OPINION

Soros: The Emperor Who Cried “Dictator!”

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At the head of every nefarious syndicate, there is a villain; and at the head of the tangled web of leftist non-profit organizations, Democrat political campaigns, and progressive social causes -- funded by the same shadowy money -- there is George Soros. For the last half-century, George Soros has used the power of his money, his financial acumen, and at times legally questionable tactics, to build a global financial empire the value of which is estimated at nearly $25 billion.

With this virtually unlimited bankroll, Soros has become something of a puppet master in both international markets and political arenas, using his influence to enhance his riches and further his leftist political agenda.

Given Soros’ backing of numerous of grassroots organizations including MoveOn.org, his funding media properties, and contributing millions to Democratic campaigns (including the 2016 cycle), it is fair to say that Soros’ influence in American politics is massive, if not unprecedented. This does not, of course, stop the Hungarian-American money manipulator from criticizing President-elect for being exactly what he –Soros – is: a “con artist and would-be dictator.”

Of all those who had their hopes for a progressive utopia dashed on the rocks of November’s presidential election, perhaps none had more to lose with the defeat of Hillary Clinton than Soros. Yet, disappointment and petulance is no excuse for the harsh and highly hypocritical words Soros has levelled at our next president. After all, it was Soros who helped build his empire on a foundation of flimflam and manipulation; even at the expense of entire nations.

Trump certainly has earned some criticism for his financial dealings over a long and generally successful career, but it is Soros, not Trump, who has earned the ignominious title of “the man who broke the bank of England.”

And, that was just the start.

On September 16, 1992, a day known in Britain as “Black Wednesday,” currency speculators shorted the British Pound on a bet against the British government. Of these speculators, Soros and his hedge fund were among the leading forces in a strategy he is reported to have described as going “for the jugular” to get the most out of his investment. Robin Dhar, founder of Priceonomics.com, recounted the tactics employed by Soros, including shorting the currency at an “unprecedented” pace. According to Dhar, the result of this ruthless maneuver “netted Soros’s firm over a billion dollars, toppled the Bank of England’s currency regime, ultimately led to the disgrace of the Prime Minister  .  .  .  [and] cost the British taxpayers billions.”

Seeing how profitable it was to manipulate currencies, Soros would use his talents again in Thailand a few years later. As he did in the U.K., Soros and his hedge fund bet against the Thai baht in 1997, shorting their investments, and prompting an overreaction by Thailand’s central bank to save the currency – a move that even Soros himself admitted was “catastrophic.” Of course, Soros (who fancies himself a financial prophet to be ignored at one’s peril) blamed Thai authorities for how they responded to his bets. Never mind the impact on Thai citizens held at the mercy of the games played between Soros and their country’s officials; profit was to be had.

These cut-throat moves by Soros, manipulating currency for profit at the expense of national and world financial markets, is why Investopedia.com lists Soros among its top-five “feared figures in finance.” According to the authors of these rankings, Soros uses “his currency positions to ‘punish’ countries whose policies are ignored in favor of positive economic data by most speculators,” while “pressuring these governments financially  .  .  .  [to] force political changes.”

And Soros has the gall to call Trump a “dictator?”

Trump is a successful businessman, worth billions of dollars; but even he, at his most grandiose, would likely balk at the claim to possess the clout in a single breath to topple governments and reduce global currencies to Monopoly money, as Soros in the past has done. Nor has Trump shown any of Soros’ zeal for influencing the political process with shadow money and “AstroTurf” grassroots organizations. In fact, Trump’s genuinely organic draw among everyday Americans, coupled with receiving just a fraction of super PAC money during the primaries compared to Clinton, shows him to be the polar opposite of Soros when it comes to expending private dollars for public influence.

Furthermore, Trump’s cabinet selections thus far show that he has more interest in reducing the government’s grip over the nation, than solidifying it -- as Soros would no doubt prefer. In his post-election whining, Soros has proven himself to be nothing more than a disgruntled emperor who cries “dictator!” when his own reign is threatened by an outsider.