Senator John McCain is on the warpath – this time trying to pick a fight with Russia over Montenegro – a tiny corrupt country that really isn’t worth going to war over. That is, unless you want to protect billionaires and crooked politicians. Ring of Fire’s Josh Gay discusses this.
Transcript:
Senator John McCain is on the warpath – this time trying to pick a fight with Russia over Montenegro – a tiny corrupt country that really isn’t worth going to war over. That is, unless you want to protect billionaires and crooked politicians. But, how we got here is a complex story.
Montenegro is a small country, on the Adriatic Sea, with less than 2,000 active military members. But it is a key cog in a possible proxy war with Russia. Sen. McCain says that Montenegro joining NATO could stabilize the region and protect from Russian aggression, whereas Russia sees Montenegro as a vital port that is convenient to operations in Syria.
Evidence even points to Russia as being behind a failed false flag assassination attempt on Montenegro’s western-friendly leader Milo Djukanvoic. Now McCain wants to free Montenegro from that awful Russian influence.
But, Djukanvoic is widely thought to be one of the more corrupt leaders in the world. He has served as either Prime Minister or President of Montenegro for the better part of 30 years. He has ties to organized crime and smuggling rings and has used public funds to grant loans in shady business deals. Most of those interest-free loans will never be repaid. Meanwhile, Djukanvoic has used state-run media to silence whistle-blowers and cover up terrible human rights violations. So it is Djukanvoic’s crooked ways that makes McCain’s obsession with Montenegro a murky affair.
In 2006 Montenegro looked to gain independence from socialist Serbia. Russia backed this idea so that they could more easily control the key warm water port there. Russian investors had flooded the region, buying real estate and building factories, all admittedly at the Kremlin’s request. Of course, McCain rallied against the efforts, because he saw them as nothing more than a Russian power grab.
Strangely, Montenegro’s independence campaign enlisted an odd ally, McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis. Davis’ lobbying firm was paid millions by Putin-friendly business owners, like aluminum baron Oleg Deripaska, to help with the independence movement. Other wealthy people with interests in moving Montenegro away from socialist control like Canadian billionaire Peter Munk and The British bankers the Rothschilds put a TON of cash into the independence campaign because they had major financial interests in Montenegro, mostly through deals brokered by Djukanvoic. With massive financial influence, the expertise of Davis, and Russian backing, Montenegro narrowly won their independence from Serbia.
So, With McCain’s reputation for being anti-Russia, why would his close advisor work so vigorously for Russian interests? Theories ran amok – from McCain being complicit in the Kremlin’s plan to free Montenegro to Davis simply being hired in an attempt to get closer to McCain while the Senator remained clueless to his advisor’s efforts to promote Russian interests.
But the story doesn’t end there. In 2006, McCain met with Deripaska aboard his mega-yacht. To be so anti-Russian and yet having dinner and drinks with Russia’s favorite billionaire raises a lot of questions. Two years later, during McCain’s run for the White House, the Rothschilds threw a lavish fundraiser for McCain in London – this is despite the Rothschilds mostly identifying with Democratic interests in the US.
Now, as Montenegro looks westward in their effort to join NATO, McCain is once again at the center. He is condemning Russia at every turn, pushing for tiny Montenegro to be a key pawn in the already chilly relations with Russia. Supporting this corrupt nation along the Adriatic has no purpose other than to protect billionaires and anger the Kremlin. So, you have to ask, who stands to profit the most?
First of all, McCain has made no secret of his plans to drastically increase military spending. His tough talk on Russia has all helped him boost his argument for larger defense contracts. In 2016, McCain took in over $400,000 from defense lobbyists. Montenegro joining NATO will lead to Russian aggression in the region – which will, in turn, trigger the West to stand up to Russia. McCain’s wish for a new Cold War is coming true.
Secondly, investors like the Rothschild family are looking to protect their investments in the tiny country. So, turning Montenegro to western interests, simply lets them sleep easier at night. You can be assured, that they have expressed those concerns to Sen. McCain. They hired his friend and threw fundraisers to make sure McCain was in their pocket – now they are simply cashing in on the favor.
Those with major business interests in Montenegro used Russia’s influence to tear the state away from Serbia, then when it benefitted them more, these billionaires flipped to bring the small country toward western ideals, this time buying support from the US. McCain saw a perfect opportunity to line his pockets and strengthen his ties with massive businesses around the world. Whether it is a defense contractor at home or British bankers abroad, McCain has hedged his bets and looks to benefit once again from the affairs of a tiny corrupt country on the Adriatic.
