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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 13, 2026

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So the EU has renewed the general refugee status of Ukrainians in Europe. Obviously this is reasonable on humanitarian grounds, war is terrible and if we can shelter people safely away from it it is the decent thing to do. (Just try not to apply similar standards to Gaza, a conflict which has a far higher casualty rate among the civilian population.)

However, there is a new provision:

On 15 July 2026, as part of the extension of temporary protection, EU countries also agreed that, recognising both the need to protect displaced persons and Ukraine's need to defend itself against Russia's illegal war of aggression, temporary protection should be granted only to those complying with their military obligations in Ukraine. This change applies only to new applicants and does not affect people already benefiting from temporary protection in the EU.

Personally I am a bit of two minds about the Ukraine war. On the one hand, I am all for my taxes paying for Ukrainian weapons for as long as Ukraine cares to fight Russia. Punishing a defector against the rule based international order while also weakening the main NATO adversary seems an excellent investment.

On the other hand, Ukraine seems like the kind of meat-grinder conflict like WW1 where the best option is not to fight it, and the second best option is to stop fighting sooner rather than condemning another few hundred thousands to death in a likely futile attempt to change the strategic picture. In WW1, among millions of volunteers butchering each other in the trenches, the wisest were probably the few who decided that they did not give a fuck about any dead archduke and would try to reach a neutral country rather than being compelled to murder and get murdered by the crazies who had taken over their countries.

My understanding is that Ukraine (unlike the German basic law) does not recognize conscious objectors to military service. Yet we only extend the right to refuse military service to the Ukrainian men who had already fled from the draft, but not the ones coming now.

Most of the risk of death is actually to military personnel. Numbers are contested, but it seems that being in the armed forces probably increases one's risk of death by more than 10x compared to civilians. If anyone has a claim that they are in physical danger from the war, it is military-age men.

I am also wondering what the long term plan of the EU is. In two years, will Merz and vdL tell the Ukrainian boys who fled to Germany at age 12 that they are now old enough to die for their country and ship them back?

temporary protection should be granted only to those complying with their military obligations in Ukraine

Amusingly understated way to say Tinder dates and nightclub carousel riding will continue for Ukrainian women while any Ukrainian men should get sent to the trenches to be shot at and bombed.

gordon_ramsay.jpg:

EU to black and brown migrants: “Oh dear, oh dear, gorgeous”
EU to Ukrainian men fleeing conscription: “You fucking donkey”

You repost that meme over and over, but Arun Pudur's citations are "per media reports." Yes, I'm sure if you search Tinder for "Ukrainian women" you will find a lot.

Are there any actual numbers indicating just how many Ukrainian women have left Ukraine and joined Tinder? Do you know what percentage of Ukrainian women have fled compared to the percentage of Ukrainian men who have fled?

You repost that meme

Happy to share awareness among those who are less initiated and to remind those who may have forgotten.

Do you know what percentage of Ukrainian women have fled compared to the percentage of Ukrainian men who have fled?

Playing along with the (rhetorical) question, over 30% of Ukrainian women aged 20-29 were already gone as of May 2023 (at the latest, since that was when the report was published) vs. pre-war, as opposed to 4-5% of Ukrainian men (a minority but material fraction of whom may had literally died in war). As of or before May 2023 this would already have been quite dispiriting for a young Ukrainian man getting shot at and/or bombed in the trenches (if he hadn't already died), much less facing a 2:3 girl:guy ratio in those age groups if/when he returns to civilian life (assuming he survives). Competition from 30-39 year old men for 20-29 women would also be more intense than usual given the even greater relative outmigration of 30-39 year-old women.

The ratio from the May 2023 report would have only deteriorated given any Ukrainian outmigration that has occurred since the time the figures were originally gathered (the ratio declines linearly for any proportional outmigration, for example, another 4-5% decrease from prewar in young Ukrainian men and 32-33% decrease from prewar in young Ukrainian women would mean about a remaining 1:3 girl:guy ratio).

Are there any actual numbers indicating just how many Ukrainianu women have left Ukraine and joined Tinder?

Women, especially young attractive women, are generally present on Tinder and/or other online dating sites, if not Instagram, TikTok, SnapChat, etc. No marginal joining needed to continue thotting about, just maintaining or augmenting one's presence would be more than enough.