Are They True Colonels?

Rulers, come down to earth and take a look at what you've done.

Makarau, colonel of the Belarusian army, has recently managed to call opponents of paramilitary parades in peaceful Minsk heirs of the fascist Gauleiter. Since I was one of those who supported this, in my view, the right initiative, I'd like to explain to the Colonel who I am, whose heir I am and why I am against such a crazy idea like rattling with weapons.

Unlike the main initiator of parades in Minsk, my father did not die in the Second World War. He did not even get to the front when he was a boy. But he served faithfully after the war during six years, because it was necessary to someone to replace exhausted front-line soldiers. But my grandfather and three uncles were at war and one of them, the Baltic sailor, was killed. So I am their heir and no crum can dare say anything wrong.

I served two years in the strategic missile forces. By the way, I have good memories of it and often share about them with my friends. Forty years passed, but I remember with gratitude wise commanders whom I knew as combat officers (in the Strategic Missile Forces and in peacetime the servicemen carry combat duty), but not as organizers of paramilitary parades. Unfortunately, there were rascals among officers then, but most of them were responsible for the honor of the officer.

So, why am I against such performances? First, the regime has long pushed the country over the edge and duties and taxes have run over all reasonable limits. It may seem that various auto-taxes, taxes on "spongers", price growth on goods and utilities, introduction of paid education and health care confronting the Constitution, the retirement age increase and other things are aimed not at patching holes in the budget. The ruling elite cannot limit its irrepressible vanity for palaces and luxury. It requires parades to demonstrate a complete "approved!" Rulers, come down to earth and take a look at what you've done. Release your breadwinners at least from the burden of repairing roads destroyed by tanks, do not make them stand in long traffic jams when trial runs, do not waste money on fuel for the parade equipment. There is nothing to boast off when the country suffers such a poverty.

In such cases the Belarusian authorities are referred to the opinion of some "millions of citizens", veterans, labor collectives, etc. Of course, there are people who like it. However, it gives no ground for colonels to behave like crums against those who do not agree with "a general line" and have their own point of view.

Second, after watching the video many people were horrified to imagine what might happen if there were no His Majesty the Stock on the mad tank's way!

It deserves a monument in the capital even more than a tsarist policeman. I understand that this is not an indicator, but even this single example shows that a crowded city is not the place for such activities. No one has the right to jeopardize health and people's lives.

Third, of course, we are not the only country which holds military parades. For example, the North Korea does not regret money taken from its starving population to demonstrate its aggressiveness. The streets and squares boom with tanks, missiles and other weapons of murder. In other countries parades have turned into a solemn march-through. I personally prefer a festival of military orchestras I accidentally visited in Moscow in the middle of the 2000s. This is an alternative, isn't this?

Finally, about the memorable Gauleiter of Cuba, "sharp-witted" Colonel marked down opponents of paramilitary representations as his heirs. The Colonel suffers a complete disorder with the logic. As far as I know, Gauleiter "served in the regiment" not of opponents, but a great lover and organizer of military parades which thundered in the thirties and forties. Who is a "fellow soldier" of Gauleiter then? I am even afraid to build analogies!

I think there are enough arguments for apologies, but I'm not sure that the Colonel reads all the press. Is he a true Colonel?

Victor Korneyenko, belaruspartisan.org