Historian Timothy Snyder expresses concern over Elon Musk’s significant influence on President-elect Trump, highlighting Musk’s substantial wealth and financial backing of Trump’s campaign. Snyder predicts a potentially damaging power dynamic, with Musk effectively controlling Trump’s actions through financial leverage. This dependence, Snyder argues, is reminiscent of Russia in the 1990s, featuring a weaker leader reliant on powerful oligarchs. This situation, according to Snyder, should worry Trump’s allies.
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Russia Plans Major Tax Hikes
As I sit here contemplating the recent news of Russia planning major tax hikes, my mind is filled with a myriad of thoughts and emotions. The concept of higher taxes is not new, but in the context of Russia’s current political and economic climate, it takes on a whole new level of significance. Putin’s “special operation” to fund military endeavors is causing quite a stir, with the potential for tax increases looming over the heads of the Russian populace.
The proposed tax hike targets those earning 200,000 roubles a month, which equates to approximately 2,000 euros.… Continue reading
The recent news of the Vice President of the Russian energy company Lukoil dying ‘suddenly’ of suicide raises many questions and suspicions. In a country where life expectancy seems to be directly linked to how well one can stay in Putin’s good books, it is no surprise that high-ranking executives are meeting mysterious deaths. Vitaly Robertus becomes the fourth Lukoil manager to die under questionable circumstances since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Former top executives of Lukoil, Alexander Subbotin, Ravil Maganov, and Vladimir Nekrasov all met their untimely ends in ways that seem to suggest foul play.… Continue reading
Russia warns the West: we will be very tough if you ‘steal’ our assets. These words from the Russian Foreign Ministry certainly caught my attention. It’s quite ironic to hear a country accuse others of theft when they themselves have a well-documented history of taking what doesn’t belong to them. Russia’s actions in Ukraine, where they invaded and annexed Crimea, are a prime example of this. So, what exactly are they going to do if their assets are seized? Invade another country? It’s almost comical.
Let’s not forget that many Russian oligarchs built their vast wealth by stealing from the Russian people.… Continue reading
The recent revelation that the GOP’s star witness in the Hunter Biden probe has ties to a Russian oligarch should come as no surprise to anyone paying attention. It seems like every time you turn around, another Republican is being linked to Russia in some way or another. From Tara Reade, who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault and then fled to Russia, to the countless GOP politicians receiving money from Russian oligarchs, it’s clear that the Republican Party is deeply entangled with Russia.
But why does this matter? Why should we care about the GOP’s ties to Russia? Well, for starters, it raises serious questions about the integrity and independence of the party.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker