The United States is going to give another $1 billion to Ukraine...

 

A M142 HIMARS firing in Ukraine. Reuters. 

The United States is going to announce yet another aid package to Ukraine, this time for $1 billion worth of equipment. Reuters. The new package would include more ammo for the M142 HIMARS system, which is a long range missile system. With the newest addition the total amount of aid would near $10 billion. The announcement is expected on Monday and the exact details could change. The package comes right after the Pentagon offered up a $550 million aid package that was separate from this package. 

My Comment:

This is utterly insane. There has been no debate on whether or not we can afford this, if it is the right thing to do or even if it will have any results. The answer is respectively no, no and none that are good. But there isn't even a question in the media or the politicians about this. 

As far as I am concerned Ukraine doesn't deserve on thin dime of taxpayer dollars. Ukraine is a corrupt country and we only have any involvement with them because our politicians use it as a massive money laundering operation. They expect us to pay and supply for their war, that they started with their persecution of Russian speakers, and give us nothing in return. 

And I don't think these weapons will do one lick of good. Russia is still winning the war. Ukraine is taking horrendous casualties and will soon run out of troops, assuming that they don't crack under the pressure. Russia's new style of warfare greatly favors them and unlike Ukraine, they can sustain casualties. All the weapons in the world are not going to help if everyone that can operate them is dead or wounded. 

The much ballyhooed HIMARS aren't the wunderwaffen they Ukranians counted on. They do have long rage capability and they have allowed the Ukrainians some small successes. But the problem is that the Russians have their own long range capabilities and are unable to repair and maintain these weapons, which are extremely vulnerable to counter fire. 

What is so frustrating to me is that Ukraine is essentially a war of choice for us but it isn't anywhere near the most important foreign policy threat. Indeed, even international terrorism is a bigger threat to us than Russia. But with Taiwan potentially brewing up as a major conflict with China, wouldn't it be wiser to spend this money on beefing up our Navy or training the Taiwanese? Unlike Ukraine, Taiwan actually trades with us and is a critical partner. 

The other problem is that this will all be paid for by borrowed money that is going to be printed. That is going to be inflationary in a time when inflation is already totally out of control. Given they just passed another huge spending bill that will also be inflationary it's clear that Americans will be impoverished because of this.