Ukrainian 'Oligarchs' Losing Fortunes, Power Amid War

NewsMax ^ | January 2, 2023 | Charles Kim

[familyop]

In addition to the military-imposed destruction since the invasion, Akhmetov, and his fellow billionaires saw Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enact a "de-oligarchization" bill in late 2021 that put people in their positions exposed to extra governmental checks on business transactions and were banned from donating to political parties. Zelenskyy, who ran his presidential campaign with anti-corruption as a top issue, said that the individuals were, "a group of people who think they are more important than lawmakers, government officials or judges."

[FlyingEagle]

They own lawmakers and judges. There and here.

[Nathan _in_Arkansas]

American oligarchs seem to be doing well.

[Mount Athos]

Ukraine is the future of the USA.

Ukraine banned

* opposition political parties
* dissenting TV stations and newspapers
* the largest religious organization in the country

They aggressively do conscription in the places that disagree with the government, such as the region in west Ukraine near Hungary.

These draftees are stuck in muddy freezing trenches under constant bombardment. If they try to flee or surrender, blocking troops behind them will shoot.

It is an organized mass murder of the populace.
Meanwhile the politicians are setting up their families for life with villas in Switzerland with all the blood money.

The Democrats look at Zelinsky with total awe, his government is their fantasy role model.

I am in regular contact with Ukrainian friends who do not want to fight. They know people who are hiding.

But I turn on the USA TV and they tell me everyone in Ukraine wants to fight to the last man.

They say Ukraine is such a great democracy and that is what they are fighting for. When just before the conflict they say the opposite.

I never seen such a degree of devilish propaganda that has duped so many in all my life.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Yep!

[MarMema]

Great post.

[Red6]

Yup-

I think you have a handful of people that do not entirely have control, but disproportionately have influence on our government because:

1) They own the MSM and big tech or it is beholden to them for revenue.

2) They are extremely wealthy and this wealth can influence the political system (lobbying, campaign donations, speaking fees, buying art, donations to foundations, hiring relatives, giving relatives preferred business deals...). But also because they can fight back, i.e. law suits.

So much do they have influence over the political system that in many cases, laws are literally drafted by groups representing their interests, or they can impact the interpretation and enforcement of laws.

A while back they did a study of this and attempted to quantify it: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/62327F513959D0A304D4893B382B992B Basically, the extreme affluent get their way 45% of the time even if this goes against what the majority wants. The majority gets their way 18% of the time. Doesn’t sound very “Democratic” does it?

I suppose this has always been an issue our nation struggled with: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robber_baron_(industrialist)

Today is no different and the oligarchs using the powers of government to get even richer do not like to have their monopolies messed with.

The government has proven impotent in dealing with it: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/sherman-anti-trust-act Today you see blatant monopolies in big tech, pharma, oligopolies with credit cards and reporting, agriculture and livestock, telecom, genetic testing and some medical devices, waste management... How does a government with politicians and parties that have an insatiable apatite for money and good press, regulate these people?

Wanna bet that the US government (FTC) will give Meta which is in many ways a monopoly already and owning 93 different companies will give the OK for this acquisition too? https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-12-20/zuckerberg-meta-supernatural-ftc-trial

[Cronos]

Ukraine banned the 3 Kremlin funded opposition parties. Not all. And these were combined about 10% of the parliament.

Don't lie.

Ukraine banned TV stations funded by Moscow. You do realise Muscowy has invaded Ukraine, so naturally they banned stations of the invading force.

The Russian Orthodox church isn't the largest, it was the 2nd largest before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, now its adherents have plummeted in disgust for Kirill supporting Putin's invasion

The Kyiv Patriarchate had 44 percent of Orthodox Christians, compared to 12.8 percent for the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate. Although the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine (UOC-MP) has twice as many parishes, the UOC-KP had three times as many members

[ransomnote]

Zelenskiy's Oligarch Connection (5 minute video)

Supposedly, in 2019, the CIA-run Radio Free Europe reported on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s connection to Ihor Kholomoisky, a Ukrainian oligarch whom the State Department banned from entering the U.S. in March 2021 due to his “significant corruption.” This doesn't make all that much sense because our CIA and State Department helped  overthrow the Ukraine in 2014, so I would have assumed that, unless Zelensky misbhaved somehow, the CIA would continue to support him, not 'rat him out.'

The New York Post reported that Ukrainian Oligarch, Iho Kholomoisky, had a “controlling interest” in Burisma Holdings—the Ukraine company which employed Hunter Biden as a board member for $50,000 per month. Russian media, quoted in State Department emails, referred to Burisma as “part of Kholomoisky’s financial empire.”

[McGruff]

Zelenskyy, who ran his presidential campaign with anti-corruption as a top issue...

LOL, seems corruption is one thing Ukrainians are good at.

[Mount Athos]

I never said “all” opposition parties were banned.

I said Ukraine banned opposition parties.
I told the truth.
You lied, by misrepresenting what I wrote and claiming I lied.

So how about taking your own advice and “don’t lie”.
You have no shame.

You said Ukraine only banned the tv stations after the invasion, but this is a lie, tv stations were banned before it.
You lied about this also.

Perhaps you should give up pretending you know what you are talking about on this subject, since you are consistently wrong in everything you say.

Here is the survey question asked of Ukrainians on the street about their religious affiliation.

WHICH CHURCH DO YOU RECOGNIZED AS AUTHENTIC?
PLEASE ANSWER TRUTHFULLY.
IF YOU SAY YOU PREFER THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE WE WILL SEND SBU TO YOUR HOUSE TO TERRORIZE YOU, CONFISCATE YOUR PROPERTY, AND DRAFT YOUR CHILDREN TO FRONT LINE TRENCH.
THIS SURVEY CONDUCTED WITH TRUE SCIENTIFIC METHOD.

Seriously it never occurred to you people might be fearful to answer how they really think and feel on a survey in this current situation where priest are beaten up, people are beaten up for even using Russian language

[familyop]

"American oligarchs seem to be doing well."

Because we're not fighting a war for our existence, yet. Some of the more well known ones tend to want to avoid getting involved in a high intensity conflict, even if it means allowing enemies to break out in an expansionist rampage overseas and build up to come after us. They don't want to be taxed for it.

[familyop]

Thank you, Cronos, for the good information.

[Red6]

Listened to the video. Junk and advertising.

But for all those who thought this was a great idea:

1. 20% landmass lost
2. 20% population lost
3. ***No NATO (Ukraine’s political goal and the cause of this war)***
4. No EU (and that was in reach before the war)
5. Major industrial area lost
6. Major industrial and port city lost
7. Political internal instability
8. Seriously damaged infrastructure (40% of their power generation is lost...)
9. Destroyed economy (-14% GDP in 2021) and that with 1/3 of their GDP being US and EU aid in some fashion or form
10. 27% inflation now (Their BS official stat like our US BS official stat - realistically it’s more like double)
11. Massive population displacement (refugees)
12. Massive death and wounded

No, this won’t be 2014. Ukraine is now a basket case. They’re screwed. Eventually when we decide it’s over, we’ll tell the Ukraine to negotiate in earnest, at that point the war will end. This war is costing the US and EU and at some point even we will want to see an end to this hemorrhaging of money. When the dust settles Ukraine will be left with a smashed up china shop and our aid will amount to drops in a bucket. The MSM will rapidly shift to the next big story and Ukraine dominating the news today will be forgotten.

What a victory! https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine.svg We all know, a victory is when you lose the land and people and do not achieve your stated political objective, NATO membership (sarc).

Was it worth it? https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-president-zelenskiy-holding-talks-with-biden-adviser-says-2021-12-09/

[USA-FRANCE]

Thank you Cronos, for your precise info.
It will trigger some of the commie / neo-Stalinists here on FR who believe its normal for Russia to invade and annex sovereign nations and level their villages, towns, electrical infrastructure , water supply, etc... in mid winter times...

Those who are not denouncing this catastrophic human abuse and lack of respect for sovereignty and borders here on Free Republic are obviously pro neo-Soviet infiltrated communists. They pretend to be conservatives here... but they are so easily spotted - thanks God.

[USA-FRANCE]

Russia is so corrupt that it has become a pariah in the world.
Only Communist China, North Corea, Cuba, Chechnya, IRAN seem to still tolerate Putin.

Moscow / Kremlin is run by gangsta-commies. They have only pro Government CNN-like news outlets there, no true opposition parties - they are all banned. The russian people being used as cannon fodder on the killing fields of Ukraine.

Only less that a third of russian citizens now supports Putins losing war - according to russian polls.

[Cronos]

Your leaving out the “some political parties” was an implicit allegation of all. Be precise, only the Kremlin backed 3 parties were banned.

Second, I said the tv stations funded by Moscow were banned, as Moscow had invaded Ukraine.

They invaded Ukraine in 2014.

My statements above are verifiable and far from consistently wrong as you allege.

Thirdly, the facts are that The Kyiv Patriarchate had 44 percent of Orthodox Christians, compared to 12.8 percent for the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate. Although the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine (UOC-MP) has twice as many parishes, the UOC-KP had three times as many members.

People aren’t beaten up for using Russian. Heck, Zelensky your nemesis is a Russian speaker

[Cronos]

No worries.

My Athos is wrong yo link Orthodoxy to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Putin did this not for Orthodoxy.

In fact Putin is killing thousands of Orthodox believers.

[Mount Athos]

You tell lies, you believe lies, and you argue in bad faith.

Bye liar

[familyop]

The latest in regards to Ukraine and corruption...

The Security Service of Ukraine has exposed more than 10 customs officials in the embezzlement of Ukrainian grain exports
https://en.usm.media/the-security-service-of-ukraine-has-exposed-more-than-10-customs-officials-in-the-embezzlement-of-ukrainian-grain-exports/

SSU detains former chief of russian railway branch in Kherson, who helped russia bring military echelons to Ukraine
https://ssu.gov.ua/en/novyny/sbu-zatrymala-u-khersoni-kolyshniu-ochilnytsiu-filii-rosiiskoi-zaliznytsi-yaka-dopomahala-perekydaty-v-ukrainu-viiskovi-eshelony-rf

SSU uncovers corruption scheme at customs: millions stolen on Ukrainian grain export
https://ssu.gov.ua/en/novyny/sbu-likviduvala-koruptsiinu-skhemu-na-mytnytsi-rozkradaly-miliony-hryven-na-eksporti-ukrainskoho-zerna