Russia is buying politicians in Europe. Is it happening here too?
A former CIA officer explains how a vast, pro-Putin corruption network uncovered in Europe is a warning sign for the U.S.
Democrats for years have warned about Russian influence in the Republican Party under Donald Trump. But now even some prominent GOP members of Congress are sounding the alarm.
“I think Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base,” Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Puck’s Julia Ioffe last week. Representative Mike Turner, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, went further, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper a few days later, “We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor.”
Which Republicans might they be referring to? Representative Ken Buck didn’t hesitate to point a finger at Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, saying on Monday, “Moscow Marjorie is focused now on this Ukraine issue and getting her talking points from the Kremlin and making sure that she is popular and she is getting a lot of coverage.”
It's not that Russia is buying American politicians
Or Americans are buying Russian politicians
It's money ..... the corruption is that the system can be bought, sold, influenced, manipulated, controlled and built on money. And those with the most money and power don't care about nationalities, states or governments .... all they care about is that we all keep fighting because it makes them money.
This is the theory I believe will prevent global nuclear war.
Those with all the power know that once anyone starts nuclear war, everything will be lost. Humanity might survive but all those billionaires will lose all their imaginary money and with it all that power that came with it. Global finance will end and that will mean that only those with the most guns and armies of men will become the new kings and queens.
It's a weird thought experiment. Greed got us to this point and I believe it's greed that will prevent us from going over the edge. Because they all know that if you blow up the world, they blow up all their power and status with it. And to the rich and powerful, that is more important to them than the lives of millions of people.
Nice theory (genuinely), but it falls apart because billionaires are building their own doomsday bunkers.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/25/billionaire-doomsday-bunkers-end-times
I've read lots about that too but no matter what happens they still lose the majority of their power and wealth.
If the apocalypse happens, they'll live in their bunker. Now instead of being a billionaire that has privilege and power over the world .... they'll end up being just survivors with a mountain of food. They could hire a small group of mercenaries to defend them, but that sets up the scenario where the mercenaries can just murder their masters and take over the bunker. And even if you had a bunch of guns and military hardware, eventually someone or a group of people will come along to take what you have. Or you end up just fighting every day to fend off attackers until your bullets run out.
These also aren't secret bunkers either .... they're known by enough people that they'll be easy targets for survivors after the world falls apart.
No matter how you cut it, a post apocalyptic world will not be a fun place for anyone including millionaires and billionaires in their bunkers.