twenty-seven years and one million words
Our gift for The Girl this X'mas was a hot-shoe mounted microphone for her camera. I spent a bit of time with her today showing her the ropes of DaVinci Resolve, some video editing software that she pointed me to a year ago. It was fun. She uploaded a bunch of X'mas day loafing off videos to my Youtube account.
Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.