Ukraine Pres Poroshenko pays high personal price for nation's freedom and democracy

Petro Poroshenko used to be one of the top oligarchs in Ukraine; those few dozens of visionaries who, due to their integrity, intelligence, and hard work managed to divide up the nation's wealth amongst themselves in the glorious (for them) window of opportunity that opened up just as the sun was setting on the Soviet empire.

While the fortunes of the vast majority of Ukrainians were going down the toilet, Poroshenko and his fellow oligarchs were shamelessly enriching themselves. Like his fellow oligarchs, Petro studiously scaffolded his political connections into an ever-growing personal fortune. In 2012 Forbes magazine welcomed him into the ranks of the world's billionaires. A year later his net worth stood at US$1.6 billions.

Alas, there then blew in the "Nuland-Pyatt Spring," the gentle breezes of which wafted through the Maidan in early 2014, grew and grew and grew in intensity until it was a virtual hurricane for freedom and human rights, its virtuous force 5 winds blowing an elected government clear out of the country!

Under a recent law, Ukraine's parliamentarians are now required to self-disclose their net worth. All to do with the never-ending war on corruption, don't you know, and according this story at Deutsche Welle,  Poroshenko has declared a meagre 26 millions!

Wow! From 1,600 millions to 26 millions in a mere two years? That loss is almost Trumpian in scale!

But perhaps we should not feel pity for the man prematurely. Didn't his name come up in those Panama Papers revelations? You don't suppose those shell companies were part of a plan to disappear his assets, do you?

Hmm...

Why the world's huddled masses are walking to Germany; the immigration lottery you cannot lose

Here's a great story from Deutsche Welle.

You can bet it's being read right now all over Africa and the near East. Maybe even the far East.

Guaranteed roof and groceries. A free pass on groping the Frauleins...

Whether you're a "legal" migrant or not...

Golly, I'm thinking of walking there myself, and I was born there! Perhaps I should run for the arms of Mutti Merkel before she is voted out of office and the drawbridge gets pulled up...