Media may be losing track of real story
One story sometimes dominates the international news cycle, often to the detriment of other reportage; like the recent emphasis placed on the initial hesitancy of Germany’s government to agree for Leopard tanks they produce to be exported to Ukraine.
This became headline news regurgitated over several days, until the U.S. agreed to send their own Abrams tanks, so the Germans acceded to the demands for NATO countries to donate their Leopard tanks.
Almost completely lost in the shuffle was the story about several top Ukrainian officials caught with their hands in the cookie-jar, at the very same time the Leopard tank saga was taking place.
Following local investigative reporting of lavish lifestyles, inflated food prices for the military, bribery and other forms of wartime profiteering, several senior government officials resigned.
The Defence Minister is still under intense scrutiny, after his Deputy, several regional Governors and many other deputy ministers were forced to quit top posts. Of course, this type of practise happens in every war with greedy humans are involved.
In the U.S. Civil War, President Abraham
Lincoln denounced profiteers as worse than traitors, and in the Second World War future President Harry S. Truman became a national hero for his fight against profiteers.
According to published estimates at the end of 2022, more than US$100-billion were donated in commitments for Ukraine during the first 10 months since the Russian invasion, from a total of 46 countries around the world.
That’s a tremendous amount of money, weaponry, commodities and other material to be suddenly floating around in a country that was 122 out of 180 counties in the 2021 transparency international rankings. Sadly, corruption has long been a major issue and a way of life in Ukraine.
In light of President Zelenskyy’s new demands for fighter jets was made immediately after the Leopard tank deal was finalized. In producing sensational headlines, some international news media houses may well be losing track of the real story.
About 2350 years ago Diogenes The Cynic died in Corinth, Greece. He became best known for traveling around Athens in broad daylight with a lantern, saying that he was looking for an honest man. Diogenes’ work is never done.