Russia Will Cheat the World... But Not Smart Investors

My jaw literally dropped when I first saw Kamila Valieva skate. My jaw literally dropped when I first saw Kamila Valieva skate. [Outsider Club logo] Russia Will Cheat the World... But Not Smart Investors [Jason Simpkins Photo] By [Jason Simpkins]( Written Feb 11, 2022 My jaw literally dropped when I first saw Kamila Valieva skate. It was during the [qualifying round of the Olympics last week](. Smooth. Effortless. Elegant. Veiled by a wispy purple skirt, she maintained an unflinchingly sullen expression throughout her routine. And with a moody piano concerto echoing through the empty arena, she looked every bit the personification of winter itself. It was like watching a cold breeze blow snow across a frozen pond. It gave me the chills. "Russia's got a new ice fairy," I told my wife the next morning. "You know how they just crank them out." [Kamila Valieva] Sure enough, Valieva went on to lead her squad, the Russian Olympic Committee, to the gold in the team skating event this week. Except, as of this writing, the team hasn't yet been awarded its medals because it seems the winter princess has something more than ice water running in her veins — supposedly a banned substance called trimetazidine. Trimetazidine is a drug that is typically used to treat angina, an ailment befitting a 50-year-old man as opposed to a 15-year-old girl. However, it's banned by the International Olympic Committee and is considered performance-enhancing because it increases blood flow and improves endurance. If this ends up being true, it would cost Valieva her medal and likely her Olympic experience, as well. That would be an absolute tragedy, in my opinion, because she's very clearly the best at what she does. In fact, the first female skater to ever land a quad in the Olympics has a legitimate claim to being the best ever. And while cheating is obviously deplorable, I don't for one second believe this teenage girl took it upon herself to seek out a prescription drug for heart disease in an effort to evade the World Anti-Doping Agency and win a medal she clearly would have gotten without it. This is the work of the Russian state. We know that because for Russia, cheating is as routine as turning out blade-wielding ballerinas. "Miracle Mineral" at Center of Multi-Trillion Wealth Bonanza Inside each of these spheres is a natural resource more important than oil, coal, or gas. It’s called the “Miracle Mineral.” [See how this little-known resource could give savvy investors the chance to turn $500 into $82,175 over the next few months.]( The roots of Russia's state-sponsored doping system were fully exposed in 2010, and it has resulted in numerous disqualifications, medal forfeitures, and the temporary banning of Russia's flag, colors, and anthem. (This is why it's referred to as the ROC — the Russian Olympic Committee.) Systematic doping of Russian athletes has resulted in 46 Olympic medals being stripped from Russia and Russian-associated teams — four times the number of the next highest. And with more than 150 Russian athletes caught doping throughout the history of the games, Russia stands alone atop the center pedestal. This is a feature, not a bug. And unfortunately, it's not just confined to the world of sport. Russia's determination to cheat its way into relevance extends to the political arena, as well. The country routinely relies on things like espionage, extortion, sabatoge, intimidation, and assassination to achieve its political ends. And this, of course, has culminated with its invasion of Ukraine. Russia first started biting off chunks of its former client state back in 2014, ultimately seizing Crimea. Vladimir Putin hoped this would draw the country back into its sphere of influence, luring it away from Europe and potentially NATO. But seven years later, Russia's continued meddling has failed to achieve its goals. If anything, it's done the opposite. It's hardened Ukrainian resolve while crystalizing NATO's foggy post-Cold War purpose. It also catalyzed an arms buildup by its neighbors, NATO and non-NATO alike. 2021 marked the seventh consecutive year of increased defense spending among NATO allies. [NATO Defense Spending] New Robot Has Tech Execs Scrambling You might not believe this is even real, but I assure you this video has been left unedited. Nearly every tech company in the world is scrambling to get its hands on this tech. And investors are set to profit handsomely. Get the details on [our Top 3 Stocks Picks here.]( As a result, 11 allies now meet the group's defense budget target of 2% of GDP, up from just three in 2014. Perhaps this is why Russia feels the only option left is a full invasion. Warnings of the pending war have been dire for weeks, and escalated further this week with the commencement of Russian combat drills in Belarus and the arrival of half a dozen amphibious assault ships in the Black Sea. Once more, Russia seems poised to flout the rules just to flex its muscle and bask in a bit of unearned prestige. Sanctions and condemnation haven't deterred Vladimir Putin. They've only reinforced his belief that Russia stands alone, and that he can (and must) break the global order for the country to succeed. What glory awaits him, only time will tell. Maybe he will win. Maybe Russia will handily crush Ukraine, redraw its borders, showcase its military hardware, and humiliate a neighbor that dared drift too far west. Or maybe he won't. Russia's first attempt at cowing Ukraine back into submission resulted in some short-term gains, but it also drew the country's military into a quagmire, handicapped its economy with sanctions, and turned its leader into an international pariah. With more western financing and arms, Ukraine is much better equipped to defend itself now than it was seven years ago. Its people are more united and more determined. And the United States and its European allies are already preparing a new, harsher gauntlet of financial and political penalties as punishment. One thing is clear though. Russia hasn't learned the lesson that cheaters never prosper. It's going to keep heading down this path. Yeah, it seems strange (and far too ironic) for such a large country to have a Napoleon complex, but here we are. And there are serious implications for the global economy and investors. Mystery Material Could End Our Microchip Crisis FOREVER See this flexible little square? This tiny piece of material could single-handedly solve our microchip crisis once and for all. Because this material is 1,000x more powerful than silicon... 1,000x more conductive than copper... and 200x stronger than steel. That’s why companies like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook are sitting on the edge of their seats right now, just waiting for this next generation of microchips to arrive. And the best part? The tiny tech company behind it all is 12x smaller than Intel, with growth potential that’s off the charts. But I urge you to act now, because as soon as this product launches, those gains will be off the table. [Learn more about this mystery material here.]( For one thing, Russia's actions will help push the prices of commodities even higher. That's especially true of energy commodities like oil, gas, and uranium. The country also has world-class mining assets — major sources of iron, zinc, vanadium, cobalt, phosphate, tin, molybdenum, bauxite, lead, copper, and aluminum, as well as silver, gold, and platinum. These commodities fuel the Russian war machine and empower the country's oligarchs. They will be an obvious target for sanctions. I also mentioned a few weeks ago that defense contractors are strong plays right now. Companies like Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), and Raytheon (NYSE: RTX) will continue to benefit from higher defense spending. That's an important point because the fact that Putin is even attempting such an aggressive maneuver shows that Russia (and China) are willing to push back against the international order in ways they weren't previously. This seems to be a new era of boundary testing — and even erasing. The harsh reality is that Russia, China, and other bad actors no longer believe the United States and Europe are capable of enforcing their rules. They believe instead that they can overcome them, by either circumventing them or bulldozing them. That will undoubtedly lead to more military conflict regardless of what happens in Ukraine. So buckle up. Because what's about to happen won't have any of the grace, balance, beauty, or finesse of a young girl gliding across the ice like she just saw snow for the first time. Fight on, [Jason Simpkins Signature] Jason Simpkins [follow basic]([@OCSimpkins on Twitter]( Jason Simpkins is Assistant Managing Editor of the Outsider Club and Investment Director of Wall Street's Proving Ground, a financial advisory focused on security companies and defense contractors. For more on Jason, check out his editor's [page](. *Follow Outsider Club on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. Browse Our Archives [$100 Oil Is the New Floor]( [A Bridge Too Far... 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