A Crypto-Billionaire Holds Ukraine's Fate in His Hands
Friday's insight is that the world is in a deeply troubling place
As the sun rises this morning, I am uneasy with the state of the world. A crypto-billionaire is meeting with a war criminal in Alaska to discuss the future of Ukraine. Likely, the outcome of the meeting will be the scheduling of another meeting, and the war will continue until the crypto-billionaire gives Putin what he wants.
By the end of the day, I will be disgusted and depressed, but the crypto-billionaire will be on his way to one of his golf courses.
We’ve read about the perils of a world leader (I choke to call Trump one) holding a meeting with Putin with no clear sign that Russia wants to end the war. Why would it? Although it may be losing thousands of soldiers, the Russian Empire is still growing. Thanks to the end of U.S. aid in amounts permitting Ukraine to defend itself against Russia, Ukraine’s surrender is only a matter of time.
We’ve also read that Trump may now be worth over $15 billion, with more than $11 billion of that net wealth in cryptocurrency. Since taking office in January, Trump has radically reset U.S. federal policy to make the world safe for crypto and his family richer. Trump no longer needs to worry about how he will pay E. Jean Carroll’s judgment in the defamation case.
Trump is also focused on his legacy. He wants to be remembered as a great man after his death. That quest is the key to understanding the first six months of his second term in the White House.
Trump’s name doesn’t belong on the Kennedy Center in Washington or on Mt. Rushmore. But if Bitcoins were actual metal coins, his face should be on them. Without Trump, we might be reading that the “bitcoin era” is ending.
Is Trump corrupt?
If you believe that a U.S. President who meets with the leaders of the “Cryptocurrency industry,” listens closely to them at “pay-to-play” events, implements their suggestions to promote the value of crypto, and then, through various business schemes with his family, invests heavily in crypto, is a criminal, you are right.
If the standard to measure corruption is how much money you have made illegitimately or immorally, Trump is the most corrupt President ever. The most corrupt “in the history of the world,” as Trump would say.
Trump, now 79, is aware that time is running out for him to secure a legacy that erases January 6, thousands of lies, any evidence of his dealings with Epstein, and a personal history more akin to Leisure Suit Larry (look it up) than George Washington. He is a man on a mission. He believes that receiving a Nobel Peace Prize and having his name plastered on airports, cultural centers, roads, and currency (regular U.S. currency) will ensure his lasting legacy. It also explains why he is “beautifying” America by eliminating homeless people and undocumented migrants, and transforming the White House into America’s Versailles.
Americans of the future will remember Trump in the same way that Italians remember Mussolini and Germans remember Hitler. They read the history and, while they don’t deny it, find it hard to believe that their ancestors let evil reign in their countries. Most feel little or no responsibility for their national histories.
But we digress. Later today, a President who could be thinking about the round of golf he will play tomorrow while he meets with Vladimir Putin, will toss another shovel of dirt on the people of Ukraine. While listening to Putin, he may smile, realizing that a net worth increase of over $4 billion in roughly six months translates to approximately $22,200 per minute.
Trump should not be resetting the world order, not only because he lacks the tools to do so, but also because he doesn’t care about either Ukraine or the rest of the world. Trump doesn’t want a world war, something that could make life difficult for the family that survives him, but he’s okay with a world without Ukraine or democracy.
It’s all about the money for Trump and what he hopes that money can buy.
Thank You.
I hope to write something more positive on Sunday, but I won’t hold my breath waiting for help from Donald Trump.
Thank you for reading today. Let me know what you think.
Thank you John Dean. Spot on!