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Apr. 15, 2007 In the 1990's, with the dismantlement of the USSR, several well-placed and cunning individuals were able to become billionaires practically overnight. They did this by privatizing public assets, in other words, by looting the holdings of the government and embezzling the profits. They earned the nickname of the Russian oligarchs. Since this is only a nickname, there is no precise definition of who is and who is not an oligarch. However, the number of oligarchs seems to be 10 or fewer, most of whom are Jewish. Whether it is 5 out of 7, or 6 out of 9 that are Jewish, the probability against the occurrence of such a phenomenon, in a country where Jews make up only 0.5% of the country's total population is astronomical. Three of the most notorious oligarchs are Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Vladimir Gusinsky and Boris Berezovsky, all Jewish. Under the presidency of Vladimir Putin, they have been investigated and charged with fraud and related crimes. Khodorkovsky, the CEO of Yukos Oil Company, has been convicted of tax evasion, and is currently serving a nine-year prison term. In the West, some media and government spokespeople like to pretend that this is all a matter of anti-Semitism on Putin's part. Khodorkovsky has close relations with Henry Kissinger and Richard Perle. But Berezovsky and Gusinsky got away, fleeing Russia, either already charged criminally or anticipating imminent charges. In 2003, Gusinsky was arrested in Greece, which maintains diplomatic relations with Russia. Putin demanded the extradition of Gusinsky, but diplomats from the US and Israel applied pressure on the Greek judiciary, and Gusinsky was able to elude extradition. Berezovsky, a software engineer, got rich, according to one account, during his directorship, in the 1990's, of Avtovaz, a Russian automobile manufacturer. After his reorganization, the state-owned company sold cars that it cost $4700 to build for $3500 to private automobile dealerships, which resold them for $7000. In that way, much public money passed into Berezovsky's pockets. Berezovsky has been accused also of helping finance the election of Viktor Yushchenko, the current president of Ukraine. Foreigners, like Berezovsky, are not allowed to make campaign contributions in Ukraine. Berezovsky has close relations with the Bush family, and is the business partner of George W. Bush's brother, Neil. He holds Israeli citizenship. In the year 2000, Berezovsky fled to England, where he was granted 'political asylum'. Subsequently, Putin mounted charges against him and has sought to extradite him, but so far Berezovsky remains in England. On April 13, 2007, Berezovsky made a public appearance advocating the violent overthrow of the Putin regime: "We need to use force to change this regime. It isn't possible to change this regime through democratic means. There can be no change without force, pressure." He acknowledged openly that he is fomenting a revolution. Of course, Putin is now intensifying his efforts to get Berezovsky back to Russia. Berezovsky argues that Putin is anti-democratic and that his good reputation is unjustified. But if Levada, a public-opinion institute in Russia is to be believed, Putin, who received only a 31% approval rating in 1999, enjoys 80% today. I wonder if Bush will ever see anything like 80%. The Russian people also favor the renationalization of Russia's gas and oil industries. Does Berezovsky have world domination in the back of his mind? Disclaimer: Nothing in this article is meant to convey the false impression that the author is anti-Semitic or advocates any military or legal action against Jews in general. These remarks are merely the summary of verifiable facts. ------------ About the author Thomas Keyes: I have written two books: A SOJOURN IN ASIA (non-fiction) and A TALE OF UNG (fiction), neither published so far. I have studied languages for years and traveled extensively on five continents. Email: udikeyes@yahoo.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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