Article by Amar Ahmad
CNBC pundit Jim Cramer used his platform on network TV to call for “cyber terrorism” against Russia and a “blank check” for US weapons corporations – including the same companies he constantly encourages his viewers to invest in.
Cramer, a former hedge fund manager who got his start working at the infamous bank Goldman Sachs, runs CNBC’s “Investing Club.”
In a June 27 segment titled “Jim Cramer explains why he thinks every Russian sanction has failed,” the pundit complained that the heavy Western sanctions imposed on Russia over its war in Ukraine have “failed” to destroy the nation’s economy.
“As long as India and as long as China buy their [Russia’s] oil, it doesn’t matter. They’re exporting more oil now then they did before this,” Cramer noted.
He lamented that the Russian currency “the ruble is strong,” although he did boast that “there is a huge part of the GDP that has been eliminated because of our pull-out.”
Given the failure of the West’s economic war on Moscow, Cramer proposed turning to “cyber terrorism.”
“If you want to find a way to create a sanction, find a way to be able to reprogram their [Russia’s] missiles through cyber terrorism,” he insisted.
Cramer called on the US military to “reprogram” Moscow’s missiles to reverse or malfunction, in order to hurt Russia.
“We should have everybody who is in the army working, anybody who has potential to do cyber, to reprogram those [Russian] missiles,” the CNBC pundit declared.
The segment showed how major corporate media networks are actively fanning the flames of war, aggressively pushing for the US government to escalate the proxy war in Ukraine.
Cramer calls for ‘blank check to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin’ (after encouraging viewers to invest in them)
When asked if any other sanctions could be imposed to hurt Russia’s economy, Jim Cramer responded emphatically, “The only sanction is to send every single piece of artillery that they [Ukraine] need, that Zelensky would tell you that they need!”
“Where are the new Javelins? Why isn’t the United States sending them thousands of Javelins?” he roared, referring to an anti-tank missile system built by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
Cramer proposed that Washington should give a “blank check” to private for-profit weapons corporations to arm Ukraine with whatever it requests.
“Why don’t we give a blank check to Raytheon and to Lockheed Martin?” Cramer asked.
The CNBC pundit may have a vested financial interest in calling for endless US government contracts for the military-industrial complex.
Cramer constantly encourages his viewers to buy stocks in Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
Back in May, CNBC published a segment titled “Jim Cramer says investors should have these four defense stocks on their shopping lists,” which recommended Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as numbers one and two, respectively.
“There’s at least one industry that’s booming right now,” Cramer said excitedly in May. “I’m talking about the defense industry, which is on fire.”
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a game-changer for the defense industry,” he added, salivating over the potential profits.
In November 2021, Cramer even did a friendly softball interview with the CEO of Lockheed Martin.
Cramer attacks peace talks
While the former hedge fund called for further escalating the US proxy war on Russia, with taxpayers subsidizing blank checks to the arms industry, he also went out of his way to attack those who want a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
“There’s another school of thought which says there is a peace deal being worked on,” Cramer said dismissively. He complained that this type of diplomatic solution would be a “sell-out of Zelensky.”
“If you don’t give Zelensky what he needs, he will lose,” the CNBC pundit stressed.
When asked about NATO’s proposal to put 300,000 troops in high readiness positions, he cheered it on: “They better! They better! They better protect Poland.”
Apparently unconcerned about the possibility of escalating into nuclear war, Cramer fearmongered, “I do believe that if the West lets them [Russia] get away with this, then anyone who goes nuclear has a silver barrel.”
“I mean, if we decide that we have to be fearful of every nuclear nation, well, we’re going to be feel fearful of Pakistan; we’ll be fearful of Iran. This has to stop!” he warned.
Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and its government has repeatedly insisted it does not want them. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei even issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons, arguing they are incompatible with Islam.
Military experts say Russia will win war; West is simply prolonging needless suffering
Warmongers like Jim Cramer are ignoring the analysis of actual military experts like Scott Ritter, a former UN arms inspector and US Marine Corps intelligence officer.
“No matter what the U.S. and NATO do in terms of serving as Ukraine’s arsenal, Russia is going to win the war,” Ritter cautioned.
“The longer the war continues, the more Ukrainians will die,” he added ominously.
This is a price that Cramer is willing to pay, along with further financial hardship for the global poor, for the sake of intensifying the war on Russia.
It does help that the CNBC pundit may financially benefit from these policies, given that he frequently encourages his viewers to invest in the stocks of the very same US weapons corporations that are arming Ukraine.
US media calls for 'cyber terrorism' against Russia and 'blank check' for weapons corporations