In reply to TobyA:
> Yep, and while people might be on the "right side of history" in terms of the sides they support, it doesn't mean they might not also be war junkies who get something out of fighting themselves. The chap from Leicester was it?, with the natty moustache, in the Ukrainian marines who is now (hopefully) in a Russian POW camp, had also fought in the YPG before travelling to Ukraine.
I have to say, seeing the buses escorted by Russian AIFVs made me think that someone might be digging a big hole with a bulldozer somewhere.
I think people have various reasons for going to fight somewhere, they might feel the need to fight oppression, they might have military experience and want or need to go back to that environment, they might be a 'war junky', or they might be a Walter Mitty, dress up in the uniform, have some warry photos taken standing in front of a flag or collection of body parts, then quickly run away and spend their life bullshitting about being a steely eyed dealer of death to anyone unfortunate enough to be trapped in a pub with them.
> OK, this guy - the pseudonymous Mr Gifford, isn't going to fight, but you get the feel he doesn't mind being 'where the action is' some how.
I dunno. I know it's a quote from the Guardian, but "I saw friends of mine who would bleed to death just because they got shot in the arm" doesn't ring true to me. It might be misquoted, or out of context, but that doesn't sound like someone who's seen the mess a rifle bullet makes, even if it's just in the arm.