We're not alone in this - globalized world does not need pikemen and I can see folks complaining about it under any home prices piece on HN. And in Russia where

We're not alone in this - globalized world does not need pikemen and I can see folks complaining about it under any home prices piece on HN. And in Russia where people have few illusions about their government. Russians also been through the 90's where we were told pikemen should cater to the highest bidder. Since the beginning of the hot war, however, the state has suddenly found itself in need of their population which it has disregarded before. I imagine the same may happen in EU where these underemployed young males are suddenly treated with good wages if they decide to join the armed forces. On the other hand, fleeing Russian opposition takes pride in reiterating how they are going to sack all of these pikemen the second they are made a puppet government. That's why their influence is basically nonexistent. Navalny was smarter than that, but the team he gathered is just like that.