The Future of American Kleptocracy?
My favorite sub-genre of war movies features a rogue unit. They usually meet a clean-cut model soldier who is astonished by the lack of discipline, funny hats, smoking next to fuel tanks, and the general badassness (is this even a word?) of the rogue characters.
When I read Anne Applebaum’s most recent piece, “Kleptocracy Inc.” in The Atlantic, I shaved my beard with my Bowie knife, donned my STL Cardinals hat, smoked a Lucky Strike next to a barrel of high-octane fuel, and said in my best roguish Paddy Mayne voice: Hello Anne, there is a wee kleptocracy here as well.
Make no mistake: Anne Applebaum is one of the few American authors with genuine, in-depth insight into how an Eastern European dictator operates. When she compares Donald Trump to certain Eastern European gangsters, such as our Beloved and Wise Leader Viktor Orbán, she is correct.
When it comes to Donald Trump’s policies, Hungary represents America's dark future. Therefore, rather than attempting to match Anne Applebaum's experience and eloquence, here are some glimpses into that future.
Meet Lőrinc Mészáros
The gentleman in blue is Lőrinc (Lawrence) Mészáros. His greatest achievement is being Orbán’s childhood friend. He rarely speaks in public, but when he does, he reveals the stunning intelligence of a nice, fresh carrot. The intelligence of a freshly dug turnip made him the ideal choice for his current position as the richest man in Hungary.
Mr. Mészáros became wealthy overnight when Orbán’s party completed the transition from a criminal organization to a royal court. Before 2015, Mr. Simicska was in charge of running the business. Picture Meyer Lansky- a gangster and cunning businessman- who recognized that Orbán’s autocratic tendencies began to hurt the bottom line.
Mr. Simicska was soon deposed, and Orbán’s organization finished running things. Now they own things. Period.
It all began with deals similar to those currently made at Mar-a-Lago: sensible business partnerships through hefty bribes. Let’s see where it all ended up for us.
The following pictures are from Ákos Hadházy, a member of parliament, who uncovered billions worth of stolen taxpayer money. You will see classic Russian oligarch pictures. Just remember that the people in the pictures don’t have access to gas fields or diamond mines. They have access to the Hungarian budget.
I'm not sure whether the USA will make it all the way here. At least I hope not, because there is a flipside.
In the past five years, a company with barely disguised links to the “court” secured the billion-dollar contract for cleaning Hungarian hospitals. Here are the statistics for infections:
The Hungarian Railways had to lease 30-year-old diesel locomotives from Denmark because they couldn’t maintain the aging Soviet-made fleet. Imagine how hard it can be to maintain a Soviet locomotive from the sixties…
And the list goes on and on. All the money that should have flowed to healthcare, education, public transport, etc., is now in chateaus, jewelry, and designer bags. That’s how kleptocracy always ends. Welcome to hell.
Anne Applebaum is a neocon con-man. She's led the fight for the Ukraine war and cares not a wit for anyone with sensible ideas. That you cite her so blithely speaks ill of your observations.