Another great piece Scott (and even bolder). Yes, Ukraine is a bit of conundrum. The war profiteers and bankers prefer battling peasants and where they can sell weapons and debts to both sides. But overall it is mostly the throws of a dying empire. Check out:

https://medium.com/@daneke/whistling-past-the-graveyard-from-blood-and-oil-to-the-ponzi-empire-eb0f56fd3e57