What is happening in the Ukraine should concern the
citizens of these United States. And I’m
not just talking about the geopolitical consequences of Russian hegemony in
Eastern Europe. No, I’m talking about
the governing styles of an ex-Soviet KGB agent and the paternalistic, or should I
say maternalistic, policies of Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. Their styles are different, but the end game
is the same: subjugation and deference by and for the ruling class.
Both men have an objective to silence opposition and
control the populace. The only
difference is Putin is comfortable being a man, while Obama embraces his
softer, pink side. Both are narcissistic vipers ready
to strike.
Will America become the next Ukraine? I say Washington D.C. is our Moscow. States are treated as mere satellites. We have a corrupt political oligarchy that
confers power onto itself, while allowing bureaucratic apparatchiks impose
rules and regulations that make it impossible for businesses to operate and at
the same time turning citizens into criminals.
The federal government has turned States into
beggars with easy money, which isn't hard to do since they have a printing
press. Moscow has used the same strategy on the
Ukraine, as reported by The Independent:
Russia tied Ukraine to a $15bn bailout deal in December,
which is parcelled out by the month to maximise leverage, and periodically
suspended whenever the opposition looked like getting the upper hand. But
Russia’s real aim was to provide just enough money to support the old
semi-authoritarian system (helping Viktor Yanukovych pay the police) and keep
Ukrainian society post-Soviet, that is, still dependent on government.
The comparisons don’t stop there. See if you can recognize our future in the following
excerpt by ABCNews:
GAS
FOLLIES: Ukraine's state gas company, Naftogaz, charges customers only about 20
percent of what it pays for imported Russian gas. That means the government
spends about 7.5 percent of the entire economy's output each year on a massive home
heating subsidy aimed at keeping voters happy. That results in large budget
deficits that the government must borrow to cover.
The
International Monetary Fund tried to help Ukraine through its post-crisis
troubles, with loan packages in 2008 and 2010. Each time, the IMF turned off
the money tap after Ukraine refused to follow policy requirements including
raising gas prices or cutting back sufficiently on generous government salaries
and pensions.
CORRUPTION:
A recent World Bank study of the economy cited "pervasive" corruption
as a major factor holding back the economy. At street level, businesses are
subjected to arbitrary treatment by officials and demands for bribes. Higher
up, there is widespread public skepticism over the fortunes amassed by the
connected, known as oligarchs. In particular, attention has focused on the
career of Yanukovych's son Oleksandr, a dentist who according to Forbes Ukraine
has amassed a $510 million fortune through various business enterprises.
Ukraine
ranked 144 out of 175 countries in the 2013 corruption perception index
compiled by Transparency International, an anti-corruption group, behind Papua
New Guinea, Nigeria, and Iran.
RED TAPE:
Business advocates say owners sometimes prefer paying bribes to obeying
regulations and taxes that are so complicated and burdensome that they would be
out of business if they complied. The country's complex business tax laws
require 390 hours a year to comply with and take 54.9 percent of profits. That
put Ukraine 164th out of 189 countries in ease of paying taxes in a World Bank
survey.
BROKEN
FINANCES: Ukraine's finances now are in such bad shape that it will have
trouble paying its debts this year without outside help. With continuing
deficits, it faces borrowing needs of between $7 billion and $10 billion this
year. Its poor prospects mean it's unlikely to be able to borrow more on bond
markets.
Is there a Ukraine-style protest on the streets of
Washington D.C. in our future? Don't be surprised when it happens.
Photo H/T: Maggie's Farm
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