The mass media of stupefaction have been making coordinated attempts to create a warlike climate for a long time. TV and web channels, “informative” websites and newspapers compete one another in scaremongerism and nationalist bullshit talk.
The various parrots of status quo supporting journalism do their best to appear more patriotic than the others while most pieces of news presented on a daily basis have to do with Greek – Turkish relationships, Cyprus, the establishment of the exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean sea, the Macedonia name issue and the Albanian expansionist ideas. Warmongery is on the rise. Even lifestyle TV shows promote militarism openly. It seems khaki sells good!
Asshole journalists work theirs asses off interviewing retired or in service military officers, giving the floor to various war loving fools ( of course these guys say the things they say without running any risk because they will not send their children to fight in case of war and if something goes wrong they will be the first ones to leave the country ) and rushing to the borders going from military post to military post, visiting rocky islets, frigates and air bases for reportage.
They fell so low that in order to prepare a reportage concerning the everyday lives of pilots serving in the air force and their families they interviewed a woman that was later proved to be a pilot’s wife only in her imagination!
( Reporters of Greek Star channel were responsible for this disgrace. The woman they interviewed claimed she was the wife of a pilot serving in the Greek air force and started talking about how she and her little child spent every single day worrying about her husband’s fate since he was involved in air combats with Turkish air-crafts on a daily basis. A few days after the video had been presented on the news, the truth was revealed. That woman far from being a pilot’s wife was single and childless! It was really an outrageous case of fake news designed to promote militarism. )
Such journalists / reporters really deserve their salaries! It’s obvious their bosses pay them very well so that they brainwash people. Because brainwashing is necessary in order to make us – the common people – view an upcoming war as a desirable thing and prepare ourselves to kill and die defending the interests of our local oligarchs which are called “national interests”.
As if we could have common interests with these predators whose greed has ruined everything. Predators that after having committed their crimes dare to present themselves as saviors who will bring the much desired economic development and save us “the useless people” from disaster.
Every day we are bombarded with news concerning the plans and the pursuits of the members of ruling class as if we were their business partners. As if we were going to share with them the profits made by the extraction of oil and natural gas.
They want to convince us to spend more and more money on military equipment so that the bosses of the war industry get richer and also themselves since they will be getting their bonuses.
It’s not a coincidence that new threats and menaces to “national security” are constantly being invented in order to justify all these military expenses.
However, there are things much worse than being forced to financially support the preparations of war. One of them is supporting the criminal institution of army with your physical presence inside it.
Unfortunately, Greece is one of the countries where the disgrace called “mandatory military service” still exists. The fact that mandatory military service is still existent clearly shows that the majority of people have swallowed the nationalists’ lies and embrace militarism. If there wasn’t a general acceptance of army or at least some tolerance to it by the majority then who would serve in it?
Those who really detest army find a way to avoid doing their military service. Some pretend to be physically or mentally ill in order to exempt themselves from military service, some move abroad and others stay in Greece changing their address so that they can’t be traced by the authorities.
Total army objection is the ultimate taboo of Greek society at present. There isn’t even a public discussion on this issue. An overtly homosexual person annoys the members of society much less than a total army objector.
It’s much easier to organize and find support for a gay pride parade than for an anti-militarist event or a campaign for the abolition of mandatory military service. Because in the second case the protesters will have to face not only the fascist thugs but also the average man who will start saying that if we are left without army the Turks will attack us and blah blah blah.
Being against the army makes you look like an alien in the eyes of Greek society. And this disapproval of anti-militarist ideals is not restricted only to elder people or guys with conservative beliefs. You may start a discussion with young people who share progressive ideas but when the discussion touches the army issue suddenly you come to a dead end.
The belief that army is necessary because “we live in Greece and the world is not an angelic place so as to achieve world peace” seems to be widespread in the society we live in. Almost everyone seems to agree that army and military service are necessary evils.
There are lots of cases in which protestations have been organized and thousands of people have marched through the streets for trivial or even silly matters. However, a serious and massive event / protestation march against mandatory military service has never been organized in Greece. Even though this is a critical matter. It’s really a matter of life and death.
Thousands of country-obsessed / antiquity-obsessed people and religious freaks were able to gather in Athens and Salonica dragging their kids along behind them in order to participate in the rallies concerning the Macedonia name issue.
Why can’t all these people gather in order to protest against the militarization of society that could lead them and their children to becoming meat for bombs?
Thousands of football fans may smash everything in their sight and clash with the cops for hours because the prices of football match tickets have gone up or because their favorite team was punished.
Thousands of students may occupy their university schools and protest just because they didn’t have their free university books delivered to them in time while thousands of high school students may occupy their schools just for the fun of it and protest over the shape of the cheese pies sold at the school canteen in order to lose a few lesson hours!
Why can’t all these guys organize a round of serious and long lasting protestations that will be overtly against the army and demand at least the abolition of mandatory military service?
Don’t high schoolers and university students worry about the “warm” embrace of army that awaits them after graduation intending to turn them into “real men”? ( In reality, it will turn them into submissive assholes but the “real men” can’ t even tolerate hearing this since they feel so proud of themselves – what the fuck? – because they served in the army and became puppets in the hands of the militarists during their service.)
Unfortunately, most young men accept their fate. Apart from the penal consequences draft evasion entails there is also much pressure by one’s family or social environment that considers refusing to serve in the army completely outrageous. As a result, only a few men dare to go against the militarists and refuse to join the army.
However, if one side of the coin is a mass of unwilling conscripts who tolerate the army crap out of fear only while holding on until they get their army discharge papers the other side is the people who opt for a career in the armed forces. I am referring to professional military officers that graduate from military schools and mercenaries.
Especially during the last few years the situation has gone too far with such “professions” being heavily advertised. Maybe it has to do with the fact that fascists and neonazi thugs – lots of which have proved to be members of military and police bodies – have been running wild.
Several organizations and grouplets that generate extreme nationalist / racist / warlike discourses have been mushrooming. They attack leftists, communists, anarchists and immigrants.
Of course this is not a coincidence. Far right organizations are promoted and financially supported by powerful capitalists – oligarchs that use them to terrorize those who dream of a world based upon the values of freedom, equality and solidarity.
Right wing extremists are in essence the accomplices and the dogs of big bosses that will do everything to preserve a society full of injustice where cannibalism and cruelty reign.
Right wing extremists often present themselves as active or indignant citizens while other times they hide behind supposed cultural societies so as to cover themselves and act unimpeded.
The main characteristic of all these guys is their deep respect for the military and their worship of it. After all it’s impossible to be a fascist / nationalist without being a militarist at the same time.
Army is the right wing extremists’ ultimate fetish because it’s the mechanism by which they can make their dreams come true ( dreams that are actually a nightmare for everyone who wants to be a good person and not a bastard ).
It’s the mechanism that destroys every positive trait a human being may have such as : love for freedom, dignity, respect for fellow humans, social sensitivity, solidarity, compassion, critical thinking, avoidance of violence and oppressive behaviours as much as possible.
The “values” that army promotes to replace the ones above are : lack of freedom, submission and blind obedience, disrespect towards humans and complete humiliation of people, social cannibalism, cruelty and barbarity, the crushing and extermination of the weak ones, fanaticism and bigotry, the worship of violence, death and destruction. ( People are brainwashed in order to embrace these “values” because no person in his / her right mind would ever adopt them.)
These militarist “values” are evident in the most obvious way when we look at the “work” produced by armies from all over the world. “Work” that consists of destruction, plundering, coups d’ êtat, dictatorships, torture, rapes and killings.
Here we can see the consequences of militarist “values” in practice. Admire them!
The contribution of army to the prosperity of society is great indeed! And most of all necessary! What would become of us if we lacked barbarians? How could we survive without being under the rule of some professional oppressors, torturers and killers that are sustained by us and paid from our tax money?
It’s really outrageous hearing military officers / mercenaries saying that their “profession” is a service to society. And in addition seeing all the status quo supporting journalists ( journalists that have been sold out to those in power ) calling the paid killers heroes and protectors of people. We are talking about the complete inversion of reality!
Since when is destroying the lives of millions of people – so that the oligarchs get richer and the war industry sells its products – a service to society, you damned bastards? This is not a service to society but felony!
Since when are those who bombard cities and villages indiscriminately, burning them to the ground, heroes and protectors of people? Since when are those who attack non-combatants ( even inside schools and hospitals ), leaving behind them thousands of injured, amputated and dead people, heroes and protectors of people?
Is there anything heroic in trapping people inside war zones where if one doesn’t lose his / her life because of the warfare he / she will face hunger, thirst and infectious diseases?
Is there anything heroic in preventing people from leaving their war torn countries or punishing them for doing so with shootings and land mines at the land borders, drownings at the sea borders and imprisonment of survivors in concentration camps?
What is really “nice” is that despite all these facts, militarists make people believe black is white and persuade enough young men to pursue admission to military schools or become mercenaries.
However, this is the outcome of many years of intensive propaganda. Indoctrination and introduction to militarist “values” start from a very young age through history lessons ( what is actually taught is a distorted version of history that serves the interests of those in power ), nationalist narratives and events like national days and parades, “educational” trips to military bases and groups of militaries visiting schools in order to present the career in the armed forces as something attractive that will surely save you from unemployment and solve your survival problems.
At this point, I should mention that parents and educators are responsible to a great extent for this situation because instead of resisting the propagation of nationalism and militarism they fanaticize children even more leading them to disaster. Such an example we can see in the picture below:
This little boy is marching dressed in khaki while holding a toy rifle trying to imitate the real soldiers. This way he is familiarizing himself with the concept of army so as to accept it as something natural and even seek to become part of it in the future.
But the worst thing in this case is not the existence of disgraced people who had the “bright” idea to send the boy to the parade dressed like that but the fact that the spectators got enthusiastic at this sight and responded by applauding and cheering.
Obviously, they saw a future fighter for “the rights of our nation and race” in the face of the little boy. They saw a future killer of Turks that will not hesitate at all to fight and sacrifice himself to materialize the Greek expansionist ideas.
After that, there were lots of encouraging comments posted on social media. People were talking about bravery, manliness, patriotism and boosting of national consciousness. Unfortunately, it seems there are still lots of dumbheads who hold views that date back to ancient Sparta times.
Who would believe that millenniums later and after thousands of wars and massacres there would be so many people who think that a man’s destination in life is to become a warrior and die in battle? That’s really a disgrace!
It’s really alarming that people with such disgusting views and aspirations raise children. What kind of future and what quality of life can you expect in a society that considers war to be a glorious thing and peace a disgrace?
Those who go into ecstasy over seeing child – soldiers and dream of battles and expansionist wars had better wake up. It’s about time they started using their brains before it’s too late. Because if someday they experience war from close they will not like it at all!
This is the fate that awaits children at wartime. Can you endure seeing the following pictures?
Did any of you envy the fates of these children? Could you imagine your kids or those of your friends and relatives in their shoes? Would you like them to end up like that? If not, then what measures do you take to prevent this from happening?
Would you be proud of yourselves if your offsprings – that became military officers / mercenaries because of your encouragement – were responsible for the atrocities depicted in the above pictures? If not, then what measures do you take to prevent this from happening?
Do you teach the new generation the value of peace? Do you talk about the real nature of war and its horrors? Do you resist the several nationalist / racist discourses? Do you fight for the abolition of all armies? Do you promote the solidarity of people? Do you support conscientious objection and total army objection? Well, you should!
But instead of doing all the things above you poison young people’s minds with ideas that lead to certain disaster. You take little children to military parades and bases so that they admire some killers in uniform and see weapons / war equipment from close. Weapons and military equipment that may be used against common people like you somewhere abroad or even against you at home in case of insurrection or civil war.
You let militarists run wild. You bully conscientious objectors and total army objectors severely. You force every young man to join the army and encourage those who have the skills required for admission to military schools to apply for a position there.
I wonder, are you split personalities or just simply ignorant of what is going on? How can you support militarism through your actions while at the same time being scared that if something goes wrong, you will have to pay the price along with your own people? Seeing things like that makes you realize that common sense is gone.
Lots of parents and educators persist in propagating nationalist lies and racial hatred doing their best to prevent kids from developing critical thinking. Under no circumstances would they want thinking and cultivated children. That’s why they strive for a school and an educational system that will be producing narrow minded semi – ignorant subjects who will hate every person that happened to be born in a place different from theirs and will identify with the local predators – their bosses – just because they have the same nationality.
After all, they openly admit to this stating that according to them the aim of school is above all to promote national consciousness and create proud Greek – orthodox patriots. In other words, it doesn’t matter if you graduate from school being a complete fool provided that you are a proud Greek – orthodox patriot because that’s what your bosses really need. How could they exploit a thinking person who is nobody’s fool and would never sacrifice his / her life for their dirty interests?
Such parents and educators do rulers a great service since they eliminate every view / idea that is considered heretical and silence every voice that dares to question the status quo. This way, a new generation of castrated, servile people is produced. These people are condemned to a miserable existence and may become meat for bombs if this serves the interests of their bosses.
Those who incite wars speak to the young people who are going to lose their lives or their body integrity in case of an armed conflict referring to values and ideals when in reality the only thing that leads to armed conflicts is the lust for more riches and power. That’s the real cause of every war that has occurred in the history of humanity.
All the other things said such as: eternal hatred, clash of civilizations, racial superiority, religious conflicts, threats of terrorism are just lousy excuses offered by those who try to excuse what cannot be excused in order to persuade people to be sent like lambs to the slaughter once again.
Militarists along with country – obsessed people even try to present the slaughter as something nice praising the sacrifice for one’s “country”, talking about glory, magnificence and “heroic” death on the battlefield.
Admire the “glory” and “magnificence” of war. As it is in reality and not as described in militarists’ tales. Do you envy it?
Of course the guys that incite wars never sacrifice themselves! Their lives are precious. The members of “high society” neither get trapped inside war zones nor fight battles. The casualties of war – whether we are talking about soldiers or civilians – always belong to the lower social classes.
In essence, poor people coming from different countries kill each other to make their bosses richer and this is called patriotism!
Those of you who are interested in becoming professional soldiers / militaries because you think it’s a great honour to belong to the ranks of army so that you serve your “country” and its values you had better reconsider it.
What honour and what values are we talking about when armies clash to settle the disputes among the various groups of oligarchs? Is this different from what happens in the underworld where mafia bosses send their gangs to fight their rivals so as to get the lion’s share of the profits of illegal economy?
In essence, professional militaries are no more than legal thugs / gangsters. They differ from the illegal ones only because of some external characteristics.
The military acts in public while mafia secretly. The military keeps camps, bases and arsenals while mafia safe places and hideouts. Militaries wear uniforms and go to parades while gangsters have no uniforms and hide. Militaries get decorated for their deeds and become objects of admiration while gangsters face prosecution and general outcry. Militaries speak openly about their occupation while gangsters lie. Militaries claim that they offer a service to society while gangsters know from the beginning that they are doing dirty jobs. Militaries talk about patriotism, values and ideals while gangsters admit that only money matters to them.
But it’s these differences in external characteristics that mislead people making them abhor gangsters and consider them to be bastards while at the same time they adore militaries and consider them to be heroes.
They cannot understand that in reality professional militaries and gangsters do exactly the same things. Both of them destroy, plunder, oppress, torture, rape and kill obeying orders so as to protect their bosses’ privileges. Both of them help their bosses make profits and the bosses feed their devoted dogs with a few bones in return for their services so that they gladly continue their criminal activities.
And if somebody asks me how I can lump a military career and a career in organized crime together, then I will answer him / her that in both cases some people make a career and earn money by destroying other people’s lives. Whether you like it or not that’s the truth.
What makes you believe that the things armies do are better and more ethical than those that mafias do? Maybe the brainwashing you underwent during childhood?
If committing arsons and bomb attacks to intimidate or punish those who don’t act the way your gang wants is criminal then why is it legal if you belong to the military to bombard and burn cities and villages leaving thousands of victims behind because people didn’t give in to your demands?
If breaking into other people’s homes and torturing or killing those who live inside in order to rob them of their valuables is something evil and unethical then why is it good and ethical to invade foreign countries killing and enslaving their inhabitants in order to take their lands and natural resources?
If being a paid killer who murders people for whom there is a contract on their lives is something unacceptable then why is it acceptable to kill following your superiors’ orders if you are a mercenary?
Realize it! There is no honor in being part of the criminal institution of army. There are no values inside it apart from money. Is it worth being a bastard just to get a fixed salary? When you serve a mechanism that doesn’t respect human life then you underestimate yourself and make your own life worthless.
In the army environment you can find the most rotten kind of people society has ever produced concentrated to the greatest extent. Powermads, war lovers, mentally deranged, sadists and hot-blooded brainless people find a safe haven inside army. A warm nest where they can express their abnormal desires freely and actualize them every time they take part in military interventions.
The army – and even more the mercenary army – attracts criminals and subhumans as it gives them the chance to destroy, torture, rape and kill with impunity and on top of that getting rewarded for their deeds. Would you like to spend your life in such a sick environment along with such people?
Lots of people want to join the army influenced by various war games they play on their PCs ( this phenomenon is particularly widespread in the U.S.A ) as well as militarist websites / magazines.
Those that belong to this category don’t see war as it is in reality. They see it as a game that gives them an adrenaline rush and as a job more interesting than any other. They like playing war, seeing themselves as heroes, like an all-powerful Rambo that crushes his enemies in his passage and is always a winner. They live in their own world lost in the virtual reality of video games. They worship guns and military life as they imagine it. They get excited when they see pictures of weapons and watch videos showing demonstrations and trials of military equipment.
Usually these people are weak in their daily lives. They are whipping boys that let everyone trample their dignity so when they find somebody who is weaker than them they give him hell. Guns give them confidence, make them feel powerful and that’s the reason why they want to own guns and use them.
These people who suffer from complexes feel like gods when they hold guns in their hands because this way they obtain absolute power over their fellow men. At gunpoint, they can force the others to succumb to their demands. They can decide who will live and who will die. So a military career is really attractive to them.
Those who belong to this category are truly pathetic. They try to feel strong and proud of themselves by abusing and humiliating the others. They spend their whole lives being submissive and slaves and they hate those who fight for freedom because they remind them of what they should do but do not dare to do.
Because real power lies in resistance to authority and not in obedience. Because you can be proud and dignified only when you are the master of yourself and control your own life far from shepherds who want you to be one more sheep in their flock.
So if you want to become a military officer because your superiors treat you as a whipping boy and you think you will take your revenge this way then you are seriously mistaken.
Wherever you go you will still be a whipping boy. The only difference will be that some guys inferior to you will be under your rule. You will be a victimizer and a victim at the same time . Does this satisfy you?
Why don’ t you direct your anger at those who oppress and humiliate you making your life miserable? Only when you manage to get rid of your exploiters you will be really strong and free and will regain your lost dignity. And this is not going to happen by serving your bosses in the army like a good dog.
Others are fascinated by the overall image of army in parades and shows. They admire the fancy uniforms of officers. They envy the honors and privileges these officers enjoy. So they want themselves to become part of it.
Unfortunately, they are completely ignorant of the true nature of military life. They cannot imagine the horrors of a real armed conflict and the fate that awaits them if they are forced to take part in it.
We see members of military bodies acting tough at peacetime, being the greatest posers and showing off during parades and demos in order to show people what tough guys they are and how ready to fight.
Of course they play it safe. But what will all these lousy military officers – who have never experienced a real battle – do if they are ordered to commit atrocities that one cannot fathom? What will they do if they face life threatening situations? Will they start massively resigning from their positions or deserting?
Have they ever thought about it or do they think they will always be spending their time relaxing inside a camp or a recruiting office far from the warzones? Wouldn’t it be better not to be involved in such a situation in the first place?
Even if you are completely callous and corrupt, capable of committing atrocities without remorse in order to make money think that if you opt for a career in the armed forces you are very likely to become a victim yourself at some point in the future. And then you will have a taste of your own medicine!
If you see other people as moving targets and meat for bombs then have in mind that your bosses see you the same way. They don’t care about what may happen to you as long as they do their businesses and fill their pockets with money. They won’t give a shit if you return home inside a coffin wrapped in a flag, amputated or in a wheelchair, mentally ill for the rest of your life.
No matter how much money you can make out of doing such a dirty job, it will be of no value if you lose your life, your physical integrity, your mental health and your humanity!
Here you can see what happened to various people who made the mistake of choosing a military career.
And remember: Real war is not a game!
If you lose, you can’t restart . You don’t have many lives but only one.
Is it worth sacrificing yourself to make some filthy rich drones who live in extreme luxury and are on permanent holidays even richer?
It is worth becoming a bastard to defend the interests of those who consider you and your fellow men to be disposable?
It is worth experiencing the horrors of dirty wars so that the oligarchs who profit from them continue to enjoy their lives at the expense of suckers?
If not, then turn your back on military schools and mercenary army. Don’t become an accomplice to the crimes of sovereignty.
Only when we get rid of every army there will be an end to the exploitation of man by man and we will be able to live peacefully in accordance with the principles of liberty, equality, solidarity and dignity.
SHIT TO MILITARY SCHOOLS!
UNEMPLOYED? MAYBE!
DISGRACED MERCENARIES? NEVER!
The text was originally posted on 30/05/2018 under the title “Μη γίνεσαι επαγγελματίας δολοφόνος. Γύρνα την πλάτη στις στρατιωτικές σχολές και το μισθοφορικό στρατό!” Μη γίνεσαι επαγγελματίας δολοφόνος! Γύρνα την πλάτη στις στρατιωτικές σχολές και το μισθοφορικό στρατό!Λήψη
at http://eleftheria111.wordpress.com ( The address is no longer valid as the original Black and Red Matters blog has been deleted. You can find some of its older posts ( all in Greek though ) here http://blackandredmatters.blogspot.com
Antimilitarismos 