Steve,

Stunning behavior when one considers that Putin's parents both survived (his mother barely) the Nazi 872-day long siege of Leningrad.

However, the military industrial complex, which Eisenhower warned us about way back in 1961, the integration of the oil and war cartels into the US and world political and economic mainstream, is most assuredly at play in this recent conflict in Europe, and around the world:

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.

"The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes."

"We should take nothing for granted!"

Jesus, the Bush-Prescott family had vast holdings in the military, oil and banking industries and they became Heads of the CIA, Governors and even Presidents.

So, the short term monetary gains are just too lucrative to actively engage in turning 'swords into plowshares' whether on the U.N. or NATO or EU or MSM stages.

If one's share price and profit is based on war, then how does one drum up business, if not to continually pit one side against the other?

The Krupp war machine and its banking backers, in particular the Rothschilds, learned this so well during the Napoleonic wars.

It was fine tuned during W.W.I and II, and especially during the Cold War, when USSR military capabilities were exaggerated to garner a greater share of any 'Western' country's GDP: all to the point of crippling debt and the subsequent degradation of critical infrastructure.

And so the lifeblood of political will, which you lament is missing, is drained by levels of corruption that once politicians are ensnared, they become venomous vampires in their own right.

And so the parasitic sickness that is the profit from death, which you so ably describe, will continue, "...killing innocent men, women and children in Ukraine."

Only way to dismantle this insidious diabolical manifestation?

Eisenhower perhaps said it best:

"Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."

Thanks Steve for being both alert and knowledgeable.