Venezuela, the Mad King, and Cheap Crude Oil
What could possibly go wrong?
This appears to me to be pure Trumpian narcissism: he must topple a dictator, he must build a nation, he must ....
There's been s-o-o-o-o much in the media! Here are ten that seem worth thinking about:
Was Maduro handed over by his own team?
Some reporting suggests US attack on Caracas may not have come as much as a surprise to some Venezuelan officials as they are publicly claiming
Maps, Videos and Photos: How Maduro’s Capture Unfolded
On Saturday, the United States captured the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and took him to New York to face criminal charges.
"Running" Venezuela: It's All About the Oil
Okay, but with crude at <$60 a barrel, it's not near-term obvious that big oil wants to develop a lot more supply.
January 4, 2026 - Heather Cox Richardson
Secretary of State Marco Rubio took the administration’s message about its strikes on Venezuela to the Sunday talk shows this morning. It did not go well.
Everything About WTF With Venezuela That We Could Fit Into 1,600 Words Or Less!
Can we get some checks and balances over here? Ha ha, just kidding, that is not a thing anymore.
Maduro’s Slow-Motion Two-Hour Bloodless Capture Raises Questions About What Really Happened
What I Know And What I Do Not Know About the U.S. Incursion Into Venezuela
More of the latter than the former, probably.
The Real Donroe Doctrine
Seeking cash and an ego boost, not regime change
First: The abduction/kidnapping/arrest/whatever went off brilliantly. It must have been in planning for a while, but nothing leaked. In this Administration, that's close to miraculous. This operation was nothing like the bin Laden attack. This time, Delta Force troops were on the ground for about two hours, but ther was no fire-fight. That isn't possible... unless Maduro's security was bought and paid for. How much? Maybe just, "We won't kill you!" Or maybe ten million dollars per man. Who knows? Maybe someday, we'll get the story. I wouldn't bet on it.
Second, the Clown-Car Cabinet is in business! "Running" Venezuela! What does that mean? Apparently no one knows. Maduro is out... but who, exactly, is in?? Logically, it should be Maduro's opposition... but the leader of that movement, Maria Corina Machado, won a genuine Nobel Peace Prize, so the Mad King could never, ever support her. Instead, the Clown-Car Cabinet decided to back Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez, who would surely be a good puppet, seeing what had happened to her predecessor. O-o-o-o-p-s!!!!! Rodriguez is probalby harder than Maduro ever was.
Third, PETROLEUM!!! Or probably not. This is another "Mexico will pay for the wall" moment. Crude oil is cheap, with not logical prospects for rising in price. Why would any sane company invest in this uncertain situation?
So... What now?
Damned if I know.
I guess our next quagmire will be jungle, not sand.
Whatever
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We went into Gulf War II and Afghanistan without the slightest idea of how to get out again.
So this feels familiar...
This is an official social media posting by the US Department of State
(7) Department of State on X: "This is OUR Hemisphere, and President Trump will not allow our security to be threatened. https://t.co/SXvI868d4Z" / X
Stunning...
It seems like something out of a bad movie.
I see this as a companion to the "shock and awe" deportation tactics. Intimidate the hell out of everyone.
"Shock and awe" worked so well in Iraq.
You must hate President Monroe
We're not in 1820 anymore.
I dont mind the Monroe Doctrine in principle though. I mind having it imposed by a lunatic.
Great Britain in 1820.. China and Russia in 2025. Principle is the same.
It would have been nice if Trump could have established that fentanyl was being sent here from Venezuela. Evidently it is not. Cocaine does not kill anywhere near the number of Americans that Trump seems to think it does. Certainly not enough for the US military to bomb them and kill civilians.
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61,000 Americans die each year from acute alcohol emergencies. That is at least twice as many as those who die from cocaine emergencies.
Acute causes: ~61,063 deaths (e.g., injuries, poisoning)
Microsoft Copilot: Your AI companion
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Donald Trump doesnt give a flying fuck about cocaine, or fentanyl for that matter. He cares about having statues and monuments built to himself and hog troughing all the money he can.
Taking over Venezuela is a pure authoritarian move, and he'd do the same to California if he could.
What does alcohol have to do with China and Russia using Venezuela to evade sanctions, particularly American sanctions ?
So, now we have to worry 'bout the gvmnt grounding/eliminating automobiles and closing down places that sell alcohol.
I mean, in 2024, there were 38.345 deaths due to idiots attempting to drive beyond their capabilities, and there were 170.000 folks who died while trying to "get love" from their alcohol highs.
Do we get rid of the idiots or the vehicles and/or the alcohol???