Posted on 10/16/2022 9:50:29 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
I read that too. Good news!
Ukraine corrupts everything it comes into contact with. It’s weird we keep on giving them scads of money and the time of day. If the reasons were above board it might make sense, but me thinks it isn’t.
We now have a huge amount of corruption in this country that has completely and openly infiltrated the organs of government. They aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.
But I don’t give a hoot about that in relation to our sending money to Ukraine.
Im not upset. I thought that some perspective is useful.
There is corruption and there is corruption. Sometimes it matters, a lot, as a motivator, and sometimes its that nickel on the sidewalk that you wont stoop down for.
Riches via corruption from Ukraine is like that nickel, to the people who actually decide things in the US.
Wrong. There are no "Ukrainian overlords."
These so-called "overlords" are mere puppets of the American Deep State.
Without the Neocon Globalists' muscle backing up their demands (and calling the shots), everyone would ignore these "Ukrainian overlords."
I'm guessing the "Ukrainian overlords" cried to their Godfather in Washington, who then gave Musk an offer he can't refuse.
In this country, we got more. We got corrupting influence from Mexico and China as well.
starlink is global.
ukraine is nothing
As a place to make money in, or off of, Ukraine simply doesnt matter. Any money spent so far in this war, or likely to be spent in this war, also is small change - in the big picture. Thats not why anyone is doing anything.
Ukraine was good marketing for Starlink.
I disagree that USA corruption (as extensive as it may be) has any bearing at all on the wisdom or rightness of sending money to Ukraine.
The fact that the Biden Administration is soaked in corruption, malice, arrogance, and ineptitude, and that corruption is the driving force behind sending money to Ukraine explains WHY that American taxpayer money is being sent to Ukraine.
But that only explains it. It doesn’t make it right.
From Hero to Zero to Just Damned, Tony Stark fails, hard.
““The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money and other companies are getting billions of taxpayer [dollars], we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free,” Musk tweeted on Saturday.
The billionaire has donated around 25,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals to Ukraine after Russia launched its military operation in the neighboring country in February.
Kim Dotcom, whose real name is Kim Schmitz, replied: “In other words you will continue your support for the US proxy war in Ukraine despite your better knowledge that this is a US proxy war and the risk of a nuclear war because of the US proxy war?”
“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, so … guess I’m just damned,” Musk wrote in response.”
“Musk and Kim Dotcom talk nuclear war”
https://www.rt.com/news/564762-musk-dotcom-nuclear-war/
No matter how much corruption we have, that doesn’t justify giving OUR money to ANYONE.
“Yesterday Elon bent the knee and said he’d continue to fund free Starlink for our Ukrainian overlords who can demand free stuff from us or else.”
Far as I can see, Elon’s Starlink is massively underused these days. It is drowning in unused bandwidth. It has not come into its own, which it will in a few years.
So Musk allowing Ukraine to use Starlink costs him almost nothing. What? A few millions per year? The only real cost going on is manufacturing Starlink base units and sending them to the Ukrainians. Units might raw cost $100-$200 each. So the total Musk is out is 20 million dollars at the most. My opinion.
How many billions has Musk gotten in state and Federal subsidies and freebies. A few years ago it was five billion dollars. So it is time for him to give out some freebies.
But USA corruption explains a very great deal about what US policy is about anything. Its the prime motivator for the rulers of the US.
“Wisdom” cannot be determined without information, and we groundlings simply dont have that. And that is nothing new at all. Prince Metternicht did not share his correspondence with Styrian peasants.
Rightness is a matter of opinion. Me, in this case I rely on Thomas Aquinas on just wars, and the encyclical Pacem in Terris. Whence is tellingly quoted - “There is a saying of St. Augustine which has particular relevance in this context: “Take away justice, and what are kingdoms but mighty bands of robbers “
I disagree that MY tax money be taken away and be gifted to people who are enriching themselves and the people gifting them the money.
There is nothing, repeat, NOTHING that can make that “right”.
One app Ukraine is running on Starlink
GIS Arta - Artillery dispatching and fire control
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IkbMpKhR_qA&t=144s
Keeping the world peaceful is a good reason, but thats just me. The US has given vastly more aid to dozens of countries over the years for the same reason, for better or worse, but on the whole better.
Its been awfully peaceful these last thirty years. Well, I’ve noticed anyway.
Its best to, at least, attempt to take the long view. Mr Putin is a very clever man, in his way, but he has serious problems with perspective. The current US government is profoundly stupid, but in a way they are locked in by decisions and institutions, and strategic thinking, set in stone by much better men decades ago.
It is amazing how important Henry Kissinger has become to some here.
I never dreamed that Henry Kissinger would become such a hero in a conservative forum.
Welcome to the club.
The US budget is chock full of corrupt expenses going to every variety of graft, inefficiency, iron rice bowls, goldbricking and padding. And beside that, the entire US economy is distorted by regulation and a legal system that sucks vastly more out of you than taxes.
If you are this mad about Ukraine, I dont want to be anywhere near you when you figure all that other stuff out, in proper perspective. The blast radius will approximate that of a 155 shell.
Please don’t mistake my quoting Kissinger as me being a fan of his.
The sentiment in the Kissinger quote is a variation on the Lord Palmerston quote regarding Britain. The biggest differences between the quotes is the country, and Kissinger’s is more pithy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.