There is no way that what comes next will be worse. And Trump's motives are beside the point. No one pretends that he is a saint or more than occasionally law-abiding. The rule of "when" must prevail: "When a bad person does a good thing, it's a good thing." Ridding Venezuela would be a good thing.
Great article putting into perspective what has happened in Venezuela. Thank you. I worked for the State Department in Colombia in the late 80’s and came to understand who exactly was running things. I loved every minute of being there until it became apparent that I was in danger as an American. The rich histories and beauty of both Colombia and Venezuela have been lost in all of the tragic politics, drug wars, human trafficking, the seizure of control over oil reserves (and gold) and power moves by lawless individuals of all kinds. I don’t support the indiscriminate bombings of civilians. I do support helping the citizens of Venezuela regain control of their own future and lost freedoms. Venezuela deserves a democratic government. I agree with your premise that an invasion/war by this Administration wouldn’t allow for that. I think Venezuela needs the international community to step up - the Nobel Prize being given to Maria Corina Machado is a good first step, but not enough. 🇻🇪🙏
"It’s an increasingly lawless America, under a leadership contemptuous of democratic norms, of checks and balances, of constitutional government as such. It’s a polarized America, under a leadership that demonizes half of its own population."
Pretty sure you wrote this paragraph in 2021 and inserted it without checking.
Pretty sure your viewpoint is as poisonous now as it was in 2021. Take your MAGA troll act to a site where it will get many "likes" and make you feel superior.
I voted Harris. I'm just tired of hearing attacks on the "other side" that apply just as much to modern Democrats. The left has to sort their house before these critiques of MAGA will stick.
"....apply just as much to modern Democrats." Give those of us with functioning brains a break, TJ. Whataboutism is so 2023. There is absolutely no equivalency between "modern democrats" and the current republican cult of personality. None. Full stop.
No it wasn't, although that's DJT's perspective and, apparently yours. The 2024 election was the combination of Biden's hubris mixed with over 30 years of right-wing malinformation pickling millions of brains nationwide. Introspection, indeed.
"'The Big Cope' is a term coined by Nate Silver, referring to the political belief (often by Democrats) that they would win elections if not for unfair media coverage or social media bias, acting as a large-scale excuse or 'coping mechanism' for losses, rather than acknowledging other factors like candidate performance or voter sentiment. It's a specific form of rationalizing political setbacks, suggesting external forces, not internal flaws, are the real problem."
In Stranger in a Strange Land, Jubal Harshaw said "There's always a choice! This one is between 'bad' and 'worse'--which is a difference much more poignant than that between 'good' and 'better'."
Wokeness is bad. Trumpism is worse. If you don't agree, can you name me anyone who the Biden Administration sent to a torture prison?
Awesome post. It's hopelessly optimistic to suggest that perhaps "Trump really does believe in spheres of influence,". Nope. He hasn't said so and he isn't interested in any property south of Mar-a-lago. But he does have his creditors and blackmailers to think of. It's always all about the oil. Putin and MBS have paid his mortgage payments for many years. I'm sure the administration insiders are being promised a gold pot of oil, as in Iraq, if they take over the country. But the oil cartel whose moto is "We are The Free Market- Don't Mess With Us" has it's objectives met as they were in Iraq wars and Iran wars, and so many other wars. This planet has too much oil! How can the cartel make money if folks just dig it up and sell it on an open market? That can never work. The must cartel restrain supply and does so many ways. One to consider-- periodically starting a war to destroy competing oil infrastructure. It can then be purchased at fire-sale. But it's more important to destroy oil production that own more of it.
It has nothing to do with Venezuala except.. he also needs domestic enemies to attack and the Trans people are not numerous enough. A bully needs to pick on someone who is weak, and refugees fleeing a kleptocracy seem to be just the kind of weaklings a tyrant can rant about.
If something goes wrong with the attack on Venezuela he will pick another target... back to Greenland? Maybe he dan send the fleet out to blow up Trumpstien Island. Then there is no evidence...
There is no way that what comes next will be worse. And Trump's motives are beside the point. No one pretends that he is a saint or more than occasionally law-abiding. The rule of "when" must prevail: "When a bad person does a good thing, it's a good thing." Ridding Venezuela would be a good thing.
the residents of Libya might disagree with you
Great article putting into perspective what has happened in Venezuela. Thank you. I worked for the State Department in Colombia in the late 80’s and came to understand who exactly was running things. I loved every minute of being there until it became apparent that I was in danger as an American. The rich histories and beauty of both Colombia and Venezuela have been lost in all of the tragic politics, drug wars, human trafficking, the seizure of control over oil reserves (and gold) and power moves by lawless individuals of all kinds. I don’t support the indiscriminate bombings of civilians. I do support helping the citizens of Venezuela regain control of their own future and lost freedoms. Venezuela deserves a democratic government. I agree with your premise that an invasion/war by this Administration wouldn’t allow for that. I think Venezuela needs the international community to step up - the Nobel Prize being given to Maria Corina Machado is a good first step, but not enough. 🇻🇪🙏
"It’s an increasingly lawless America, under a leadership contemptuous of democratic norms, of checks and balances, of constitutional government as such. It’s a polarized America, under a leadership that demonizes half of its own population."
Pretty sure you wrote this paragraph in 2021 and inserted it without checking.
Pretty sure your viewpoint is as poisonous now as it was in 2021. Take your MAGA troll act to a site where it will get many "likes" and make you feel superior.
I voted Harris. I'm just tired of hearing attacks on the "other side" that apply just as much to modern Democrats. The left has to sort their house before these critiques of MAGA will stick.
"....apply just as much to modern Democrats." Give those of us with functioning brains a break, TJ. Whataboutism is so 2023. There is absolutely no equivalency between "modern democrats" and the current republican cult of personality. None. Full stop.
2024 was a referendum. Now is a great time for some introspection for those with a functioning brain.
No it wasn't, although that's DJT's perspective and, apparently yours. The 2024 election was the combination of Biden's hubris mixed with over 30 years of right-wing malinformation pickling millions of brains nationwide. Introspection, indeed.
"'The Big Cope' is a term coined by Nate Silver, referring to the political belief (often by Democrats) that they would win elections if not for unfair media coverage or social media bias, acting as a large-scale excuse or 'coping mechanism' for losses, rather than acknowledging other factors like candidate performance or voter sentiment. It's a specific form of rationalizing political setbacks, suggesting external forces, not internal flaws, are the real problem."
In Stranger in a Strange Land, Jubal Harshaw said "There's always a choice! This one is between 'bad' and 'worse'--which is a difference much more poignant than that between 'good' and 'better'."
Wokeness is bad. Trumpism is worse. If you don't agree, can you name me anyone who the Biden Administration sent to a torture prison?
Sadly, it’s not just Trump that tortures people. Wars started by Democrats involved plenty of torture
We got it. You’re a Trumper. Anything meaningful to say about Toro’s article? Sure you’re on the right Substack page?
Awesome post. It's hopelessly optimistic to suggest that perhaps "Trump really does believe in spheres of influence,". Nope. He hasn't said so and he isn't interested in any property south of Mar-a-lago. But he does have his creditors and blackmailers to think of. It's always all about the oil. Putin and MBS have paid his mortgage payments for many years. I'm sure the administration insiders are being promised a gold pot of oil, as in Iraq, if they take over the country. But the oil cartel whose moto is "We are The Free Market- Don't Mess With Us" has it's objectives met as they were in Iraq wars and Iran wars, and so many other wars. This planet has too much oil! How can the cartel make money if folks just dig it up and sell it on an open market? That can never work. The must cartel restrain supply and does so many ways. One to consider-- periodically starting a war to destroy competing oil infrastructure. It can then be purchased at fire-sale. But it's more important to destroy oil production that own more of it.
It has nothing to do with Venezuala except.. he also needs domestic enemies to attack and the Trans people are not numerous enough. A bully needs to pick on someone who is weak, and refugees fleeing a kleptocracy seem to be just the kind of weaklings a tyrant can rant about.
If something goes wrong with the attack on Venezuela he will pick another target... back to Greenland? Maybe he dan send the fleet out to blow up Trumpstien Island. Then there is no evidence...
Appreciate this "insider's view," what I read in search of the truth in news & opinion.