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Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes

reuters.com

301–310 of 1001 posts

Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes

#301
The whole thing is so weird; both sides are coy.

Venezuela is playing the usual card about America trying to seize oil; US playing usual card about narcotics. You can believe what you want, or buy into whatever mainstream narrative you want, I’m not here to judge, but I’ve seen these cards played out so many times in my lifetime.

Neither makes sense to me for this level of resistance and response from the US. I have a feeling this has to do far more with Iran, Russia, and China, than Venezuela/drugs.

For instance next-door, China is active around the Darien gap region, developing roads and highways. Allegedly this is for port infrastructure, but given Chinese history of low intensity conflicts and island building techniques in the South China sea, this could be a land version of that strategy.

I need to read up about Venezuelan and Iranian Russian connections and interactions. I think the most underrated piece of news is the seizure of tankers under embargo, with blowing up drug boats as the distraction.

One thing is for sure; even the most hard core right of uneasy to support Trump in a new war, and Trump has publicly lamented the expense (of all things) of war.

Myself: no thanks. No more wars please.

Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes

#302

As a Latino and friend of several people that scaped from Maduro's regime I can easily say that people in South America are happy as ever. Also, some people seems to miss the fact that South America military power is very weak, and we, culturally, are way less proned to fight and die than people in middle east. Yeah, we know this is all about oil, and I'm interested to know what kind of democracy will emerge. But the…

Sounds like you ok with genocide in your neighbourhood tho. How they see their families if they get bombed?

Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes

#303
post #115

A lot of talk about how the administration didn't even try to justify this, but I think that the administration actually believes they did justify it. They exist in some bubble completely un-tethered from reality. I don't know what that means for the future but it's terrifying.

i think they prefer the chaos as a welcomed distraction from local issues

Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes

#304
post #82

As 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…

> There is going to be a lot of debate over whether this specific operation was legal

There might be a local debate about the legality in the US. But from the outside perspective in terms of international law, there is not much to debate. Unless i missed some UN resolution, the US has no jurisdiction in Venezuela.

Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes

#305
post #115

A lot of talk about how the administration didn't even try to justify this, but I think that the administration actually believes they did justify it. They exist in some bubble completely un-tethered from reality. I don't know what that means for the future but it's terrifying.

Trump is a man who will push boundaries further and further until someone physically stops him from doing so. But you don’t need to justify anything if you have full control over people who would normally investigate, prosecute or restrict such things.

Then you put your thumb on the scale (i.e. Texas) so you don’t cede power to the other party in the midterms and then you never need to worry about consequences for your entire term.

It’s a bit more of a problem in 2028 but Trump is term-limited so that’s someone else’s problem.

Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes

#306

Prediction: the regime will not fall. This will destabilize the country further, not so much the regime itself. There will be a decrease in oil production, marginally boosting world prices. What's probably being taken out right now is the regime's ability to react in any meaningful way to the oil embargo. It will also allow Maduro to throw his hands in the air and blame the US for all of VZLA's ills going forward. Mo…

It's a country not a ticker symbol. VE is proper but even VZ would be better.

Re: Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro captured after strikes

#307

As a Latino and friend of several people that scaped from Maduro's regime I can easily say that people in South America are happy as ever. Also, some people seems to miss the fact that South America military power is very weak, and we, culturally, are way less proned to fight and die than people in middle east. Yeah, we know this is all about oil, and I'm interested to know what kind of democracy will emerge. But the…

No, we are not happy. We were not happy when they intervened and installed their friendly dictator. I can criticize Maduro and I can censure these actions. I don't want any other country to invade mine because they didn't like the government that we had.
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