14 Powerful Portraits Of Men Reacting To New Mandatory Army Draft In Lithuania

Of course it's fake, knowing that all of them are wearing the same prop (same uniform). Also, if you're in the army, you don't have fashionable privileges (styled beard, earrings, hipster punk hair, etc...)

if it's a concept it doesn't matter if it is fake or real - it's symbolism not documentary photo....

Well, it's actually written in the description above that the pictures portrait a random group of guys. It doesn't mean they are the ones sent to compulsory army. It's a way to express what feel the 37000 people sent there.

Seems totally faked. At leats most of them. Those long wet lines are too carefully placed to be real tears. Maybe they really feel sad inside, but I don't think common people (without some training, like actors) can cry at will for a photoshoot.

Are you asking whether a person feels real emotion when they have to leave whatever they were doing in their life and join the military?

ferėg

Even if that was not a fake - it 's a shame. What the %$#^& are those guys proud of if they 're not going to protect their Country ?

Whether it is real or not, It's lame

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Well that's an American woman for you. What an unbelievable monster you are. You wake up tomorrow and are now required to go kill people at the cost of your own life - which you don't own anymore. They take a picture of you and then wonder if you're "acting". You're scum. You are not worth one soldier dying for. You're not even worth the gum under his shoe.

.......or small, low-growing, blue-flowering wildflower for that matter?

We seem to have a lot in common. When I was 17, I was also an idiot.

Military service is something you must do for your country. There are benefits in serving but this shouldn't be the main motivation to join. You do it for "us" not for yourself. For small countries living next to new Putler it's the only way to be able to protect oseself - Baltic states cannot upkeep enough mercenaries and building a reserve army is the only way. At least we in Estonia are very happy that Lithuania remake this decision and hope Latvia will do it soon as well. And most important - if Russia will find a way to make new Crimea here it will become Russia with 2-year compulsory military service. Would like to see photos of these guys then - guess there will be much more tears. And real tears this time ;) So please serve with pride. Tears are OK - there are some things you must do even if you don't want to.

dont you f*****g dare call them pussies. just because they arent as 'manly' as you it doesnt make them weak. theyre going to lose 9 months from their life, stop their studies/works. theyre going to leave their families, many of them have kids. some people, unlike you it seems, have plans they want to accomplish and that f****d-up draft ruined them for them. it shouldnt be mandatory, encouraged, maybe, but not mandatory.

There is nothing wrong with not wanting to join the army, it should not be compulsory, everyone has a right to free will. A gun in your hand and a uniform on your back does not make you a REAL man, a lot of these people have lives that they don't want to be uprooted from, there is nothing wrong with other things taking priority than serving in the army, these people have families, businesses etc. Wars have done nothing but benefit the fat cats that send you there anyways, why prepare to fight someone Else's war?

Yes, because manly is doing what your state orders you to do without question. But sure, these guys are the pussies for wanting to have their own life and their own decisions.

Sugarsmuka - Lose 9 months of their life? That's not like losing something, it's experience that you will never forget and will never regret of doing something. Going to leave their families... And what about if conflict occurs? Like World War 3? What will happen to his family? How he would protect them? By hipster beard or something? It's mandatory only for 5 years, you know why? Because WE ( LITHUANIA ) have bad neighbours, we have to be prepared for everything, we have to fill in our army because only with mandatory we can do it. We need to deter the aggressor. Don't get caught with mom's instincts and such, it's not like they are going for war now. As I mentioned before - we need to deter the aggressor. Agata Zawieja - what do you know about Lithuanian army? There are no poor conditions or anything like that, everything is normal, you get breakfast, dinner , lunch. If you are first time there, you will not eat the same dish again in 30 days, because there are lots of dishes and etc

If you're forced to 'serve' your country it's kind of like being a slave. Just because you're brainwashed to think of it as pride it doesn't mean its something positive at all. In Poland it used to be mandatory too and I heard many stories of how great it is but i also heard about bullying, poor living conditions and other things that not everyone may want to put up with. It doesn't mean they're lesser men than those who are happy to do so. I don't get how someone can be so critical of people who happened to have own opinions and don't want others to decide for their lives. You must be a seriously limited person if you really think that its okay to take someone's freedom l, furthermore, if you support such behaviour...

my service period was 2 years 6 months, so 9 months is really short, go in with a positive attitude and learn something out of it , or you could just loathe it and that would really be a complete waste of time, its all down to your attitude , good luck!

Vidaslsjumpin, so tell me, in your opinion what REAL MEN should do? Know how to use a gun? Know how to beat someone? Exercise every day? I can bet that I would beat the s**t out of you, my body look way better then yours, but still I wouldn't go to the army no way. REAL MEN do much more. They make sure that their family has whatever they need and family also need a man. You think person who work day and night just to be sure that his kid have everything what he need for school is a PUSSY and person who left his family for 9 month is a MAN? You're only 17, you have nothing in this life on your own shoulders, you know nothing how things are going in this life and you have no right to say that those men are pussies. I would smash your face into a wall and then we would see who's the real pussy here.

good for you , my country's service period was for 2 years 6 months, so 9 months is really nothing.... you can chose to hate it, or try to learn something useful out of it, its all down to your attitude. good luck

I am from Lithuania (26 years old) and most of my intelligent friends are against conscription. And not me or any of my friends are "hipsters". And most people who are against conscription are just casual people. Most people that are conscripted have already finished university so that discount will be useless and 2000 euro for 9 months is hilarious. Most people of my age already earn an average age of about 600 euros, so they would earn this money in 3 months. But I don't blame you - when I was 17 years old I was pretty stupid as well and would have supported the army. But now that I am older and have a much better idea of how the world works I find it really absurd to serve in the army - risking your life so that a small elite group could earn a profit from you. So good luck. And if World War 3 comes up I will try to protect my family by taking them to a safe place, instead of going to the warzone, getting myself killed and leaving my family to get raped. So good luck.

I think a boy of 17 does not understand that ALL TYPES can be "Real men." "Real" does not mean "unspoiled." "Real" does not mean "willing to become a killer to further a government's agenda." Not every man or woman is willing to leave their "real" life, perhaps permanently. I believe the boy of 17 has not established his "real" life, his "real" path yet and for that reason he has little to leave behind. He does not know it now, but this experience will do good things for him and bad things for him. He WILL be changed. And if the boy turns into a man on the battlefield or in a foreign land far from those he loves and those who loved him as the boy he was, may they forgive him when he returns changed in ways they would not have wanted---or never returns. (From a 63 year-old American woman, former teacher of 17 year-olds; my grandparents left Lithuania to live in peace rather than kill other boys from a foreign nation whose czar told them to kill Lithuanians). A waste.

Yeah, you are 17 years old and these 2k + university college prices is good to you, but not for these 26 year old; Most of them has a jobs and can make up to 2k in one month + have a loans or like big taxes for their houses. I was in war academy and working in army, but i did that in my 18s and i think in Lithuanian government works idiots - if you want take people to the training -take young ones after school like before - they dont have nothing yet, why should grampas loose their jobs for that?

What you are saying is wrong, so wrong and on so many levels, I don't even know where to begin. I can only say that your thoughts and opinions are yours and you shouldn't try to implement them on other peoples' lives. It would make you a dictator. Dictators ruin lives, ruin populations and ruin the world because they think they know it all. Men are different, you don't get to make this decision for someone else and ruin their future, maybe they'll appreciate it and maybe they wont, maybe it will be good for them and maybe NOT The thing is: People are different and I highlight the word different because this is what makes us humans.

*My co-worker got called so now he lost his job, his long planned wedding went to s**t, he won't be there for his first child coming to this world.

The comment of a real idiot.

ok boomer

@xho Rokiškio miestas, prašau, atvyk, nesigiręs ką rašai lietuviškai kitiems. :) Ar tau ant autobuso bilieto sumest reikės? Ar dar kokių priežaščių? Jeigu jau siūlai, tai pats ir atvažiuok, vatnike :D

Im not sure if you're an idiot or you just didnt read the article. These men were picked to just show what it would be like for some of them. This is not a sole representation of your culture. This is the kind of s**t that these two women are getting out there. That if a man doesnt go and kill other people, that hes not a man. Shut the f**k up already. This isn't 1371 anymore. Get with it.

Vidaslsjumping, prašau, pasakyk, kad tu iš Šiaulių. Susitiksim, persimesi su manim keliais žodžiais... arba su siena. ( For those who doesn't understand what I just told him ,, Please tell me that you are from my home town Šiauliai. We'll meet and have a little chat with me... or with a wall.") by the way i'm also lithuanian.

I think saying the army is manly is a stereotype. I have met people in the army that went because the army paid for their education, they didnt have the option of university because of their grades etc. Some people go to serve their country, to prove a point, or want the action and adrenaline.. It´s not ´pussy´ behaviour to be told with no warning that you no longer have a choice in your life, to give up your plans, your dreams, your family. It´s unfair to take somebody from their home and life and send them somewhere as intense and time consuming as the Army. Not everybody belives in war and violence. I don´t. If I was forced to go to the Army, I´d be furious! I´d cry, I´d probably leave the country. Nobody is allowed to take that choice away, its unconstitutional. And men showing emotion is not manly? Really? Ever heard of ´He for She´. A man comfortable enough in his own body and sexuality to show his emotions, is more manly to me than a testosterone filled weight lifter..

Yeah, it's just the whole "not having a choice thing" that tends to p**s people off. And two thousand euros over a period of nine months is virtually nothing. I have a pretty middling job and make more than that in a month. This is where nationalism gets you, folks. People should be HAPPY to lose their liberty! They should be GRATEFUL that the state is willing to furnish you monetarily while it uses you for its purposes.

May I suggest you something?Let "real men" and "hipsters" decide for themselves. If you wish to serve in the military, is there anything which prevents you from doing this? Yeah, it's better to drag those "hipsters" into the army and when the wartime comes, see thousands of "fake men" deserting their servitude.

Vidai, the problem is that it was made into must. My co-worker got called so now he lost his job, his long planned wedding to s**t, he won't be there for his first coming to this life. The problem is that many of those men had too much going on and now they have to leve everything behind no matter if its only for 9 months. You are 17 and you don't know how differently you would look at it when you had work and family stuff going on already.

Really? You have no clue what you talk about! Either you are a infantile person who imagines that army and war is something glorius or you are just a psihopat who sees nothing wrong in killing people. Maybe we could talk in about 10 years when you will grow up. IF you will ever grow up. Good luck with your army service, I'd really like to have the chance to see you doig that, because, my lovely, you will be also crying then. Worse than those guys.

So, with other words, Vidaslsjumping, if you are so keen on serving in the army, are you also ready to kill if time will come? Or is just about the money you get for university and the "lots of other stuff"?

What you also get is no freedom of choice and no proof that this is somehow more useful than increasing military spending to, say, required 2%. And everyone was free and welcome to go to the army before the conscription, right? How come so little young guys actually did that if the benefits are so great? Because they had a choice and there was no propaganda and public shaming.

VidasIsjumping - apparently you havent had a chance to lose months from your life. youre really strange to think that 9 months is nothing compared to what they couldve expirienced there. like what, the same routine every damn day, harsh treating and strict rules? its not a summer camp, man. its goddamn army! we border russia and belarus as well, we belong to nato as well, we dont need mandatory drafts! its not xxth century, times have changed. people have other priorities.

you just said yourself you are 17 don't judge people on they looks plus where are guys on this photos older when you, what are you talking about???

shot*

But you don't mind women think they are your equal when they don't have to fight for their country ? How come only you has to get show to be a good person, not them ???

Spoken like a real idiot.

How sexist of you to define what a real man is. How do you then look at women who join the army?

If you want to justify any long winded training then I suggest, someone invent a time machine, go back to 9th century and prevent Chinese from inventing gun powder. This way at least, the survival will depend on your skill rather than plain stupidity and luck, humans are too vulnerable to this kind of technology, and therefore its r******d to put yourself in front of a bullet. P.s even if you agree with Lithuanian government etc, you do realise its not Grybauskaite (LTU president) that's calling the shots, its NATO, pretty much = USA (hence why there was no warning or discussion over this conscription decision....daaaaaaaaaaaa) . so continue your naivety thinking that you're serving your country, cause you're not, there is a much bigger agenda here ;). If Lithuania wasn't a potentially good strategic location, USA would probs abandon them and LTU with 1 tank (hyperbole) can go back to sleep.

Finally, put yourself into a serving soldiers shoes that has seen action and then talk. Most people probably don't realise how mentally damaging the experience is in the true combat, and yes you may say the topic is about the 9 month serving period, but then I'd say to you, if you're only thinking so primitively about this duty of 9 months without considering future consequences then why waste 9 months of your life if it won't come in use (training that is). P.s don't need 9 months of training to hold and use a gun, taking orders and working as a unit, most people have learnt those skills during extra curricular activities anyways, school, in the family. So what exactly do you learn in those 9 months -.-, how to get fit?? here's an idea; go to the gym, do pull ups, improve agility, endurance, etc run/swim/ cycle/ walk daily and you will become fit, and still will have the time within the day to do other important things. Humans are too fragile against firearms to waste 9 months

Btw, think of it this way, it is honourable and proud to fight for your country when there is an ACTUAL WAR, 21st most people if not everyone are free and yet you're not :D, since the government can dictate your life when they wish to. Few facts, Government represents and governs the country, however I disagree with the government, so why should I listen to them?!, on the other hand I do agree on the idea of defending your home land, BUT not the government!!! therefore why would I listen to the government, ohh wait cause we're slaves to the system -.-. This is why I'd gladly become a patriotic partisan fighting against any intruders, but not a freaking government controlled p**n. Its one of those things where someone asks you; "would you jump out of the window if I told you to, just cause I had the authority", you'd reply; "ofc not". p.s. People who have strong opinions about being FOR conscription are mostly political douchebags who won't have to serve.

Look at the bigger picture, you're missing the point here, as soon as you have served those 9months, your presence at the military action will be obligatory, since you're not a professional soldier, they will use you as the first line of defence like a piece of meat, you know WHY, cause 9months of training doesn't make you a real soldier and hence you're more of an expendable p**n rather than an asset. If I joined voluntarily or was forced to join the military, the best course of action would be to climb in ranks, otherwise you're screwed. If you spend more time analysing the problem, you will realise that you lose any control that you may had in the past over decision making. If soldiers were well informed during combat duties, they genuinely knew the situations, then I wouldn't be so against it. What pisses me off the most is the fact that you, as a ordinary soldier have no "HONEST" info regarding military actions, only the highest chain of command does = deceived = dead = pointless

With a free of charge chance to wake up dead.

You are thinking like a slave...

You seem to have this idea that killing people for anything but your own reason is a good thing. Consider that long and hard when it's your head/torso/limb ripped apart in combat.

If you get so much out of it, I do not see a reason to force people into it when I am sure there is a big line of people who wish to go in there. :-)

i think you should serve in the army and go to war and take pride in that. if you die though, there will be no nothing given to you.

This post validates the action in every way. "Real men" are defined by a 17(!) years old teenager. Nothing more to be said about this comment, it's just sad.

@xho I would like to see you doing that... Smashing my face.. Haha. In Israel there are even disabled people who trains in army.. Wow even disabled people.. So yeah, moms and girls..Smashers and hipsters.. The show is closed.

And response to Andreea Popescu: If something would happen like World War 3 and people would be attacking my country... I would kill people, you know why? Because that's how everyone defended their homeland, their people.

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So much sissies. For fatties: When something will happen to your family you will be crying whole your life because you couldn't do anything. Just look at yourself sissies , haha. No question why they posted this s**t on this website. P.S. 8th guy got caught in the streets of Vilnius, he was giving blowjob to the other guy, police got them, so that says enough about this guy, only sucking d**k will do for him. So yeah, that's why he's scared. :)

Well, yes, but while you may be fighting for the government, if the other country invades you, it's your mothers, fathers, sisters, wives and children who's homes get pillaged and who themselves get raped and/or murdered.

@Jojo - let me say few things to you about "professional" army... When Russia and other countries were attacking France, Russia and other countries only had "professional" army, so let's take they had like 200,000 men prepared for war and they charged, plus there are like other +-50k men charging from other side. France had mandatory army and they managed to defend France with "un-professional" army. Question how? When Russia had 200,000 men (that's example) French guys killed them one by one, so they had their casualties and people were killed one by one. France had that "un-professional" army where everyone could defend their homeland and kick some asses to aggressors, so France won the war, because they trained people all across the country.

@Avedis that's what professional army is for. total war like WW2 is not possible anymore because the technology is too advanced. there is no need to train the general population as it does nothing of value, it can only militarize and disturb a peaceful society.

If your enemy's prepared for war, and comes knocking on your door, with your wife and kids under threat. tell me, do you sit down and preach them that it's wrong killing other people and that you have a career? really?!

There are tons of mandatory things in life: school, taxes, child care. I see nothing wrong in discipline, physical and psychological training, skill learning. Do you see any wrong in that?

Not trained to kill, my god! Train to know things like discipline, protect your group, care for ones around you and weak, they learn medicine basics, physical training, survival skills (light fires, make shelters, find food etc). Such a dumb approach to a question. ..

I love how people around here are like "mandatory army draft? that sounds good !" ...

I was 2nd Sargent in Portuguese Army.