Sur la Non-Violence et le patriotisme by Leon Tolstoï

 What a straining, horrible moment is this one. 

Two European countries are in war for who knows which reason: forget what politicians are telling: we have million of Ukrainian refugees dispersed in the entire Europe, leaving, most of them forever, their country because of the brutality of an unwanted war, let me underline it by Ukrainians and Russians folk, but terribly desired for economical reasons by the several statesmen involved: I have friends and connections in many countries, including Moldavia, Ukraine, Polland, Russia, Romania, Ungheria! The past few weeks artists, books, minds of Russia became undesired  and if not banned, not anymore recommended because Europe, USA, are supporting Ukraine. 

I don't mind what it is the current thinking: I will continue to give voice to Russian literature: a country, the Russian one that has constantly suffered. Tzars, and then the Communism; folk that knows the word sacrifice and starvation but also kindness, generosity, compassion. 

I hadn't never lived in an atmosphere so horrible, so senseless, like the one of these past weeks: I started to cry just thinking at what my Ukrainians and Russian friends were saying me: we are all brothers, we don't want it. And they repeat it. 

We hadn't never experienced in our existence spent in peace, what it meant the day before great friendship, with a State, and the day after a total blame of its culture and people.

And, plus, what scare to death is that in a war,  people, folk can't say anything and can't do anything, apart saving their own existences.

A pandemic is trongly different in this sense. There is freedom: you know the guidelines...Masks, cleaning hands often, social distancing, where possibly less social life, if you mind. If people don't mind they can chose of catching the virus, but, again, it's up to you, your work, habits, values...But it's up to you and in general, all of us.

A war is another planet, because this senseless horror can't be interrupted by people but only by the ones who have wanted it, the CEOS of the countries involved. And there is a strong difference of vision. Common people, masses don't want it.

I thought that in a moment like this one, (apart our Bishop of Rome, Francesco, a fantastic human being!) no one was better than Léon Tolstoï for giving us words of light and for clarifying concepts strongly important. Thanks to a little book that I requested to L'Editions de L'Herne Sur la Non-Violence et le Patriotisme

the bright ideas of the popular, wonderful author of War and Peace are well explained in several letters, a quick exchange with Gandhi, in a letter to a revolutionary, but also in two articles.

Leon is a fine connaisseur of the human nature and its corruption, depravation and understood pretty well the big peril hidden by a culture, the european one, apparently christian.

So which are the biggest enemies of the modern man of the XX century? Although we are christians and Leon underlines this fact a lot of times in his writings, men live of superstitions. Which are the most dangerous ones? The superstition of the Church, of the State, Science, but also superstitions of organization, patriotism (the most important one),  art, progress, socialism.

Why a State is armed? For not obey, writes Tolstoi. Only for this reason. Is it possible to eliminate wars? Because as Leon writes, we can find everywhere that black point where a war can starts: the answer is yes. 

Yes: there is a way.

Killing the patriotism. 

Difficult to realize, true?

Patriotism is not a feeling felt without a reason: there is someone who had inoculated it to children, later adults.

Why being patriotic would mean put in danger the world?

Patriotism is in grade not to build good relationship between Nations, but to kill good relationship between the various countries: it means very often that a State doesn't want the happiness of a close country. 

Yes, although we have christianity, remarks Tolstoj, in grade of spreading good values in the population, there is nothing to do: also in the XX century we assist at patriotism. 

It is as strong as monuments are: just, writes Leon, with a touch of sadness, monuments remain per centuries there, without create any mess to the society and the community where they are located in. Patriotism is cause of horrible, horrible and disgusting results.

Wars are children of this biggest disvalue and a sea of blood, writes Tolstoj has been shed, and it will continue to be shed if man will continue to cultivate this disvalue.

It's a pity that people who could set masses free from patriotism don't do that.

But...Tostoi thinks: don't we have the christian religion? Doesn't speak of peace and brotherhood? Right: so why do we want to keep alive a vestige of the past and a potential danger for the humanity?

Patriotism is child of a barbarian world, writes Tolstoi and it shouldn't be taught. Other misvalues that should disappear are propaganda and derision.

Tolstoi thinks that no one should search for an enlargement of the country, but maybe, better, a reduction of it. Tolstoi speaks directly of the patriotic past of countries historically plenty of lies, of poems, sermons, popular hymns absolutely stupid.

More we will build a society plenty of patriotism,  underlines the writer, and more we will see countries wanting for more arms, for later ruining the body and souls of entire nations thanks to wars. 

European countries have buried God and christianity giving voice and preferences to patriotism and war. Confucious once wrote that the best thing to do would be the elimination of arms giving the chance to people of earning differently their money, bettering the agriculture and the world, and being loved by people.

Europe has chosen another path: once forgotten Christ, the desire of European statsmen has been the one of finding always new enemies. In a tableau once owned by Guillaume II is represented the archangel Michael who invites all the European "leaders" pictured like brigands wearing arms, for destroying and killing, to hear the messages of sweetness of Buddha and the one of justice of Confucius.

There will always be brigants in Europe, affirms strongly Tolstoi till at the moment that European governments won't reach a maturity in which they won't start disarm for later embrace a life dedicated to brotherhood.

I don't add other. Tolstoi wrote these words and many other ones, in 1896, 1909-1910 but they seem to have been written today. 

Highly highly recommended book.

I thank L'Editions de l'Herne for the physical copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori