Sept. 4, 2023, the New York Times asked, "Where is the money?" concerning Ukrainian funds. Wow! What a surprise. Money is missing! Giving billions to a known corrupt money-siphoning group of people ended up with money going missing. Where was the New Times when Reuters reported $37 billion missing in Ukraine in 2014? Well, it could have been worse. It only took the New York Times nine years to wake up to reality.
In a February USA Today article, John Sopko, special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, said, "When you spend so much money so quickly, with so little oversight, you're going to have fraud, waste, and abuse." In fact, concerning this, he said there would be "massive amounts." Ukraine only scored 33 out of 100 in the annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which is near the worst third of 180 countries.
Of course, the Pentagon has said it made an accounting error, and the missing $6.2 billion the Times cited is simply due to the Defense Department overpricing the value of military equipment sent to Ukraine. So, the Pentagon does not know how much equipment costs, so it is overpriced by billions? Boy, doesn't that make you want to pay taxes? If they can't get the price right now, what makes you think they ever got the price right? Remember that this is your taxpayer money that funds the Pentagon "budget."
Additionally, I found that right before the Sept. 11, 2001, attack, $2.3 trillion went missing. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "admitted the Pentagon managed to somehow lose $2.3 trillion dollars from its budget," but this was forgotten when the world witnessed the attacks on the Twin Towers. It has been stated the money was not necessarily stolen; it was just "lost." I guess a bank robber could just say, "I didn't steal this money. It was lost, and I was just trying to help it find its way home … at least to my home."
Researching this situation, I found it only got worse. According to another article, the federal government can't account for $21 trillion. Do you realize how much money a trillion dollars is? A trillion dollars is a million million. With $1 trillion dollars, you could make 1 million people millionaires. When asked, "Who wants to be a millionaire?" I keep raising my hand, but so far no one is paying attention.
This "missing" $21 billion reported between 1998 and 2015 would amount to about $65,000 for every American, according to Mark Skidmore, professor of economics at Michigan State University.
Let's return to Ukraine. Please remember these never-ending wars are paid for with deficit spending. Also please realize with these huge amounts of money, corrupt politicians are siphoning off funds to pay for luxury homes and extravagant expenditures. When these corrupt people are dead, our children and our children's children will still be enslaved through taxes to pay for this deficit.
The New York Times stated the "enduring challenge of corruption in Ukraine" has "emerged as a rare area of criticism of President Volodymyr Zelensky's leadership." I kept thinking, "Is this the punch line to a bad joke?" Zelensky's corruption has been talked about for years, with his inner circle buying multi-million dollar mansions in Switzerland, beachfront property in the Southeastern European Balkan country of Montenegro, U.S. factories and vast areas of commercial real estate, making them the largest Midwest real estate owner in the United States.
A report in the Guardian states Zelensky has been under the influence of the Ukrainian billionaire Igor Kolomoisky since 2015 with Kolomoisky transferring $41 million to offshore firms belonging to Zelensky and his circle, including Film Heritage. It should be noted that in March of 2021 Kolomoisky was banned from entering the U.S. due to his "significant corruption." "Forbes magazine currently places Zelensky's net worth between $20 and $30 million," which is far more than he could have earned in his previous career as a simple TV performer and comedian in Ukraine.
It was reported on Aug. 12 that after already sending $113 billion to Ukraine, President Biden wants to send another $24 billion to Ukraine. Note that while Biden wants $24 billion for Ukraine, he has only requested $800 million to fight the fentanyl crisis in America. Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among Americans age 18 to 45. In 2022 alone, U.S. federal agents seized enough fentanyl to kill every American. Even with this, in the 12-month period of August 2021 to August 2022 the CDC reported that 107,000 people died from fentanyl-related overdoses, which is "equivalent to a plane with nearly 300 people aboard crashing every day."
Maybe we should spend less on Ukraine and more on problems killing Americans. Even a CNN poll stated the American people oppose more aid for Ukraine.
While I know some House Republicans oppose the new Ukrainian aid package, RINO Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said he will team up with Sen. Upchuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and promises to "ram the whole package down the House's throat." I hope Kentuckians will remember McConnell's actions in the 2024 primary and election, for as Mike Lee, R-Utah, states, we need "new leadership." Continuing, Lee stated, "With Republicans like this, who need Democrats?"
Thinking about this latest $24 billion, I guess it is true that Christmas is coming and there are probably some members of Zelensky's team who have not purchased their family a retreat in Switzerland, or their beachfront property, and in addition the Democratic National Committee will need money for the 2024 election year, since they have few donors, and please let's not forget the CIA's unregulated special projects. I guess I understand the need for an additional $24 billion. Perhaps to the tune "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," they'll sing, "The big guy … is com-ing … to town."
Somehow I don't feel merry.
