This piece touches on current, politically charged events. Many of my readers may disagree with me – that is fine. My purpose here is not mainly to convince. Rather, I enjoy writing, and I think it is of great importance to bear witness in real time the best we know how. So reader, now or in twenty years, this is what I see.
Two days ago, January 3, the US struck Venezuela. They sent more than one hundred aircraft, used bombs and other heavy fire, and descended on President Maduro’s residence in Caracas. They arrested him and flew him out of the country to face charges in the US. This military operation killed around 80 people, many of them civilians. This was not an unplanned attack – it’s pretty clear the US government has been ramping up for this for the last year. This PBS timeline demonstrates it well, and this from the The Daily (NYT Podcast) reports the US operatives had built a replica of Maduro’s residence which they trained on for quite some time.
When I first learned of the attack, I was surprised and disappointed. Since September, the US has been gunning down boats under the pretext that they are running drugs to the US. Many of these killings (at least 115 people) have raised concern and been decried as illegal.
After the attack on Venezuela, Trump did not seek to hide the reason for the US action. It was oil, plain and simple. Trump also did not seek to pretend that this is about promoting democracy. When asked who is running and who will run the country, he replied “we are going to run the country.” At whatever point the US government decides to allow the Venezuelan people to run their government, that person will be staring down a fleet of US ships just off the coast ensuring US interests are protected.
“Trump issued a threat against [vice president] Rodríguez on Sunday, saying in an interview with The Atlantic, ‘If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.'” – (Liptak)
Do what’s right is easily translated give us your oil.
In days gone by, the US government has gotten involved in a lot, and I mean a lot, of foreign governments to ensure its own interests are protected. Time after time after time, the US has interfered in elections or propped up new regimes across the globe to ensure our access to their resources (the list of countries more than can be easily listed. Here is a good starting point). Usually, the US at least pretends that it’s about democracy or human rights or something noble. This time, the façade isn’t even there. Trump said it plainly, this is about US oil companies going in and taking the oil we want.
While secretary of state, Marco Rubio, tried to spin the operation as merely “law enforcement operation,” President Trump said exactly the opposite calling it “an extraordinary military operation.” said, “Under—well, first of all, what’s gonna happen here is that we have a quarantine on their oil. That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of Venezuelan people are met. And that’s what we intend to do.” This comes after Rubio’s November briefing to members of congress stating the US would not strike land targets in Venezuela – which they just did and were ramping up for.
Why Venezuela? Why not any of the other countless countries across the globe where people are being crushed under oppressive regimes?
This is a country leader (Trump) deciding to fly by night into another sovereign country’s capital city and kidnap their leader. And this is done without the approval of the US congress. The reason? The leader with the stronger military wants the oil underneath the feat of the weaker leader.
Trump said it explicitly
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies…go in…and start making money for the country, and we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so”
Why now?
President Trump’s approval ratings are in the toilet. The deadline for the Epstein files is passed, and the Department of Justice hasn’t released them. A good military incursion might be just the thing to spark a little life. On the other hand, it is in direct opposition to the promises Trump made to his base about staying out of global conflicts to get himself elected.
Time Magazine published a January 3 article titled “Donald Trump Is Risking His MAGA Base on Venezuela.” It will be interesting to see the continued reaction to this aggression from Trump’s supporters. Each time I think that he has gone too far, become too insane, violated too many laws we all agree on – and each time his base seems to mostly come along behind him. I don’t think this will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Still, I do sense a shifting in the last few months. I don’t think folks are excited about Trump anymore – maybe you can only do shock and awe, break the law for so long before it gets a bit old, the lies start to catch up.
Maduro is a narco-terrorist and he was oppressive to his people, who are now rejoicing that he is gone.
This is the pre-text of the argument of those who cheer Trump’s military incursion. I don’t disagree with that statement. But I think what they mean after that, which is usually implied, is that since another nation has a bad leader, and since we are bigger than them and would like to have their oil, then it makes sense that we impose our will on them and take out their leader. Might makes right.
This was how we operated in the Cold War era. Nice government you have there, be a real shame if your opposition leader suddenly overthrew you with US support, aid, and arms in exchange for your resources.
I’m saying we have a congress for a reason. International law exists for a reason. What does the US have to say to China if/when it invades Taiwan and takes it over for economic purposes? What does the US have to say to Putin as he invades Ukraine and takes it over for economic purposes? I’m saying you don’t get to just upend the government of a sovereign nation because you have bigger guns and would very much like their natural resources. Where is the law and order of this?
According to Time Magazine, “This is what many in MAGA thought they voted to end,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump loyalist who is set to resign this week from her seat representing Georgia. “Boy were we wrong.”
Maybe I’m just too conservative.
javen.bear. 