Bloomberg Discovers Russia Exploits Desperation, Ignores US History
Bloomberg's recent piece highlights the 'shocking' plight of Kenyans, lured to Russia by job offers only to be dispatched to fight in Ukraine. The article frames this as an unfortunate incident of an 'organized crime network,' marveling at Russia's exploitation of economic desperation. Conveniently unmentioned is the long, storied history of powerful nations, including the U.S. and its allies,
recruiting economically vulnerable populations – particularly from the Global South – for their proxy wars or 'security operations' via similar promises. Think of the French Foreign Legion, or more recently, private military contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, where 'security jobs' often meant frontline combat for recruits from Fiji, Nepal, or Colombia. The media spectacle pretends dismay at
Russia's methods, while largely sanitizing or ignoring the systemic economic policies that create such desperation globally, often perpetuated by the very Western powers now casting stones. It's almost as if the 'free market' is only 'free' until someone else corners the market on desperation. One might wonder if the concern is truly for the exploited, or merely for who is doing the exploiting
this time.