Intellectuals come from all walks of life. Writers, teachers, priests, academics, scientists, journalists, even court jesters at some point in the past. The list is much longer, of course. When regimes start controlling countries, some intellectuals side with the oppressors. They become propagandists. They join the dark side, so to speak. Some intellectuals flee abroad and do what they can from some other place. Finally, there are intellectuals who become the brains of the opposition on the ground. They are dissidents on the side of the light. Yes, these are cartoonish classifications but it gets the point across.

No wonder every regime wants to get rid of intellectuals as soon as possible after taking power in a given nation. Abductions. Show trials. Prisons. Assassinations. Kill lists. Mass graves. We know the story all too well, tragically. Intellectuals. The people who see much more than others. The people who point out absurdities when no one asks them to do that.

Most importantly, intellectuals see right through the enemy plans.

Intellectuals may not know how to cock a gun. Intellectuals may not know how to be warriors on the front lines. Theirs is an intellectual front, where words fly instead of bullets. As one Ukrainian soldier told me, much to my surprise, ”Words can be more powerful than bullets.” I understand what he meant, though I still believe an armed intellectual is the best intellectual.

I’ve........

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