Exactly what military threat did Venezuela pose to the USA ?
I expect the spineless GOP to do fxck all and find a way to justify this action .
Far too often in history America's interpretation of the Munro doctrine has been that they can do whatever they like in South America.
The gringos have no idea how despised they are in much of the region. I was living in the Caribbean when the 9/11 attacks happened and I was surprised at the unsympathetic reaction from a lot of folks there.
The Republican senators must be so proud of conforming the appointment of Hegseth.
Ditto most of the rest of Trump's administration.
There must be a chance that impeaching Hegseth would get the required vote.
You underestimate the support amongst the Republicans for finishing once and for all the “War On Drugs”, which despite running since Reagan’s days has resulted in record amounts of drugs ending up in the US, killing over a hundred thousand Americans in 2024 alone.
The Republican senators must be so proud of conforming the appointment of Hegseth.
Ditto most of the rest of Trump's administration.
There must be a chance that impeaching Hegseth would get the required vote.
You underestimate the support amongst the Republicans for finishing once and for all the “War On Drugs”, which despite running since Reagan’s days has resulted in record amounts of drugs ending up in the US, killing over a hundred thousand Americans in 2024 alone.
Anyone who’s got a stockpile of Venezuelan flags is about to make a few bob selling them to the perma outraged Gaza lot.
Depends what happens - if this is just a one off series of strikes, probably not but if it is a prelude to an actual invasion with ground troops moving into Caracas, there will be plenty of anger over here from the usual suspects and others.
It would be analogous to the Russian invasion of Ukraine - an act of illegal aggression against another sovereign country. It would be right to criticise such an action.
Do you think invading other countries is a good idea?
I do not support the US attacks on Venezuela, but I don't think a comparison with Russia's attempted conquest of Ukraine is valid.
The key differences are that (a) Russia's war objective is to conquer Ukraine and subsume at least a large part of it into Russia. I don't think even Trump has suggested adding Venezuela as the 51st State of the US. And (b) Ukraine is a democracy and no threat to its neighbours, while Venezuela is a dictatorship and a source of instability in the region.
Exactly what military threat did Venezuela pose to the USA ?
I expect the spineless GOP to do fxck all and find a way to justify this action .
Good question, OI'L go and investigate it for you.
Apparently Trump has accused MAduro of 'emptying his prisons and insane asylums and forcing the inmates to migrate to the US.'
I'm getting strong vibes of Sir Mortimer Chris...
Never in his wildest dreams could Maduro have expected the asylum inmates would migrate into top jobs in Washington....
I was listening to a discussion of the internal politics of the GOP recently and it was argued that attacking Venezuela was one of the few things that the whole GOP could agree on. The MAGA isolationists are in favour because it's seen as part of controlling the border from drug and people trafficking. The neocons are in favour because of the oil. The Monroe doctrine traditionalists are in favour because they see Maduro as an important link, with Cuba, of the anti-American forces in the Western hemisphere.
So there's something for everyone with an attack on Venezuela.
And for Trump, there's a useful distraction from Epstein.
Has Vance leaked his views through an unsecured chat on Signal yet? That would be useful to know more about.
Anyone who’s got a stockpile of Venezuelan flags is about to make a few bob selling them to the perma outraged Gaza lot.
Depends what happens - if this is just a one off series of strikes, probably not but if it is a prelude to an actual invasion with ground troops moving into Caracas, there will be plenty of anger over here from the usual suspects and others.
It would be analogous to the Russian invasion of Ukraine - an act of illegal aggression against another sovereign country. It would be right to criticise such an action.
Do you think invading other countries is a good idea?
I do not support the US attacks on Venezuela, but I don't think a comparison with Russia's attempted conquest of Ukraine is valid.
The key differences are that (a) Russia's war objective is to conquer Ukraine and subsume at least a large part of it into Russia. I don't think even Trump has suggested adding Venezuela as the 51st State of the US. And (b) Ukraine is a democracy and no threat to its neighbours, while Venezuela is a dictatorship and a source of instability in the region.
One of his outriders, Hannity, floating the 51st state idea:
Anyone who’s got a stockpile of Venezuelan flags is about to make a few bob selling them to the perma outraged Gaza lot.
Yet crickets from them about Iran, Somalia, Nigeria, Yemen…
They have no interest in actually stopping the war, only in presenting UK, US, and Israel, as the bad guys.
Because we're not funding, arming, or allied to any of those countries. The UK isn't complicit in their misdeeds in the same way it is Israel or the US. We don't fund Hamas either, unlike some countries...
There was a video purporting to show gunmen in a street near the Presidential Palace, but you u know how it has with these sorts of events, petite share all sorts of old videos and claim they are of current events.
On a further unrelated note, I had a trip out to Shutlingsloe today (the Cheshire Matterhorn). It's only 45 minutes away from me, yet I haven't been for five years - which is really a case of not full appreciating what's on your doorstep (and in this case hankering for the Lakes or the Dales instead, their distance giving them allure) because Shutlingsloe really is the perfect hill, especially in midwinter on a clear day.
Was there Thursday. Weather was bracing. Views mainly sleet.
Anyone who’s got a stockpile of Venezuelan flags is about to make a few bob selling them to the perma outraged Gaza lot.
Depends what happens - if this is just a one off series of strikes, probably not but if it is a prelude to an actual invasion with ground troops moving into Caracas, there will be plenty of anger over here from the usual suspects and others.
It would be analogous to the Russian invasion of Ukraine - an act of illegal aggression against another sovereign country. It would be right to criticise such an action.
Do you think invading other countries is a good idea?
I do not support the US attacks on Venezuela, but I don't think a comparison with Russia's attempted conquest of Ukraine is valid.
The key differences are that (a) Russia's war objective is to conquer Ukraine and subsume at least a large part of it into Russia. I don't think even Trump has suggested adding Venezuela as the 51st State of the US. And (b) Ukraine is a democracy and no threat to its neighbours, while Venezuela is a dictatorship and a source of instability in the region.
One of his outriders, Hannity, floating the 51st state idea:
Anyone who’s got a stockpile of Venezuelan flags is about to make a few bob selling them to the perma outraged Gaza lot.
Yet crickets from them about Iran, Somalia, Nigeria, Yemen…
They have no interest in actually stopping the war, only in presenting UK, US, and Israel, as the bad guys.
Because we're not funding, arming, or allied to any of those countries. The UK isn't complicit in their misdeeds in the same way it is Israel or the US. We don't fund Hamas either, unlike some countries...
(And you missed Sudan).
We aren’t complicit in what Israel has done to defend itself.
Anyone who’s got a stockpile of Venezuelan flags is about to make a few bob selling them to the perma outraged Gaza lot.
Depends what happens - if this is just a one off series of strikes, probably not but if it is a prelude to an actual invasion with ground troops moving into Caracas, there will be plenty of anger over here from the usual suspects and others.
It would be analogous to the Russian invasion of Ukraine - an act of illegal aggression against another sovereign country. It would be right to criticise such an action.
Do you think invading other countries is a good idea?
It depends upon the casus belli.
Yes, that was a generalistion more to get a response from @Taz than to provoke a proper debate.
Let me put it another way - how would an American invasion of Venezuela differ from the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 let alone the Russian invasion of Ukraine? When a Government "invites" the forces of another country to enter their territory, that's a little different for all the invitation might be the result of force majeure.
Anyone who’s got a stockpile of Venezuelan flags is about to make a few bob selling them to the perma outraged Gaza lot.
Depends what happens - if this is just a one off series of strikes, probably not but if it is a prelude to an actual invasion with ground troops moving into Caracas, there will be plenty of anger over here from the usual suspects and others.
It would be analogous to the Russian invasion of Ukraine - an act of illegal aggression against another sovereign country. It would be right to criticise such an action.
Do you think invading other countries is a good idea?
It depends upon the casus belli.
Yes, that was a generalistion more to get a response from @Taz than to provoke a proper debate.
Let me put it another way - how would an American invasion of Venezuela differ from the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 let alone the Russian invasion of Ukraine? When a Government "invites" the forces of another country to enter their territory, that's a little different for all the invitation might be the result of force majeure.
I don’t think, as a rule, invading nations is a good thing. Invading is one thing, holding is another.
It looks like a series of one off strikes to cut the head of the serpent, Maduro has been captured.
My comment was more a jocular one about the transactional nature of the hard left on their causes they support. The Gaza lot in Newcastle often have Venezuelan and Cuban flags too.
Anyone who’s got a stockpile of Venezuelan flags is about to make a few bob selling them to the perma outraged Gaza lot.
Depends what happens - if this is just a one off series of strikes, probably not but if it is a prelude to an actual invasion with ground troops moving into Caracas, there will be plenty of anger over here from the usual suspects and others.
It would be analogous to the Russian invasion of Ukraine - an act of illegal aggression against another sovereign country. It would be right to criticise such an action.
Do you think invading other countries is a good idea?
It depends upon the casus belli.
Yes, that was a generalistion more to get a response from @Taz than to provoke a proper debate.
Let me put it another way - how would an American invasion of Venezuela differ from the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 let alone the Russian invasion of Ukraine? When a Government "invites" the forces of another country to enter their territory, that's a little different for all the invitation might be the result of force majeure.
I don’t think, as a rule, invading nations is a good thing. Invading is one thing, holding is another.
It looks like a series of one off strikes to cut the head of the serpent, Maduro has been captured.
My comment was more a jocular one about the transactional nature of the hard left on their causes they support. The Gaza lot in Newcastle often have Venezuelan and Cuban flags too.
I hadn't seen the news Maduro has been captured. Analogous to the seizure of Noriega in 1989.
Whether you think Maduro's election was fair or fraudulent (and there's certainly evidence to suggest the latter) he is the de jure head of state and I'm not sure abducting him is an act with which I feel comfortable.
It doesn't mean the collapse of the regime unless the regime feels it has no option but to dissolve and as we may be seeing in Iran (or we may not), such processes are often difficult to predict and the outcomes even harder to foresee.
I don't think you can really win the 'war on drugs' by taking out big suppliers - as satisfying as it may be and as much as they have it coming. It's like trying to stop the small boats by 'smashing the gangs'. Someone else will meet the demand in the market. If not another supplier of the drug in question, a different drug completely.
I think the only way to really win the war on drugs is to cut off demand. Simply make the business of dealing and using drugs impossible. Simple doesn't mean easy, and it would take a lot of police resources, but would be well worth it.
Anyone who’s got a stockpile of Venezuelan flags is about to make a few bob selling them to the perma outraged Gaza lot.
Yet crickets from them about Iran, Somalia, Nigeria, Yemen…
They have no interest in actually stopping the war, only in presenting UK, US, and Israel, as the bad guys.
Their defence to this accusation is that the UK is allied to and helping Israel, whereas the UK is not involved in the other cases you mention. They want to stop British support of Israel.
I’m not saying that to agree with them, just pointing out the flaw in your comparison.
That’s bollocks. Here’s what the Guardian is actually writing:
“ Mehnaz was too young to protest when Mahsa Amini died in police custody three years ago after she was arrested for allegedly wearing the hijab improperly. Her mother did not let her join the throngs of crowds chanting “woman, life, freedom” in Tehran and across the country – so she could only watch at home as they were beaten back by batons and bullets.
“Since then, the 19-year-old computer science student in Tehran has waited for the chance to join fellow Iranians in protest. On Sunday, the moment finally came.”
I don't think you can really win the 'war on drugs' by taking out big suppliers - as satisfying as it may be and as much as they have it coming. It's like trying to stop the small boats by 'smashing the gangs'. Someone else will meet the demand in the market. If not another supplier of the drug in question, a different drug completely.
I think the only way to really win the war on drugs is to cut off demand. Simply make the business of dealing and using drugs impossible. Simple doesn't mean easy, and it would take a lot of police resources, but would be well worth it.
It's basic economics. We have seizures of millions of pounds (alleged street value) and....the price on the street does not change nor, other than exceptionally locally, are there any any local shortages. Any first year student of economics would tell you that there is a surplus of supply and these seizures are of absolutely no moment. Only the cartel like element in the supply prevents the price from crashing. Capacity is simply not an issue.
We have had a war on drugs for more than 30 years now. It is time to admit we lost and try to come up with something else, ideally something with far fewer casualties.
Comments
As for Iran The Guardian is taking a position. Supportive of the regime. https://x.com/omid9/status/2007241962391523493?s=61
Iran being on the brink is potential excellent news. If the regime manages to put down the protests, again, then that would be horrible news.
The key differences are that (a) Russia's war objective is to conquer Ukraine and subsume at least a large part of it into Russia. I don't think even Trump has suggested adding Venezuela as the 51st State of the US. And (b) Ukraine is a democracy and no threat to its neighbours, while Venezuela is a dictatorship and a source of instability in the region.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/sean-hannity-floats-making-yet-141235088.html
(And you missed Sudan).
If true.
At least the previous warmongers in the Whitehouse attempted to legitimise their actions through the UN.
NEW THREAD
Let me put it another way - how would an American invasion of Venezuela differ from the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 let alone the Russian invasion of Ukraine? When a Government "invites" the forces of another country to enter their territory, that's a little different for all the invitation might be the result of force majeure.
It looks like a series of one off strikes to cut the head of the serpent, Maduro has been captured.
My comment was more a jocular one about the transactional nature of the hard left on their causes they support. The Gaza lot in Newcastle often have Venezuelan and Cuban flags too.
Whether you think Maduro's election was fair or fraudulent (and there's certainly evidence to suggest the latter) he is the de jure head of state and I'm not sure abducting him is an act with which I feel comfortable.
It doesn't mean the collapse of the regime unless the regime feels it has no option but to dissolve and as we may be seeing in Iran (or we may not), such processes are often difficult to predict and the outcomes even harder to foresee.
I think the only way to really win the war on drugs is to cut off demand. Simply make the business of dealing and using drugs impossible. Simple doesn't mean easy, and it would take a lot of police resources, but would be well worth it.
I’m not saying that to agree with them, just pointing out the flaw in your comparison.
“ Mehnaz was too young to protest when Mahsa Amini died in police custody three years ago after she was arrested for allegedly wearing the hijab improperly. Her mother did not let her join the throngs of crowds chanting “woman, life, freedom” in Tehran and across the country – so she could only watch at home as they were beaten back by batons and bullets.
“Since then, the 19-year-old computer science student in Tehran has waited for the chance to join fellow Iranians in protest. On Sunday, the moment finally came.”
How is that remotely supportive of the regime?
We have had a war on drugs for more than 30 years now. It is time to admit we lost and try to come up with something else, ideally something with far fewer casualties.