What comes next?
As Venezuelans in and out of Venezuela rejoiced over the removal of their hated and feared dictator, minor protests in the free nations of the west appeared to oppose that action. Kind of ironic, isn't it? Last night I saw Fox News interview various protestors from two counter protests going on in New York City. In one case there was an individual who spoke in fairly good English calling it an illegal act. What I remember most was a Venezuelan from the pro-US action side saying: "Those people over there are fake Venezuelans. Anyone who lived and starved under Maduro are glad he is gone."
Later in the day Secretary General António Guterres accused the Trump administration of violating the U.N. charter. China and Russia condemned the capture of Maduro, but they are unlikely to do anything about it. Cuba said that at least 32 of the 80 people killed during the U.S. incursion were members of its armed forces. That should give the world some indication of how much Maduro depended on Communist Cuba for repressing the people of Venezuela. In a Manhattan Courtroom, Maduro and his wife pleaded innocent to the charges against them.
That leads us to what happens now. Some may be wondering why President Trump has left the rest of the Maduro regime intact. I think it is because of the lesson learned in Iraq, which is to at least leave forces in place until an orderly transition of power can be achieved. The next question is how can such people be depended on to do that? The answer to that may lie in the fact that many in charge of the regime have also been indicted and are also wanted by the US. If they cooperate, they might just get immunity from Trump and if they don't, that naval force is still patrolling the Caribbean. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the blockade is still in force and it will provide “leverage that will continue to be in place until we see changes.”
Although President Trump didn't elevate Maria Corina Machado to be the leader of Venezuela (something that would tarnish her leadership), he hasn't ruled her out for future elections, which Trump eventually wants down the road. Yesterday Machado praised Trump on (Hannity) Fox News:
"Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she would “certainly love” to personally give President Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity that Venezuelans believe Trump deserves to share the honor for his role in the collapse of Nicolás Maduro’s regime."
Maria Machado says she would 'love to' share Nobel Peace Prize with Trump
Rebuilding Venezuela's oil infrastructure will take time and investment. It is unclear how many US oil companies would be interested. They have been burned by such countries many times in the past. Time will tell.
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"ConocoPhillips said it’s monitoring developments in Venezuela and their potential implications for global energy supply and stability, adding it would be “premature to speculate on any future business activities or investments.” Exxon didn’t respond to a request for comment Saturday."
Trump sees US oil producers spending billions in Venezuela
That was excellent!
very funny
it's the maga-rena, otherwise known as putin's golden shower ...
Hopefully, a stable country that returns to the path it was on Pre-Chavez. It's people used to be better off than Poland's. Anybody who believes in the merits of collectivism should study what's happened to those countries over the last 25 years.
So pretty much anything will be an improvement on a socialist government that exports 10% of its population to us because of the suffering it causes.
Yesterday in a CNN interview Stephen Miller said , when asked about Greenland, if he would rule out military force as a way for the US to acquire that country. His response was to the effect of 'no one is stupid enough to go to war with the US over Greenland'. If you want his exact words I will post them.
How is this different from Hitler saying Germany's national interests required that they be given Czechoslovakia ?
If you don't know I can't help.
You do realize what happens when you compare the President to Hitler, right?
That depends on whether the comparison has any merit. Before he invaded Poland Hitler was gaining influence and territory through threats.
But John, in the interview you cite, Miller said that the US had no plan to invade Greenland. He simply stated what Greenland should do.
Again: Why these vicious comparisons?
What Miller said , in so many words, is that the US will get Greenland, and his ultimate reasoning for that is because no one will be dumb enough to fight us for it.
If you want to go over what he said word by word we can do that.
Yes, I want you to show us.
Miller said that the US had no plan to invade Greenland. He simply stated what Greenland should do.
Holy crap you guys are unreal. Do you think that maybe Stephen endorses his wife’s idiotic opinions? This “peaceful” administration is steering us straight into the next world war.
I want quotes with links from both you and John
I want you to be a serious person. I guess we’re both out of luck.
" Nobody's going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland."
What he is saying is that we will get it through implied threats. If a 6 ft 8 , 320 pound hulk comes up to you with a menacing look and say he wants your seat at the bar, you're going to give it to him.
Miller is saying we will get Greenland because, in the end, no one will try and stop us.
good one
That is your interpretation. He simply said the US should have Greenland. There was no threat of military intervention.
Is that all you have?
You claim to be intelligent. Use some of it.
" Nobody's going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland."
I know what that sentence means, why dont you?
It certainly doesn't mean that the US is going to invade a western territory that exists under our protection.
You say you know what he means. Please share it with us.
Well instead of claiming that I dont what it means, why dont you tell us what you think it does mean.
Miller said something pretty specific - " Nobody's going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland."
For the third time, what does that mean ?
You are the one fixated on that quote, and you want me to interpret it. Well John, obviously, Miller is avoiding the idea of military action, while at the same time trying to intimidate Denmark. But you have no worries because Denmark is absolutely certain that the US isn't going to war with a NATO ally nor is the US going to invade Greenland. So, I guess Miller did the best he could to come up with something intimidating on the spare of the moment.
I guess it's your turn...
Obviously he wants to intimidate Denmark and Greenland into ceding that place to US ownership.
The problem is he thinks it is the right and patriotic thing to do. Most actual patriots dont think that way.
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Mob Boss - Vito, I want you to over to Luigi's bakery and collect the weekly protection payment.
Vito - What if he doesnt co-operate?
Mob Boss - He'll co-operate.
But John, intimidation requires a realistic threat in the mind of those to be intimidated. That was a silly comment.
The problem is he thinks it is the right and patriotic thing to do. Most actual patriots dont think that way.
Miller is an ideologue. At least he isn't planting bombs like Bill Ayers, right?
Mob Boss - Vito, I want you to over to Luigi's bakery and collect the weekly protection payment.
Vito - What if he doesnt co-operate?
Mob Boss - He'll co-operate.
That's Hollywood. They don't pay protection without an example being made. Somebody has to lose something maybe as much as a life. It only takes one example.
Look lets put this waste of time to an end.
Miller made the statement that no one will fight the US over Greenland. That means we will get it because no one will stop us. That is what he means. You not being able to see that is not my problem.
Now maybe he is wrong , but his statement was made in the context of military action. Period.
Waste of time????? You came onto this article involving Venezuela and you brought up Miller's comments about Greenland and I accommodated you. Now you call it a waste of time?
Miller made the statement that no one will fight the US over Greenland. That means we will get it because no one will stop us. That is what he means. You not being able to see that is not my problem.
If that is what he meant, he chose a very poor way to do it.
Now maybe he is wrong , but his statement was made in the context of military action.
It was an obvious bluff which only bolstered Denmark's resolve. I like Miller but that was a dumb statement.
So that would lead to NATO defending Greenland or else NATO is nothing but a joke and is useless. Why would Trump be concered about NATO - is he concerned about WHO, or the Paris Accords about the climate, or anything International?
And Venezuelans are still roaming the streets of the United States, spending tax dollars, and competing for jobs.
The multinational oil majors get the oil (Trump said so). The Venezuelan people get the jobs, infrastructure, and a stable government (Trump said so). China can still rely on the supply of oil from Venezuela (Trump said so). The Venezuelan diaspora get their country back (Trump said so). But Trump could not bother himself with telling Americans what we get out of this. Apparently the only thing Americans will get is more Federal debt.
el jefe Trump doesn't care how much this is going to cost Americans. Trump will try to tell us that this is who we are as a people. America Last, again.
We get the right to admire him.
One thing Americans get is the denial of two countries that want to destroy the US: China and Iran vital resources out of America's back yard.
On what possible basis do you think Iran could destroy the United States? Such thinking borders on , or is, paranoia. The same with China , although to a lesser degree.
Use the example of China in 2020 when a germ warfare grade virus escaped from a Wuhan lab. It took us about 12 days to catch on that China which had prohibited flights from Wuhan to other locations in China, deliberately allowed flights from Wuhan to the US, Europe and other western locations.
How deadly was that?
But they're not out of our backyard. Trump has guaranteed that Venezuelan oil shipments to China will continue. Trump has unilaterally changed the sanctions.
The United States has refused to compete with China. The United States does not have the ability to supply Venezuelan consumers with what they need. There's no way to keep China out of South and Central America because there isn't any other supplier available.
Let me check ...Oh ya, that's America's unkept backyard.
Trump has guaranteed that Venezuelan oil shipments to China will continue.
As long as US oil companies and the Venezuelan people get a share, why not? China sells us vital solar and electric engine components. Why can't we do the same?
The United States has refused to compete with China.
Here is the thing: The US is the world's great marketplace. For the past 60 years China has transformed itself into the great exporter and manufacturer for the US market. We never should have allowed it but here we are. It will take more that Trump to remedy that.
The United States does not have the ability to supply Venezuelan consumers with what they need. There's no way to keep China out of South and Central America because there isn't any other supplier available.
We don't want to make Venezuela a marketplace for China. Venezuela needs cash. We want them to sell oil to China & Cuba at a fair price, which they weren't. We want Venezuela to return to the prosperous economy it once was.
It's a marketplace. And the United States does not have the ability to compete in that marketplace. Trump promised to rebuild our industrial base so the United States could commercially compete with our adversaries. Now Trump has abandoned that promise of revitalizing America to pursue invasion and annexation.
Don't you see the problem with buying high tech goods with mineral raw materials? We cannot sell those high tech goods to Venezuela because we buy them from China. And Venezuela already has the oil, they don't need the United States.
And American capital raced to China because the Chinese market was going to surpass the US marketplace. China's population is four times larger than that of the US. China leveraged the treasonous mendacity of American wealth to build the Chinese economy and destroy the US economy. With friends like Wall Street we don't need enemies. China did not hollow out America; that was done by business friendly government rewarding economic traitors.
Who else is going to supply the Venezuela marketplace? It is impossible for Venezuela to seek what it needs from the United States. No other country in North, Central, or South America can supply the Venezuelan marketplace. Does Trump intend to isolate Venezuela the way Cuba has been isolated? How will that create a stable political environment that won't nationalize Venezuelan oil?
Still preaching that lie? Sad.
Just....out of curiosity, when was the last time Iran attacked the USA? Never. Got it.
It’s been 72 hours or so…
That's plenty of time for someone in the Trump administration to tell the American people how the invasion affects immigration/deportation efforts. Trump isn't just making this up has he goes, is he?