War is a constant in our society and always has been since we’ve learned to branch off into distinct groups and then into our own countries. Another constant has been the inherent profitability of war, and our proxy war in Ukraine is a perfect modern-day example.
As we approach the year mark of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s interesting to think back on all those military and defense experts that said Ukraine would fall in a matter of days. It begs the question; were they purposely misleading, or are our military ‘experts’ just that completely inept?
Here we are; President Volodymyr Zelensky is still perhaps the most beloved man on the planet. Yet, while many innocent men, women, and children are dying for a cause they believe in, others are poised to cash in on the reconstruction effort.
And to think, the war isn’t even over.
Western nations are sending billions to Ukraine to supply them with weapons.
Who pays for that? You.
Who benefits from that? Weapon manufacturers.
Who’s the largest shareholder in weapon manufacturers? Blackrock.
Who is going to “reconstruct” Ukraine after the war? Blackrock. pic.twitter.com/tUiXpusOMo
— Eva Vlaardingerbroek (@EvaVlaar) January 15, 2023
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A Can’t-Miss Opportunity
Before the end of 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink agreed to partner up for the future of Ukraine, which apparently is one in which they have defeated the Russian aggressor.
The agreement allows BlackRock to coordinate the investments coming into Ukraine concerning its rebuilding.
On President Zelensky’s official website, it states of the memorandum of understanding between the two:
“…agreed to focus in the near term on coordinating the efforts of all potential investors and participants in the reconstruction of our country, channeling investment into the most relevant and impactful sectors of the Ukrainian economy.”
That’s quite a bit of power that BlackRock will have over this country that has been devastated by the seemingly nonstop barrage of Russian attacks. That will be a whole lot of money going in and, perhaps more importantly, out, of the war-torn country in an effort to rebuild it.
But in whose image will Ukraine be built? Funny, when this sort of activity happens in other continents like Africa, it is frowned upon; however, when it happens in Eastern Europe, it is celebrated; I wonder why that is…
The feeling is mutual. BlackRock plans to turn Ukraine into a "beacon of capitalism," and Goldman Sachs says that Ukraine's reconstruction will offer "good economic incentives for real return and real investment." https://t.co/lO8w8OOUlH pic.twitter.com/oxD0NSrxIF
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) January 24, 2023
Good For Business
Like a lot of global activity meant to appear philanthropic but is really self-serving under the surface, there was abundant chatter on the economic future benefits of Ukraine at none other than the World Economic Forum’s annual Davos event.
Mr. Fink specifically mentioned that he believes BlackRock’s investment in Ukraine’s reconstruction will turn the country into a “beacon of capitalism.”
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The CEO of Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, said at Davos that:
“There is no question that as you rebuild, there will be good economic incentives for real return and real investment.”
Kudos to Mr. Solomon for thinking on the bright side of things. You can’t blame Mr. Solomon and Mr. Fink; it’s their job to look at the bottom line.
What chaps my rear end and many others out there is the disgust we receive from the Ukrainian flag pin wearers when we raise questions on the actual underlying reasons for investment and the detriment our involvement may cause to our people.
It doesn’t take long to be labeled a Putin sympathizer or a Tucker Carlson fanatic if you dare to raise your eyebrow in concern.
Tucker Carlson Reacts To Zelensky Thanking Blackrock, J.P. Morgan And Goldman Sachs While They Profit Off Of The War In Ukraine
"Oh you can make a lot of money in Ukraine. It's the Ukrainian way! Which is of course corruption, one of the most corrupt countries in the world." pic.twitter.com/WbOPSGSwH2
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) January 25, 2023
A Clean Canvas
Recently President Zelensky spoke at the National Association of State Chambers. This event has representatives from all 50 state Chambers of Commerce who make various decisions on economic investments for their state.
Addressing a Chambers of Commerce meeting in Boca Raton today, Zelensky thanks BlackRock, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and others for their support of Ukraine. Adds that sending Ukraine heavier weapons, like Abrams tanks, represents a "big business" opportunity for US corporations pic.twitter.com/N1h8OVECLt
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) January 24, 2023
At this event, the Ukrainian President said:
“American business can become a locomotive of global economic growth.”
Interesting, not sure the Chambers of Commerce across our country should be looking to send our businesses overseas given all the layoffs and Americans looking for employment opportunities here.
He went on to brag:
“We have already managed to attract attention and have cooperation with such giants of the international, financial and investment world as BlackRock, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and such American brands as Starlink or Westinghouse have already become part of our Ukrainian way.”
I guess Elon Musk isn’t such a bad guy after all. His following words really caught my attention:
“Everyone can become a big business by working with Ukraine, in all sectors, from weapons and defense to construction, from communication to agriculture, from transport to IT, from banks to medicine.”
Why we could build ourselves quite the little puppet state, couldn’t we? Interesting the order of sectors in that list.
It’s Not About Freedom
I have a family member who spent much of his life working for small defense contractor firms. Twice he lost his job because a larger defense contractor absorbed the small ones he worked for like an amoeba.
I’m not the only American that knows someone negatively affected by this practice. I spent some time living in Oklahoma and enjoyed meeting several farmers and ranchers.
Increasingly they were having difficulty expanding their land due to either China gobbling it up, marijuana farms taking over, and over-regulation in general. And I know of at least five fellow mothers that have had difficulty finding medicine for their children because of supply chain issues directly correlated to the fact that a large chunk of our medicine comes from other countries.
Who honestly believes that we should be putting a priority on investment in a country that the majority of Americans couldn’t identify on a map?
President Zelensky ended his appeal to the State Chambers of Commerce representatives with the obligatory:
“…I believe that freedom must always win.”
None of this has to do with freedom; it has to do with American dollars, yours and mine, coming out of our pockets into the pockets of Big Business, Big Defense, Big Government, and any number of corrupt Ukrainian ministers. Kiev estimates it will cost $750 billion to reconstruct the country.
Washington D.C. firms estimate the amount is closer to $100 billion. But what’s a few hundred billion between friends?
Especially when the Pentagon isn’t well known for its accounting skills anyway.
Pres. Zelensky specifically name checked BlackRock while discussing post war rebuilding efforts in Ukraine. BR has a long association with PRC interests, & detractors accuse it of acting as an overt front for the CCP. This should raise massive red flags.https://t.co/drVg9lVOOC
— Patrick Fox (@RealCynicalFox) January 25, 2023
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