Ukraine's drone strikes no comfort to its war weary populace
"Marv Gandall via groups.io" <[email protected]> Sat, 25 Jul 2026 09:27:21 -0700
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--ng46Lw4Zpbp8UYX7TEl0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine=E2=80=99s NATO sponsors are hailing it=E2=80= =99s development of advanced drone technology and ability to hit targets de= ep inside Russia as a turning point in the stalemated war.=C2=A0 Lily Lynch= writes in the New Left Review=E2=80=99s Sidecar blog that =E2=80=9Cthey = =C2=A0are depicting Russia =E2=80=93 and only Russia =E2=80=93 as the count= ry facing a dire political and economic crisis.=E2=80=9D =C2=A0The narrativ= e is designed to bolster public support for the military buildup in the Wes= t and its continued flow of arms and fiscal support to underwrite the Ukrai= nian war effort. But "the image of a Ukraine filled with patriotic liberals eager to fight a= high-tech war until total Russian collapse is a fiction=E2=80=9D, she says= . "According to a recent Gallup poll (one that was largely buried in the We= stern press),Ukrainians are even less enthusiastic about fighting this war = than Russians are. Less than one in four adults (24 per cent) say Ukraine s= hould keep fighting until it wins the war, while 66 per cent say Ukraine sh= ould seek to negotiate an end to the war as soon as possible." Part of the reason for mass disillusionment is what Lynch describes as =E2= =80=9Cthe brutal practice of =E2=80=98busification=E2=80=99 =E2=80=93 where= by military age men are snatched off the street which continues to inspire = loathing.=E2=80=9D The average age of a Ukrainian soldier is now 45 as many= =C2=A0draft age men have fled abroad or are otherwise trying to find ways = to avoid conscription. =C2=A0Ukraine=E2=80=99s impressive drone production = can=E2=80=99t compensate for its demographic deficit. =E2=80=9CThe majority of both Russians and Ukrainians want negotiations to = end the war now=E2=80=9D she concludes." Only a minority want to continue f= ighting until their side=E2=80=99s most maximalist aims are met. Absent the= propaganda of a youth-driven drone tech revolution in war, Ukraine looks i= n a remarkably similar situation to Russia: two countries hurtling toward d= emographic oblivion, in a conflict directed by a profiteering political eli= te and fought in part by the unwilling, the coerced, the foreign and the ol= d.=E2=80=9D -=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#42635): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/42635 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/120442198/6024700 -=3D-=3D- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=3D-=3D- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/10173629/6024700/1441833971= /xyzzy [[email protected]] -=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D- --ng46Lw4Zpbp8UYX7TEl0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div>Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s NATO sponsors are hailing it&rs= quo;s development of advanced drone technology and ability to hit targets d= eep inside Russia as a turning point in the stalemated war. Lily Lync= h writes in the New Left Review’s Sidecar blog that “they  = ;are depicting Russia – and only Russia – as the country facing= a dire political and economic crisis.” The narrative is design= ed to bolster public support for the military buildup in the West and its c= ontinued flow of arms and fiscal support to underwrite the Ukrainian war ef= fort. <br /><br />But "the image of a Ukraine filled with patriotic li= berals eager to fight a high-tech war until total Russian collapse is a fic= tion”, she says. "According to a recent Gallup poll (one that was lar= gely buried in the Western press),Ukrainians are even less enthusiastic abo= ut fighting this war than Russians are. Less than one in four adults (24 pe= r cent) say Ukraine should keep fighting until it wins the war, while 66 pe= r cent say Ukraine should seek to negotiate an end to the war as soon as po= ssible."<br /><br />Part of the reason for mass disillusionment is what Lyn= ch describes as “the brutal practice of ‘busification’ &n= dash; whereby military age men are snatched off the street which continues = to inspire loathing.” The average age of a Ukrainian soldier is now 4= 5 as many draft age men have fled abroad or are otherwise trying to f= ind ways to avoid conscription. Ukraine’s impressive drone prod= uction can’t compensate for its demographic deficit.<br /><br />&ldqu= o;The majority of both Russians and Ukrainians want negotiations to end the= war now” she concludes." Only a minority want to continue fighting u= ntil their side’s most maximalist aims are met. Absent the propaganda= of a youth-driven drone tech revolution in war, Ukraine looks in a remarka= bly similar situation to Russia: two countries hurtling toward demographic = oblivion, in a conflict directed by a profiteering political elite and foug= ht in part by the unwilling, the coerced, the foreign and the old.”&n= bsp;</div> <div width=3D"1" style=3D"color:white;clear:both">_._,_._,_</div> <hr> Groups.io Links:<p> =20 You receive all messages sent to this group. =20 =20 <p> <a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/42635">Vi= ew/Reply Online (#42635)</a> | <a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"mailto:[email protected]?subject=3DRe:%20%5= Bmarxmail%5D%20Ukraine%27s%20drone%20strikes%20no%20comfort%20to%20its%20wa= r%20weary%20populace">Reply to Group</a> =20 | <a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"mailto:[email protected]?subject=3DPri= vate:%20Re:%20%5Bmarxmail%5D%20Ukraine%27s%20drone%20strikes%20no%20comfort= %20to%20its%20war%20weary%20populace">Reply to Sender</a> =20 | <a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://groups.io/mt/120442198/6024700">Mute= This Topic</a> | <a href=3D"https://groups.io/g/marxmail/post">New Topic</a> <br> <hr style=3D"width:25%;margin-right:100%">POSTING RULES & NOTES<br /> #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.<br /> #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived.<br /> #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern.<br /> #4 Do not exceed five posts a day.<hr style=3D"width:25%;margin-right:100%"= > <a href=3D"https://groups.io/g/marxmail/editsub/6024700">Your Subscription<= /a> | <a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">Contact Group Owner</a> | <a href=3D"https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/10173629/6024700/1441833971/x= yzzy">Unsubscribe</a> [[email protected]]<br> <div width=3D"1" style=3D"color:white;clear:both">_._,_._,_</div> --ng46Lw4Zpbp8UYX7TEl0--