Once my friend was telling me about how sorry she felt for her friends who were obliged to go to the army and do their compulsory service. She was obviously talking from the point of view that the soldiers are completely helpless and they can do nothing about it or otherwise they will be severely punished with imprisonment.
The fear of punishment makes the "miracle" and people agree to do something that they don't agree with. People agree to kill others because they are afraid to be put in jail. There was one point that my friend as well as other people and the soldiers themselves don't understand.
You are not helpless...
You are helpless because you allow it...
You are helpless because you allow yourself to believe that you are helpless...
You are helpless because you don't do anything to change it and you give up before even trying to do anything to change it because you are afraid to be punished.
What do you think would happen if all the people including and starting with the soldiers said: "I am not going to the army no matter what ?". Do you think the general, police, the government etc. would be able to do anything about it ? They are able to severely punish, imprison and even kill ( army deserters ) few people as an example and to create fear so that nobody else does the same. But if there were hundreds and thousands of people saying in unity and oneness "we are not going to the army" then the generals wouldn't be able to do anything.
Thus you see... it is all happening because you allow it.
Now... Some of you would say: "it is easier to talk about it but it is not so easy to do it". First of all whether it is easy or difficult it is your own judgement of the situation. For me it is just a matter of doing it. I don't need to place any label of judgement describing it as easy or difficult. Secondly I am not just a person who talks and does nothing about it. I was few months away from being called to the obligatory service in the army. But I said to myself: "No fucking way. I am not going to the army no matter what. I am not going to support killing and being forced to kill others". The consequence of my decision would be that I would be imprisoned. And I was aware of it. But I said "no" and I was firm on my decision.
This was my absolute decision and I would do it. But in the end it all came to the point where I didn't have to do it because there was demographic high in my country at that time and people from my year with higher education were released from obligatory service in the army. But this doesn't change anything. I made my stand and I was ready to do it no matter what.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to feel helpless.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to believe that I am helpless.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to feel sorry for the soldiers because I believed that they are helpless when it comes to obligatory service in the army.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to agree to go to the army and kill other people because I was afraid to be punished with imprisonment if I didn't do the obligatory service in the army.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to be murderer ( soldier ) because I was afraid to be punished with the imprisonment.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to be afraid to stand for life and saying "no" to obligatory service in the army because I was afraid to be punished with imprisonment.
P.S. How fucked up is this ? How fucked up is humanity ? Somebody understands and stands up for life and says that he will not support war and killing by not going to the army and instead of being applaud for it and supported in his stand, he is being punished and hardly anybody oppose it. Majority has agreed that this is normal and we have to accepted it because "this is the way it is" and if you question it then you will be punished.