VENEZUELA!

HISTORY MATTERS!

It amazes me how Trump can order the mighty United States arsenal of death to a small nation with a weak military capability, and brag as though he is David bringing down Goliath. And he has his fans who applaud his actions like a conquering hero. But at least his followers are engaged to root him on. Where are the Americans who should be appalled by the attack on Venezuela as a clear violation of international law? The voices that speak in opposition to Trump are small in number, out of a mass of over 300 million people. Granted, the number includes children, and it should; much of what is happening will manifest itself in their future, and the 18-year-old vote is a reality now. The notion of being left alone and letting whatever happens happen is not an act of citizenship, but a selfish position that will hurt when the consequences come. There is an adage, “Old men make wars for young men to die.” Defending the nation’s freedoms and security is one thing; risking life and limb for a demented tyrant is another.

Nicolas Maduro may have cheated his people by ignoring election results to stay in power, but that is an internal political dilemma to be solved by the Venezuelan people. It is eerily similar to Trump’s directed attack on the nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021, attempting to sway the presidential election in his favor, cheating Americans out of the true results. Nicolas Maduro was able to do what he tried to do. Designating Maduro as a drug dealer is a weak excuse, as Trump has made it clear that oil barons will soon return to Venezuela to invest in oil production. Drug addiction is a mental health issue, and if the Trump administration dealt with it as such, it would put a dent in the demand for drugs. As a businessman, Trump should understand the theory of supply and demand. America’s thirst for illicit drugs is such that millions are spent by drug traffickers just to import the drugs into the USA; the market is that lucrative. However, there is nothing “macho” in dealing with the drug problem as a disease; the Trump approach is the B-movie action approach with jets and missiles bringing fire out of the sky.

Is this the act of fascism we have been fearing? Yes, it is. Americans are responding as though a show of military might needs to be displayed to ensure America’s dominance. Trump will get a boost in the polls because he has the “balls” to bomb his way to prominence. Go USA, Go. But because history doesn’t seem to register with Americans, in the long run, unforeseen problems will emerge and regret, and finger-pointing will commence. What I see is the United States spending a tremendous amount of money governing Venezuela and securing the oil fields. There is currently political instability in the country. Still, in time, factions will coalesce under one banner, portraying Americans as invaders, and the historical sentiment of “Yankee Go Home” will be on Venezuelans’ lips. Democrats and Independents must act now to stop Trump’s plan because if “running” Venezuela becomes policy, they too will have to commit to governing Venezuela to protect established American interests when they come to power. Democrats and Independents are imperialist capitalists too.

Wall Street, the greed machine, is applauding the invasion, but warns that it will take billions of American oil companies’ dollars to extract the resource, and they need assurances that their enterprise will not be renationalized. That guarantee can only be provided by a friendly Venezuelan government and an American military presence. The Venezuelan armed forces won’t do, Big Oil demands the Big Guns of the American military. The drama of the political trial of Nicolas Maduro is another bad “B movie.” Drugs have nothing to do with the takeover of Venezuela; it is all about the oil, and Trump himself has stated so. The Trump DOJ is prosecuting Maduro for drug trafficking and weapons violations like he’s Jo Jo Brown on Third Street pushing crack instead of the head of state of a sovereign nation. I look forward to seeing the evidence. What happens if Maduro is acquitted? Does he get to go back home and continue to rule Venezuela? Or, does the DOJ’s evidence resemble an Amtrak ticket? My guess is, we’re all going for a ride.

I’m a minority of one; my opinion will not be considered earth-shattering, but it is based on the Vietnam lesson I thought Americans would take to heart and not repeat. It also brings to mind the possibility that semi-dormant guerrilla revolutionary movements in Latin America will be revived and join in the political chaos. Latin America has its liberation heroes like Simon Bolivar and Cuba’s José Martí, who were the impetus for the liberation from Spain. And in the 1960’s Fidel Castro and Che Guevara shared in that same sentiment of freedom from foreign subjugation. America must realize that national sovereignty is an inalienable right all nations possess and will defend to the death. “I’m going to run things to have access to the oil reserves” is what Trump has in mind, taking Venezuela’s sovereignty and raping its natural resources. All of the Latin American nations will see Trump’s actions for what it is, American imperialism at its worst.

In a recent poll, one-third of Americans support Trump’s invasion of Venezuela. It wouldn’t surprise me that one-third are MAGA loyalists and functionally illiterates, who provide the one-sided view that says we have the right to take whatever we want because we are the mighty USA, and that should concern Americans as a sign of Nazi-like tyranny. And it is, but the overwhelming response seems to be “I don’t give a f**k either way,” which makes it possible for the minority to endanger the lives of the majority. What does surprise me is that Trump’s mental deterioration is not being considered for the unlawful murders at sea and the invasion of a foreign nation without Congressional approval. It will take years to upgrade the oil-producing infrastructure in Venezuela; in the meantime, America must bankroll its presence in the country with vast amounts of American tax money. The American economy is in shambles, with an uncertain political future adding to the turmoil. Trump is the “B-movie” hero who thinks the ending will be under his watch. At this point, the best America can hope for is the hero, wounded from battle, passing the reins of power to another idiot unfazed by history. And America will absolutely be fine with it.