutes.

Possibly, just possibly, the politicians whose views you reflect are the ones lying to you.

I started to paint my Strelets WSS British artillery crews today…………..

Dear Toby, Sounds like a lot of fun. So many hobbyists here enjoy painting their figures, and I for one, enjoy looking at the hard work. My mother was an art teacher, and she passed on to me an appreciation for other's work. Please share, even as you progress through your project. I really enjoy seeing step by step progress! Cheers - GC

I would agree with all of you if we were in the best of all worlds on the side of the nice, honest and perfect gentlemen. Except for 50 years that I have been able to look, understand and try to analyze this world, I see only lies to serve higher interests. ALL THE LEADERS OF ALL COUNTRIES ARE LYING.

And I hear only words that meet the criteria set out by Lord A. Ponsonby.

« For their part, the British had created the War Propaganda Office in September 1914, which recruited literary celebrities. Lord Arthur Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, an English socialist and pacifist aristocrat, summarized in his 1928 book Falsehood in War-Time the methods used during the conflict (including by his own country):
It is necessary to make believe:
1. that our side does not want war
2. that the adversary is responsible
3. that it is morally reprehensible
4. that war has noble ends
5. that the enemy commits deliberate atrocities (not us)
6. that he suffers far more losses than we do
7. that God is with us
8. May the world of art and culture approve of our struggle
9. that the enemy is using illicit weapons (not us)
10. that those who doubt the first nine points are either traitors or victims of the opposing lies (because the enemy, unlike us who inform, makes propaganda)
The historian Anne Morelli has shown that this grid could still be applied to the conflicts of the late TWENTIETH century. Some also stress its relevance to very current conflicts . »

So no, I do not take sides, neither for some nor for others, and in all friendship I tell you I will not follow. I have a peaceful hobby, and I leave it at that.

Kind regards

Good post Zouave. Very thoughtful.

Thing is, everyone has their point of view and will hold it deeply. Again I understand where many are coming from, and are quite entitled to their views. Each view has its pros & cons. Ultimately, we the average citizen, have our own life worries to be getting on with. Cost of living, work, health, family etc. Just living is what we want to concentrate on.
We just get dragged along. This type of discussion has happened throughout conflicts both ancient and modern. Its the leaders who are ultimately to blame, whether dictator or even democrat, as they are the ones moving the chess pieces. Sure some of us vote them in, but what they do once in power, thats them. How many times have politicians from all walks of life, pledged to do something, yet once they are in power, they've broken their pledges?

Won't be many, if any, of us who truely know what is going on in the halls of power, so we have to look at a bunch of sources and media to get a grasp. We look across a spectrum of media, (where we are allowed), to form our own conclusions. I don't just accept the BBC reports, nor do I from Russia either. I make up my own mind. Also using history knowledge too. Its the best we on the outside can do. I have my opinions, others have theirs regarding the war.

Ultimately, I want the fighting to cease, for nations to stop invading one another or even looking down at others mere existance. However, I know that realistically that will never happen, wars will be a thing for a long time to come, and this current one aint finished yet. It will end only when there is a victor I feel. Maybe a mutiny or national uprising will end it, but neither of those seems immediately likely. One has invaded the other & we are where we are. War wont stop unless human nature changes.

Based on the language used by one of the leaders, I suspect that the tanks would not simply make it to Kyiv then stop "nice and content". Maybe the soldiers would think they are done, but the leadership?? Ukraine isn't the only ex-Soviet territory nearby.
Then we have the language used by the defenders & "the west", which points to the fact that it is highly unlikely that further invasions into Europe would be tolorated. So regardless of being pro-war or pacifist, sometimes the events and actions of another, leave no choice but to come into conflict. Aggressors of a war always have a choice at the start, but do the defenders?

How are others meant to deal with such aggression when faced with it? How much do you sit back? When would it be enough? Let the Baltics be taken? Part of the Russian invasion was to stop Ukraine joining NATO.....well it made Finland (a nation with its own history with Russia), actually join NATO. Perhaps Romania falls? Poland is allowed to fall? When the Berlin wall is rebuilt dividing Germany up, is that when it's enough?
Sure, some will say, "thats stupid, that would never happen". Your right, probably not, as a nuke would be fired by the time a Russian tank rolled into Berlin, But theres still plenty of ex-Soviet land between there and Moscow. Things of course may not occur exactly as they once did, maybe an "iron curtain", on the German border with Poland instead?
Much of this ex-Soviet land has joined NATO, so such invasions would come with serious risk. Many citizens of which dont have fond memories of occupation. We are supposed to learn from history. Didn't someone once say Germany wouldnt take Czechoslovakia a little bit prior to WW2? Well it did. "They will definitely stop at Poland, I have a piece of paper"...... well that aged well!
Sure its not the Russians as a whole who are to blame, same as it wasnt all Germans. One man can make a difference at the top. Whether its Hitler or Putin. Its their actions which take a path that should of been avoided.

There are some who believe that Russia is only taking back land that belongs to them in the first place & its not our problem. Well ok if thats what you believe. So in that case, will you also be happy for European nations like Britain, France, Holland etc to take back what once was their territory in a revisit to old empires?? Britain afterall once had quite a vast empire for a little island. For a while, even ruling over colonies in the U.S. Is such rule now fair game? Dutch East Indies? French rule in Africa?? Spanish rule in South America? We know the history.
Yet now it is no more. Its the past.
Shall we do a Putin and just go off and try to take back what once was?

I would imagine right minded people would (& should) say no. Its the past. An era long gone which had many bad practices within it. Normal for the era it once was, but not now. Times should have changed. Imperialism should be a thing of the past. Russia even had a civil war to rid itself of it.
We should just have representatives who take good care of their own populace, have friendly relations & trade with others & capable of working together. But alas, thats not the world right now. A noble wish, avoiding bloodshed is, but just not that easy. Need remove greed, envy, ego etc out humanity first.

All I know is I really appreciate Strelets work in the hobby and have seen that unfortunately a war has put the brakes on it. Maybe even permenantly. Add to that the loss of a highly talented sculptor. None of which needed to happen. They may have suffered other losses within the staff and their families for all we know. Strelets have my support and of course sympathy. Ukraine is the defender here in my view. Not expecting everyone to agree, nor am I worried if others do agree. Its my personal view based on what I can find out and have access to.

Nobody wants another nation to just waltz right in and start calling the shots "or else". Nobody wants to be made live a way that is forced upon them. Under the ideals of one man.
I don't much care if such forceful philosophy is done by the East, West, North or South, dictator or "democratic" leaders, it is not on and needs to stop. If talk wont make it stop, alas sometimes the sword is mightier than the pen.

I will finish off on this....
When it comes to just wanting to focus on this hobby, we are where we are, and yet again history will record yet another conflict, this time in Eastern Europe.
Hell, theres even plastic figures for it out already!! Funny thing is, without the conflicts of the ages, there wouldnt even be this hobby. Regardless of opinions of the war, here we are on a forum for a company that makes plastic soldiers!! In 100 years time, if the hobby still exists, people will probably make dioramas of this conflict like we do for WW1, WW2, Vietnam etc. Models of the tanks, rockets, drones etc.
Wonder what those living between 1914-1918, loosing loved ones, maybe never even receiving a body for burial, would make of us making a diorama today showing them going "over the top", only to be mowed down by awaiting machine guns? Some may think "thats an amazing model", some would probably look at such a thing with derision at glorifying the death of their loved ones. Maybe even bringing up their grief again.
So war, regardless of how or why it started, is why this hobby even exists.

Zouave, Roger,

I thought your posts hit a lot of things on the head. I especially like Zouave's references to the British propaganda department. Everything mentioned in that rings completely true today, and likely always will. And I agree Roger, that it is a slippery slope allowing a nation to take what it wants without repercussions. I only hope that the difference this time is that Russia will realize it is not quite the same war machine that Germany was, and has little chance of standing up to all of NATO in a conventional war. I won't be nearly as long winded as I was in my last post, nor do I think this the most appropriate place to go off on such rants (and for that I apologize to everyone), but I enjoy hearing everyone's opinions and appreciate the respect we have for one another even if our views may vary and disagree.

As mentioned by Roger though, what has happened to Strelets and the people of Ukraine never needed to happen at all. I hope that all members of the Strelets team and their families are safe. I am praying that Anton's death is the limit of this tragedy on the company we love, and the people that have worked so hard to make us happy. Hopefully we can return the favor in some way someday.

I support Strelets and I don't care what race they belong to, what religious beliefs they follow, and what ethnic background they have. Such things don't matter to me. I respect and support any good human being, and especially those who lift up my spirits by creating amazing toy soldiers in our scale.

As for the war in Ukraine, it will probably wipe out a few million lives, just like the failed interventions in Algeria, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq did before. It's sad. But while the worst is likely still to come, I don't think that the outcome of the war will be decided on the battlefield.

The single most important day in this context is Tuesday, November 5, 2024, when both 'Pacifists' and 'war supporters' alike will have a chance to peacefully determine the future fate of the Ukrainian people and the human race in Europe via free and fair elections.

Another 396 days, and then, perhaps, the whole nonsense will be stopped. Even cats and dogs can be friends, and so can the people in Europe.

Wow, Asher, I think I've just been Majorie Taylor Greened!

I really did not want to spark a debate, let alone participate further, but I am fascinated by what you said as it does go a long way to explain why you have reached certain conclusions. I appreciate the courtesy and the respect you have shown and will endeavour to reciprocate. I think it is safe to say, however, that I disagree with everything you have said(!). I'm not going to seek to dissaude you from your views - I suspect you are immovable and sincere in what you say - but I will seek to explain my point of view and, hopefully, you will at least appreciate that it comes from a place of good faith, and is equally sincere, even while you believe it to be misconceived.

First, though, I will sum up how your position comes across to me; domestic moral panic successfully mobilised in the service of a blood-soaked foreign tyrant. I am sure that is not your intention, yet it is the effect. The phrase "useful idiot" is a translation of a Russian concept from Soviet times to describe the well-meaning Westerners who unwittingly facilitated the USSR's dark agenda. And, yes, inadvertantly, you have been persuaded to advance the Kremlin's 'talking points'. I do not think you are an idiot - the demeaning part of the Russian phrase is merely a reflection of its profound cyniscism - but I do consider that such views are undoubtedly useful for Putin and hang Ukraine out to dry.

Further, even if I agreed with the various concerns you have about conditions in the US and the West, I would argue that the conclusion that we should not support Ukraine is a complete non sequitur.

That, in summary, is my position on your position. Now please indulge me further while I explain, as briefly as I can, how I get there. I will say again that I believe, with you, I am dealing with a sincere and honest person who cares about his society.

Let me start with some context. It is worth bearing in mind that, relative to the other nations that we might say form the "global West", the US is a startling outlier in a number of ways. These include such things as health care and gun ownership, but, more relevant to this topic, such things as the prevalence of fundamentalist christianity, the level and nature of patriotism, suspicion of Federal government and a recurrent strain of international isolationalism. Now I mention these things not to criticise them, but because, while they all seem to me to be underlying assumptions shining though your post, as dominant attitudes, they are uniquely US phenomena. Thus, while these attitudes might be the ones relevant to you, your starting point is not the same as that in most other western societies, including, so far, mine.

There appear to be two main themes that can be derived from your post. The first is in essence that Ukraine is an imperfect state, therefore undeserving of our help and support. The second is that the US has its own problems and needs to concentrate on those to the exclusion of aiding Ukraine. It will not surprise you if I say that I think both propositions are wrong, but I will attempt to tackle each in turn.

Is Ukraine perfect? No. It is a country that has to break the habit of decades, perhaps centuries, of endemic corruption under the tzars and communism. Yet it is trying. It is western-facing and understands it will have to clean up its act to join the EU, its cherished aim. It seems unduly harsh, not to say unrealistic, to blame it for not acheiving that overnight. When the 45th President of the US appears to be a patten of moral and financial corruption, it also might seeem a tad hypocritical. You can substitute Hunter Biden and his laptop if you prefer, and the point remains.

Ukraine is a new country and one that aspires to be free. In the face of an invading imperial power that seeks to take it back into its empire, it stands resolute and its sense of nationhood is being forged before our very eyes. To me that recalls to mind nothing so much as your own nation in the 1770s. Another parallel is the absolute necessity of foreign military support; in your case that was France.

Is the US perfect? On your own case, no, but does that lead you to conclude that it deserves to be invaded and be subject to genocide? What if revanchist Russian decided to take back Alaska? Should we, in the rest of the global West say 'well, the US is a basket case, people dress up as domestic pets for sexual gratification, so let it burn'?

Oh, and what if christain evangelicals, or, say, the Roman Catholic church in the US (which, one could argue owes ultimate allegiance to a foreign potentate), spied and progandised for the nation invading your country? Would it be wrong to tackle that?

Well, the US invaded by Russia is a ridiculous suggestion. Russia could not do that. The vast and much-vaunted US military would just end Russia. Yes, but if that wasn't so, should we in Europe or elsewhere leave you to burn? Thus, it seems to me, that your position is in a large part based on the knowledge that the US is too powerful and Ukraine is a long way away. That, however, should be recognised as a pragmatic excuse for not helping, not a moral reason why you should not help.

The reasons why you should help are many. They include the moral imperative of upholding international law, but they are also deeply pragmatic. If Russia and China are allowed, piece by piece to dismantle the international rules-based system in the face of a demonstrably impotant global West, then I'm afraid it's all over, and even the US will find it is not powerful enough to survive in isolation. However, I don't want to dwell on this as my focus is on what you have raised as talking points.

The second major theme in your post seems to be that 'we have big issues in the US we need to tackle these and cannot and should not help others instead'.

I have a couple of thoughts on this. First, some of the issues you identify in the context of your US in crisis thesis I would acknowledge as problems, though I would beg to differ as to their cause. Other issues are not, for me, problematic at all and I would dismiss as 'moral panic'. I do not think this is the main point here; as I say above for the sake of argument I could accept everything you said regarding this and still maintain that your conclusion, that the US cannot and should not help Ukraine is an erroneous non sequitur. So, I will just take a couple of examples. First, you describe a good deal of poverty and associated crime. The assumption is that this is attributable to the "disgusting hypocrisy and corruption" of the Federal government. I would question whether it is more likely to be the inevitable result of the particularly unbridled form of capitalism that is the American Dream. I don't know, but does it not suit the rich in your society to blame the Federal government, liberal values and the poor themselves for problems that might actually proceed from their own wealth accumulation? Who do these people rely on to persuade hard-working Americans of this view? Self styled anti-establishment types like Trump and Musk, the fake billionaire and the actual billionaire. Unpleasant charlatons both.

Second, the other type of criticism is one that many others in the West, particularly Europe, would not see as a problem, and this is the recurring theme of US 'moral panic'. You single out gay and trans people. Of course, flying a pride flag and the stars and stripes are not mutually exclusive, and many in the West simply think it obvious that people should be allowed to be who they are and have an equal chance at happiness. It does not diminish me, as a cis-gender straight male, for any of the LGBTQ+ community to live their lives as they choose. The particular factor in the US seems to be the dictates of evangelical Christianity. Here I will not persuade you, but two points occur. First, much of the global West is either broadly secular or less fundamentalist in its christianity, so is at least broadly tolerant. Second, we should interrogate how much of the US evangelical condemnation of LGBTQ+ is, in fact, doctrine, rather than the Word of God. There are misreadings of scripture, cherry picking of scripture and an insistence at taking scripture absolutely literally, but, again, on a highly selctive basis. It does rather look like faith shaped to justify prejudice, just as once your country used it to justify slavery with much the sense of certainty you evince. You will I know, disagree, but my purpose is merely to say there are broadly successful, free and happy western societies that thrive despite not using religion to persecute or condemn people who are different from you.

But, the final point is the decisive one. Accept everything you say, and your conclusion that it is too expensive to help Ukraine, remains flawed. Apart from the fact that the boost in US arms sales globally alone is likely to pay for the support given to Ukraine, billions of aid is nothing in the context of the mighty U S of A. You have sent something like 0.5% of your tanks (IIRC, it's a tiny percentage) and the total cost so far, one commentator I heard last week say, is the cost of running the US for 27 minutes.

Possibly, just possibly, the politicians whose views you reflect are the ones lying to you.

Edwardian, I love reading great comments like yours, but there are some moments that I wonder if you are truly serious about what you write, or not.

'The reasons why you should help are many. They include the moral imperative of upholding international law, but they are also deeply pragmatic.'

Are you actually asking to fight those who are not following 'international law'? With my very marginal knowledge about the nonconformity of using automated killer drones against civilians and non-military combatants around the globe with 'international law', I hope that you are merely joking.

For the sake of the innocent people who are getting killed during the Ukraine conflict, I feel that we should rather pursue a pragmatic approach, to defund and delegitimize the attempt of reconquering what used to be Eastern Ukraine/Crimea, and is now inhabited by several million families that speak, pray and think pro-Russian.

If 'upholding international law' is meant to justify ethnic cleansing, which such a Reconquista of lost territory ultimately and the violent expulsion of its population means, then I feel that as a civilized society, we can do better than that.

While I love to read about history and war, the times of colonialism are over, and forcefully implementing our way of life onto the rest of the global population will not work, unless we wish to start WW3.

For the sake of the children in Ukraine, and for the sake of all toy soldier collectors in the world, who need their sculptors, manufacturers and their families to be alive and unharmed, let's make peace. Forget about 'upholding international law' this time.

I am completely serious. I'm afraid you will not stop this revanchist war, let alone restore the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine by "defunding", only when the supply of Putin's 'single-use soldiers' runs out will it end.

This war might not be the fault of ordinary Russians, but it is their responsibility. When a people hands control of the levers of power to a dictator and that dictator brings the whirlwind down on them, as happened to the German population in 1944-5, then they, the people, pay a terrible price, just as Russian Mobiks and their families are paying one now. Of course that is sad, but I feel for the non-agressor population and its brave defenders more. Knowing that peace can only follow victory in the field, I find I am unsentimental concerning enemy casualties.

Glory to Ukraine.

I am completely serious. I'm afraid you will not stop this revanchist war, let alone restore the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine by "defunding", only when the supply of Putin's 'single-use soldiers' runs out will it end.

This war might not be the fault of ordinary Russians, but it is their responsibility. When a people hands control of the levers of power to a dictator and that dictator brings the whirlwind down on them, as happened to the German population in 1944-5, then they, the people, pay a terrible price, just as Russian Mobiks and their families are paying one now. Of course that is sad, but I feel for the non-agressor population and its brave defenders more. Knowing that peace can only follow victory in the field, I find I am unsentimental concerning enemy casualties.

Glory to Ukraine.

I feel that not only our British friends, and of course the Ukrainian government, feel like this, but also the 'other side'.

They see that neither the government of Ukraine, nor the UK, and their European buddies, are willing to stop the war. They feel morally entitled and are willing to kill, kill, and kill some more. Soldiers, Civilians and children alike. They will be walking in the blood of their victims, like the Huns, the Avars and the Mongols before them. (Now allied with the heirs to the Persian and Han empires...)

Do you really want to fight them?????????? Are you ready for this?????

I know the Brits are very brave, very smart and very ruthless. They celebrated victory many times over many enemies, by wiping out the tribes of Native Americans with Smallpox infected blankets, enslaving the populations of Africa and India, the Middle East, by committing Genocide against Maori and Aboriginal tribes on the Australian continent, by carpet bombing the cities of France, Italy and Germany, and by killing over a hundred thousand Boer and African Civilians in concentration camps.

Of course I do hope that the Brits, and their Ukrainian allies, would succeed against the Russians and their allies as well, if they cannot come to a peace agreement. Just I cannot imagine such a victory would occur.

When you write: 'Knowing that peace can only follow victory in the field, I find I am unsentimental concerning enemy casualties.', have you considered that the UK+EU+Ukraine might not be on the winning side???? WW3 would be hard to win. There might be nobody left to watch the victory parade, besides drones.

I respect your decision to fight, if that is what you choose to do. I will vote for peace in the next elections. That is all I can do.

"have you considered that the UK+EU+Ukraine might not be on the winning side????"

Don't make me laugh.

Jan, the Russian Federation frightens no one these days. We all thought it had the second best army in the world, but now we know it has the second best army in Ukraine. There is a tragi-comic irony there as the RF's revanchist aggression was fuelled by resentment that the West did not take it's mightiness seriously! It took 10 months and tens of thousands of casualties to take the last city they captured, so no there is no possibility of them winning anything but their own rigged elections. Poland alone could end them (and is probably quite looking forward to doing so), but no Western country is alone; the only one alone here is Russia. Leaving aside Putin's pet dictator Lukashenko, if your only friends are the Taliban, the Ayatollahs, Kim Jong Un and Elon Musk, well, you truly are the kid no one talks to at parties.

Putin has made Russia a pariah for a generation, impoverished it, weakened it and slaughtered or driven away enough of its youth to exacerbate the problem of its aging population. For all his callous ruthlessness, Putin is demonstrably incapable of realising his imperial dreams and has only succeeeded in making the Russian Federation a joke.

For months Putin has been snubbed by countries the Kremlin thought of as friends or client-states. The leaders that Putin made wait for him now leave Putin waiting, if they'll see him at all. At least a couple have indicated they would arrest him! When Lavrov went to India, they laughed in his face. The 'friendhip without limits' is no more than being Bejing's be-atch, for China has bought the RF at the cost of a few barrels of cut-price oil. No one wants to buy Russian armaments; no one wants their jack-in-the-box exploding tanks. The RF has even lost all influence in its own back yard. Armenia has found Russia's Wish.com version of NATO fell apart the moment it was needed, and has turned its back on the Kremlin. Azerbaijan feels free to take the territory it claims and to ignore or kill any Russian peacekeepers that get in the way.

The only question is how long, and how much blood and treasure it will take, for Ukraine to defeat the Russian Federation and drive its forces out of Ukraine. Arguably Germany spent longer losing WW2 than it did winning it to begin with, these things take time. However, the German army in WW2 was the best army with best doctrine and equipment, whereas the Russian Federation's army has pre-1918 tactics, rusty Cold War armaments that it cannot replace and the war-fighting capability of a reluctant snail. It's just that there are, still, rather a lot of them and Putin cares not how high their bodies are piled.

And Jan, you do sound like a Kremlin bot when you present a false equivalence between things one country did in the distant past and the evil another country is perpetrating now. How the f- the fact that Britain once ruled an empire justifies Russia waging a war of agression in Europe today ... well, it makes as much sense as flat earth theory. Modern Britain remains an influence for good on the world stage, and you should be grateful for that and for the other nations that share its values and committment to the international rules based system. All countries did bad stuff in the past, some of them, however, have learnt from past mistakes. It's the ones still doing evil I'd worry about.

Ukraine understands that, however terrible war may be, there are yet worse things. I for one would not wish upon Ukraine the sort of 'peace' Stalin visited upon Poland, the Baltics etc at the conclusion of WW2. Really, peace-at-any-price is a shameful doctrine. We are lucky that Uhraine and enough people in the West have the backbone to fight for a world that gives us the freedom to espouse our views, even those views that undermine our very freedom to hold them!

We, the global West, face war in Europe, we did not want it or start it, but we do need to help Ukraine to win it and wars are won with determination and sacrifice, not by hand-wringing, moaning and indulging in navel-gazing, appeasing Russia and selling-out Ukraine in the name of "peace".

Vote how you want, Jan, but remember, those in the occupied territories of Ukraine don't get to vote as they choose. Will your vote be cast to help change that for them?

Edwardian,

all humans make mistakes. Every day. All the time. Regardless of our national origin or of our cultural heritage, we fail on a regular basis, to uphold our own moral values, and to treat others in the same way that we would like to be treated ourselves.

The tragic loss of our beloved Strelets sculptor is still very painful for me, and I cannot help but mourn, whenever I look at my Strelets figurines. I do not want any more people to die, no matter if those people are Ukrainian, Russian, or holders of other countries' passports.

Committing ethnic cleansing to drive out millions of pro-Russian (former) Ukrainians from the disputed territories in Crimea and the Donbass would not be any better than committing mass killings of Civilians at any other point in time in history. I oppose such actions strongly.

Looking at the role of Britain in the Ukraine conflict, I cannot help but being sad and disappointed, as the UK seems to promote aggressive nationalism, interethnic violence and intercultural hatred in Eastern Europe. Look at Crimea, for instance. Historically a part of Russia for many hundreds of years, it was given as a 'gift' to Ukraine in 1954 by the Communist Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, himself a Ukrainian, a bolshevik terrorist, and a mass murderer. Now we see British soldiers in Ukraine, training Ukrainians to kill their neighbors, to 'take back' Crimea, in support of Nikita Khrushchev's political decisions. I am surprised to see that the UK acts as enforcer of Soviet political doctrine, but this is what is happening in 2023. Mr. Krushchev would have loved it!!!

In the 21st Century, we should strive to coexist in harmony with those who don't share our values, instead of killing them to take their land, and we should certainly not spend our tax money on enforcing the will of cruel communist dictators.

Please correct me, if you feel that what I write is wrong.

The tragic loss of our beloved Strelets sculptor is a focus for the sadness many of us feel.

However, I believe it necessary to respect his sacrifice and respect the decision of his country to resist invasion, repression and genocide. You should too. Sadly, as I have said, they are things even worse than war and there will be no peace or freedom until Russia is defeated and driven back within its borders.

Alas I see you merely doing the Kremlin's job for it and if I have not convinced you of the error of your naive and dangerous views by now, I never will, so will waste no further time.

Better, I think, to read the spoof adds. Despite the somewhat po faced reaction - which shows that this community is, inter alia, just too humourless for me - I have found them hilarious. Well done to the poster(s), who I think does better than I have with my earnest essays, because they have realised that the one thing tyranny cannot stand is mockery.

Truly, this community never fails to dissappoint me. You fiddle with toy soldiers while the world burns and live in denial, impatience when reality has the temerity to intrude into your cosy delusions. I was right to leave you sad ostriches.

Dear Edwardian,

on the 'other side' of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict we have civilized human beings as well. Needless suffering, unnecessary killing, destruction and devastation of human life is never ok.

As toy soldier collectors, we too have a shared responsibility towards our fellow humans. And I do believe that many of us have a very thorough understanding of global politics, warfare and its impact on humanity. Personally, I believe that most of us are much better human beings than the average guy on the street.

Of course the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation was wrong. Nobody disputes that. That is not the point, and we cannot turn back in time to reverse that.

Now it is about making peace, and to avoid greater destruction, greater suffering and greater loss of human life. Setting realistic expectations and looking at all aspects of the truth can only be helpful. The truth is not usually determined by only looking from one single perspective.

As for you, I do hope that you stay. I value you as an honorable fellow toy soldier friend. No matter some minor differences that we may have on ONE subject, we probably agree on many others. So Cheers to you, and THANK YOU for entertaining us with your perspective of events. Our hobby is going through rough times, due to a horrible war, and analyzing those events helps to heal our wounds, which will hopefully help us to get us back to better times.

Dear Edwardian,

Your posts are well written and extremely articulate. Thank you for writing them.
It is true that sometimes in life we need to choose sides. As they say, for evil to succeed, it is enough that good men do nothing. Thankfully people and governments are standing up and supporting Ukraine. I pray for peace, but peace can only come with a Ukrainian victory. If Putin's invasion of Crimea had been opposed, maybe he wouldn't have invaded Donbas. If the world had done more to punish him after Donbas, maybe he wouldn't have invaded Ukraine in 2022. Whether or not Crimea was Russian in the past, Ukrainian, Turkish, Tatar, etc, is irrelevant. It belonged (and still legally belongs) to the nation of Ukraine. If countries feel that they can just redraw borders by invasion and force then it will not end well. Glory to Ukraine and glory to the heroes.

It is clear Edwardian that we will not change each others minds, but I did appreciate hearing your side of the argument. I simply think that there are far too many societal issues at hand right now, to blindly support the “victory at all costs” camp in Ukraine. You would also be correct that I am incredibly suspicious of the federal government, but I have absolutely no reason not to be. And lastly, the Bible makes it quite clear to us the Lords thoughts on homosexuality. You can read the entire book of Leviticus if you think it’s all “being taken out of context.” One verse states “If man lies with another man as he would lie with a woman, both men have committed an abomination and should be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” But I take the same stance on all sexual sin. Hookup culture, adultery, premarital sex… it’s all the same. We can’t simply let people be “who they actually are.” At some point we have to draw a line with logic and reason on what is normal and what isn’t. And things such as changing your gender are quite literally impossible. It’s time we stop pretending like it is.

I don't like black people. What's a Strelet?