They are also the #1 supplier of manufactured goods to an American public that is addicted to materialism and would rather vote someone out of office than suffer higher inflation to support Ukraine (fight evil, take your pick).

Yet even that isn't true. I believe Americans would tighten their belt to help Ukraine but we don't have a real democracy. The same back-room energy interests support Ukraine (with half-measures) and Israel (with full measures) for the same reason. They know what's best for Americans. And who's to say they don't since they pay them ;)

Anyway, voices like ours are drowned out.

The Biden administration is useful idiots to these interests. Harris will be the same. Trump would change the optics but not the situation.

What these oligarchs don't realize behind closed doors is the U.S. military is overextended and weak. If I'm China, I'd take Taiwan whenever I wanted. If the U.S. can't get artillery shells to Ukraine in 2 1/2 years, what hope keep the South Seas chain fighting for more than a few weeks?

I'm getting ahead of the story.