America woke up surprised. What? We invaded Venezuela?
So here we are … barely able to spell V E N E Z U E L A, with Trump — who-can’t-stay-awake — and DOD Secretary Hegseth — who-is-never-very-smart — making their proud announcement that they have used our military and CIA to snatch the President of Venezuela from his home and his country.
There should be no surprises here, but still, people are surprised.
And for rural readers, let us remember that 44% of the American military is recruited from Rural America. These are our men and women who will end up defending Trump’s interests in Venezuela’s oil industry.
Trump and Hegseth have attacked Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean for months, mostly without proof of cause. Now they are after a bigger prize. It is likely the kidnapping of President Maduro will lead to a long slog, an expensive long slog.
But what about Congress? What about the law? What about the Courts? What about a Declaration of War?
Yup! This is a slog.
We Americans have experience with long, expensive slogs. Vietnam. Iraq. Afghanistan. These “slogs” are called quagmires. We don’t win them. Instead, they cost us gazillions of dollars.
Clearly, we have not learned our lessons. Maduro and his wife pleaded “Not Guilty” today in New York Court. The next court day comes in March.
Trump from Mar-a-Lago: “We are going to run Venezuela …” Between naps, Trump added more detail, declaring that he will run the country and rebuild its oil industry until ??? Venezuela runs as smoothly as a top???
Or until Trump’s sons get a generous cut of the oil money? IF … IF … the oil industry can be built back. The plan depends on American oil companies jumping in to help Trump, but they are presently silent.
THIS! slog is already a quagmire.
We may have accidentally slipped into the quagmire of Vietnam, with people overlooking the first steps into the quicksand, but we can’t claim that this time.
We have practice with quagmires — Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. Now we have a beginning right in front of our noses.
After declaring that Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez will be “sweetly cooperative,” Trump noticed that she opposes his plan. It happens that she was in Russia while Trump made the grab, but Trump did what he is best at, i.e., being the bully, so he promised to teach her a lesson about how much worse he can treat her than he has treated President Maduro.
This made me wonder how much worse he could be to her, compared to our military and CIA snatching Maduro and his wife literally out of their beds, bringing them to New York to stand trial in a US Court without Congress having declared war.
Oh. Trump and his goons could kill her. But never mind the details. The reactions are still coming in.
Most Republicans are standing back or offering a careful defense. Still, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) — the first Democrat to react — said, “… there are evil, brutal dictators all over the world,” but “that does not give the American president the right to invade.”
But seriously, what are the Republicans thinking as Trump proudly steps into the quagmire with both feet?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio lost his cool when he dutifully pushed about the logic of the “snatch.”
There is confusion about the mission. The White House representatives and Trump himself cannot agree on what the “kidnapping Maduro” mission’s goal is.
Did they capture President Maduro and his wife because he runs a major drug business, i.e., is Maduro a “narco” president?
If “narco” presidents are so bad, then why did Trump pardon the “narco” president of Honduras who was convicted for major drug trafficking?
At a January 3rd press conference, Trump promised to “run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.” How long is that, and who are the “trusted” Venezuelans he would need to help?
- Apparently not Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, whose life Trump is threatening.
- Apparently not the drug kingpins whom the US has already indicted (indicted, not kidnapped). There are six, including Cilia Flores de Maduro, Maduro’s wife.
- Apparently, not the Venezuelans protesting in the streets against Trump’s kidnapping.
And then there is oil … BIG OIL. Who will pay to rebuild? So far, no one is volunteering. Trump wants the BIG OIL industry to pay, but the industry has stayed silent so far.
If BIG OIL pays, they will expect to keep the profits. If taxpayers chip in, they will not get a share of the profits.
The reality: Quagmires require tax dollars. Now we have a “regime change” on our hands. Trump, the CIA, and DOD were secretly preparing for months to do this kidnapping.
They did not consult with Congress, and taxpayers are on the hook for this massive CIA and military action.
There is no long-term plan. Trump claims to be in charge, but first passed the buck to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but now word on the street has it that the buck has been passed again. This time to Stephen Miller.
By the way, running a country is a full-time job. Rubio already has several jobs. Miller doesn’t do the one he has very well. Whoever does it won’t have time for golf or even saying hello to their spouse now and then.
Trump has fired so many diplomats; diplomats are the ones who usually ease the way and step in to provide guidance
One way or the other, we Americans will be the “fall guy” for this ongoing situation.
No declaration of war … just an invasion. No consideration of the “plan” by Congress, and most certainly, no concern for Trump’s original promise of “No more ‘forever wars.’”
Katie Francis, Daily Beast: Rubio Loses Cool When Confronted With Major Flaw Of Venezuela Strike
imgflip: Surprise Gomer
Politifact: Fact-checking Donald Trump following U.S. attacks on Venezuela and capture of Nicolás Maduro
Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN: Trump wants the US oil industry to thrive in Venezuela again. That won’t be easy
Callum Jones in New York, The Guardian: US oil giants silent on Trump claim they will spend billions on Venezuelan oil industry
Cartoon, Doug Marlette: MissMyrtle2.wordpress.com
Tara Sutter, The Hill: Murphy rips Venezuela operation: ‘There are evil, brutal dictators all over the world’