I think people are overindexed on the US's failures to turn Islamic theocracies into democracies. The people in Venezuela want democracy. It's a fundamentally different situation.
Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes
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Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes
#412[flagged]
> This is what I voted for. I am so fucking happy.
This isn't over. There are so many ways how this can backfire. E.g. how long until a bunch of random Americans are kidnapped as a way to get him back?
Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes
#413The irony is that this is a president of the US that wants to have a Nobel peace prize.
Well they gave it to a Venezuelan rival to manufacture consent on this invasion instead. Still a good deal.
Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes
#414The US continuing a long tradition of interference in LatAm: https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/world/the-united-states-hist... edit: typo
The Monroe Doctrine is over 200 years old and simple enough for your average dictator to understand. Don't expect the US to turn a blind eye to investments in key strategic assets of your country by its strategic rivals.
I don't think it's a coincidence that a special envoy of Xi met Maduro hours before being captured. It was probably the final straw.
Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes
#415Two wrongs don’t make a right. Regardless of your opinion on Maduro, you can still acknowledge that the head of a sovereign state being captured in an unannounced/unnamed military operation by a superpower is wrong from a principled standpoint, and that it’s destabilising a country with 30+ million people if not the entire region.
Also the Chavistas have broad support in the population. To point where they won several elections.
Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes
#416[flagged]
Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes
#417Two wrongs don’t make a right. Regardless of your opinion on Maduro, you can still acknowledge that the head of a sovereign state being captured in an unannounced/unnamed military operation by a superpower is wrong from a principled standpoint, and that it’s destabilising a country with 30+ million people if not the entire region.
Not only the region... A worry is the step will encourage other regimes that feel they have might to remove leaders they do not like and replace them with marionette-like figures. Also, here we have another permanent member of UN Security Council making decisions to intervene without consulting the UN or even their own constitutional bodies...
(My opinion of Maduro is that he was not a legitimate leader.)
Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes
#418[flagged]
> This is what I voted for. I am so fucking happy.
Did you vote to pardon drug bosses too?
> Dictators will go to sleep just slightly more terrified tomorrow night.
Not at all. They will simply route a bit more money into Trump's pockets and celebrate their newfound ally.
Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes
#419As someone old enough to have seen the US invade too many countries, I'm struck by the lack of effort put into justifying this sort of military action these days. There is going to be a lot of debate over whether this specific operation was legal and I have no idea where the courts or history will ultimately land on that decision. But the way they don't even try to convince us this is necessary anymore is a sign that…
It was one or two elections ago that we entirely dropped the pretense of dignity.
Quite refreshing, actually.
Earlier today I heard the argument that idealism was promoted in the West because it encourages a separation from reality and makes people easier to control.
I consider myself an idealist. I just don't believe that ignorance and delusion are the means by which an ideal can be brought about.
Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes
#420Two wrongs don’t make a right. Regardless of your opinion on Maduro, you can still acknowledge that the head of a sovereign state being captured in an unannounced/unnamed military operation by a superpower is wrong from a principled standpoint, and that it’s destabilising a country with 30+ million people if not the entire region.
I'm guessing willingly Maduro surrendered as he took the cash offer from Dec 1, 2025 while publicly rejecting it. After all, he left with his wife.
> “You can save yourself and those closest to you, but you must leave the country now,” Trump reportedly said, offering safe passage for Maduro, his wife and his son “only if he agreed to resign right away”.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/01/trump-maduro-u...