Plastic Heroes and Cold Steel Matriots

The previous post dealt with Joachim Rönneberg, a war hero. He looks rather fragile compared to Hollywood’s heroes with muscled mass and reflexes fast, but neither Rambo or the latest gym-baked, guru master-trained action-film agent could keep pace with Joachim and his team as they skied over 300 klicks across the breadth of Norway through freezing weather after blowing up Nazi chances of constructing an atomic bomb. The young patriots were agile on skis, used to the cold, knew the mountains and steeled with determination. They were a formidable force. They knew, as is written in granit on the back of the statue commemorating their deeds, that:

Another statue honoring the resistance forces in general shows a man with binoculars looking over his shoulder, apparently unaware that his finger is pointing. Is it pointing? It could also be a signal, as could an open window, the color of flowers in a pot or any other sign the enemy wouldn’t notice.

One word labels this statue, Hundevakta, ”Dog watcher”. The entire population had their eyes on the enemy, as the natives of an occupied country always do, but the Dog Watchers did so in organized fashion, often at risk to themselves, not to mention the hardships they endured.

Resistance to enemy/occupying/ruling forces take many forms. A casually opened button, an innocent earring or a finger placed under the lens of a phone can signal a message that can make a difference between life and death. Organized resistance by people steeled with determination is a formidable force, often an invincible one.

The plastic heroes appearing on our screens entertain us with their super abilities and thrill us with virtual justice. How satisfying to see the bad people get what they deserve. We are purified, released, redeemed … if only in vicarious form. The bad people in reality seem inaccessible and untouchable. Seem.

The plastic heroes provide us with catharsis. We love it. Can’t get enough of it. And like all junkies, we pay the price. We are made to believe that muscle, speed and near super abilities are needed to resist the forces suppressing us, contolling us, threatning us, stealing from us, surveilling us …
We cannot afford that price.

Anyone can offer resistance and make a difference. Anyone, any shape, size, age, condition or ability. Anyone can be a matriot, a defender of mother earth and humanity (= earthlings). Peace and freedom are not to be taken for granted, and cannot be given to you. You have to win it to own it.

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“Everyone doing what they can
is enough to do everything that needs to be done.”
Dartwill Aquila

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The West Bank is now the Judea-Samaria area.