Donald I, emperor of the world.

[C R]

As I said above, this is really continuing on a long thread of illegal US interference in other countries for economic gain, it is not solely a Trumpian act. Look at something like the 1954 Guatemalan Coup. The US helped overthrow a democratically elected President and installed a military dictatorship. Eisenhower was heavily lobbied by United Fruit who didn't like the new labour practices the Communist party had installed to stop worker exploitation.

Much of what Trump does is really just trying to resurrect the worst injustices carried out in the American past, he doesn't have an original thought or plan, neither do his so called advisors

The only change in foreign policy by Trump is that now the European allies are also targets for being helped by US bombs to choose a better government.

 

[Pblakeney]

As I said above, this is really continuing on a long thread of illegal US interference in other countries for economic gain, it is not solely a Trumpian act. Look at something like the 1954 Guatemalan Coup. The US helped overthrow a democratically elected President and installed a military dictatorship. Eisenhower was heavily lobbied by United Fruit who didn't like the new labour practices the Communist party had installed to stop worker exploitation.

Much of what Trump does is really just trying to resurrect the worst injustices carried out in the American past, he doesn't have an original thought or plan, neither do his so called advisors

That's as maybe but Donnie is the previous administrations on steroids and with no clue about consequences far less caring about them.
As things stand right now we are in the mid 1930s and we have Stanley Baldwin in charge.

 

[stowie]

Weren't you listening, USA to run Venezuela until it returns to full and free democracy. The US will rebuild infrastructure

Lucky the US has a strong track record of rebuilding for democracy in places like ....errr.... Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya...

Maduro gone is not only potentially good for Venezuela but also for neighbouring countries who have had to manage the fall out of his disastrous policies. Chavez and Maduro oversaw an astonishing 80% reduction in GDP and millions of refugees fleeing (mainly to Colombia).

But, on the other hand, I don't feel that Trump or his administration have a well crafted plan. Maduro's Venezuela doesn't just get replaced because he isn't there any more. The entire political, military and government structures are corrupt from the top to bottom. There are a multitude of generals in the military whose income is mainly grifting from the Maduro government. The lack of opposition to Maduro being taken may indicate that the military at the very least declined to get involved but I doubt they will take kindly to having their incomes slashed. Plus the region has armed guerilla groups even these days, and Afghanistan shows how this can grind down even the US forces. It is going to be a long slog for the US administration. Realistically, they need to keep current military, government and police structures in place and probably swallow the massive amounts of corruption otherwise they will end up with an Iraq style failed state.

The longer term consequences are difficult to understand. Latin America has a (entirely legitimate) deep distrust of US intervention. Any Venezuelan government will need to be a popular choice and it will be difficult to not be viewed as a puppet regime with the instability that view would bring. The US ignored Latin America for a long while and the influence of China even in large economies such as Brazil are self-evident when you go there. Smaller countries will doubtless be thinking that nuclear weapon development is the only option to prevent interference and the Brazil / Argentina commitment to not developing nuclear weaponry could end up becoming very shaky. This wouldn't be great between two major Latin powers that have traditionally not been the bestest of friends ever...

Venezuela deserves better than Chavez and Maduro. I hope they don't end up thinking they deserve better than Trump as well.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Cuba up next?
No oil, but potentially nice real estate.

Nice place for some hotels

now who knows about hotel
I sure I heard someone was the greatest at hotels - nobody greater
now who was it

 

[Pblakeney]

Nice place for some hotels

now who knows about hotel
I sure I heard someone was the greatest at hotels - nobody greater
now who was it

Was kinda my point.

 

[AndyRM]

Turns out Nick Shirley's pal "David", is (unsurprisingly) a bit of a nob...

https://theintercept.com/2026/01/03/minnesota-fraud-video-somalis-nick-shirley

 

[CXRAndy]

Rumour mill is Walz is going to withdraw from this year's governor election

🤔

 

[briantrumpet]

Not thin-skinned at all, oh no.

Despite his decomposing brain, pathological grudges are one of the things he actually retains.

 

[CXRAndy]

She doesn't have a big enough support in Venezuela to take over at this time. The interim president has announced they will work with the USA.

 

[Pblakeney]

Not thin-skinned at all, oh no.

Despite his decomposing brain, pathological grudges are one of the things he actually retains.

View attachment 11968

We are at the stage where this does not even register on the surprise scale.

 

[briantrumpet]

We are at the stage where this does not even register on the surprise scale.

I rather like a comment I saw elsewhere: "Trump's Razor: The pettiest explanation is usually the correct one."

 

[Pross]

That’s exactly what I have been thinking.
The only way he can insert and retain a tame, puppet government, is with boots on the ground.
Then he’s heading for another Afghanistan, Iraq situation.

We are actually in the calm before the storm.

Hopefully he’ll be doing it with no military support from other nations too.

 

[Pross]

In fairness, the Southern District of New York know a corrupt President when they see one

It would be funny if they decide there’s no case and not to prosecute.

 

[Pblakeney]

It would be funny if they decide there’s no case and not to prosecute.

Hopefully, but probably wishful thinking. Thinking more realistically...

 

[Pinno718]

Anyone who thinks the US is 'grabbing' Venezuelan oil is in cloud cuckoo land.
Venezuelan oil is heavy and requires a more complex refining process to which the Russians ploughed $9bn (in loans) into but the oil refining business is still under invested. To properly gain from oil revenue (in a global market where crude oil is currently at a low) will take years.

So Donnie is in high on his own supply but the realities of both 'running' a foreign country and 'grabbing oil' is a very simplistic and ill conceived notion. It's posturing at best.

Significant factors lost in the malaise are:
Putin will be wondering where he gets his loans back.
The $4bn spent on air defences supplied by Russia (again by loans) proved totally ineffectual.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news...aid-weak-russian-air-defences-maduro-caracas/
Venezuelan crude oil was being transported to Russia for refining and now that revenue (and supply) is now gone.
This route was a method of sourcing oil for Russia as it circumvented sanctions.
The Wagner group upheld Maduro and helped him (illegitimately) gain the presidency. So basically, the US is going to be the new 'Wagners'. Their track record as we know, is poor.