American Thinker:
Are we stepping on the same rakes again — in Venezuela? Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently tweeted “My message to the Venezuelan people is clear: the United States stands firmly with you in your quest for freedom and democracy.” He also confirmed that the military option is on the table. In other words, the U.S. is ready to liberate the Venezuelan people from themselves.
For those who suffer historical amnesia, it is worth pointing out, that the Venezuelans had democratic elections and they have chosen socialism. Hugo Chavez was a socialist, and he ran on a socialist platform and got elected with wide popular support. So was his successor Nicolás Maduro.
Whether the Venezuelans voted for socialist serfdom knowingly or they have been duped is irrelevant. If people are ignorant or complacent, they deserve the government they elect. As Barack Obama famously said, “Elections have consequences.”
We have to be mindful, though, that every ism — socialism, capitalism, fascism, etc. — has its supporters and benefactors. Those who imagine themselves on the receiving end have every reason to think they will be better off with socialism. State bureaucracy, army, and police support the government that provides them with the benefits they would not have otherwise.
The imposition of sanctions does not impact this segment of the population, but is making a gap between them and the rest of the people much wider. Any attempts to replace the regime by staged demonstrations and riots would likely fail. The existing political forces, embedded in the military and police are stronger and better organized than the opposition. If an order cannot be negotiated it will be imposed by force.
Current events should not tilt the scale toward intervention without consideration of the impact on the ongoing political debate in this country. Given the Democratic Party’s proclivities, interference with the Venezuelan affairs would provide the likes of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and a host of other Democratic loons a propaganda coup blaming the U.S. for destroying the country of triumphant and prosperous socialism. In this context, evolution of thinking about how we approach socialism in the post-Soviet era internationally and domestically is required.
If the United States could succeed in removing the Maduro regime, what would be the lesson for irresponsible voters? If they need fear no consequence — other than a return to the prior status quo thanks to the assistance of American Marines — wouldn’t a recurrence of socialism there or somewhere else be possible, even probable? more here
I mostly agree but if we stay out and let the
commies crash as a terrible lesson to the World;
we can’t let the commies from Cuba, China, Russia
etc provide military support to Maduro who is a Cuban
puppet already.
Except for humanitary aid, “Hands Off” for EVERYBODY.
As I’ve commented on other sites
NO A DIME! .. NOT A DROP! These people elected Chavez knowing full well what they were getting into. Now that shit is running down their backs, they’ve elect a less virulent form of “Chavez’s Socialism” and are expecting something different. These people want free shit, they just don’t think it’s going to cost anything. Hey Venezuela, Wake up and smell the dumpster.
When not everyone is allowed to have guns the outcome can be rather skewed in comparison to what the people want.
Well, there’s a further complication than just a country’s problems brought about by socialism. Venezuela is under occupation by Cuba and Russia.
If we get involved the people of Venezuela will eventually just resent it realizing we are there to access their oil. Better they resent the Russians, Cubans, or Chinese.
John – – only if the humanitarian aid is administered by non-government entities.
My father, the born again leftwing idiot, is fond of quoting the old Edwin Starr song “War…what is it good for?” To which he will reflexively intone “Ab. Solutely. Nothing.” with the solemn conviction of your average MSNBC host.
Great bumpersticker. Not so great practical view of the world.
Do the Venezuelans deserve to suffer? Arguably, yes. And they have.
You vote your way into Socialism and then have to shoot your way out.
But if we sit idly by while Russia and China put bases and nukes in our hemisphere then War! Unh! Good God ya’ll! and the threat of it is going to be very good for them.
It’s nothing new. Are there people to fight for expelling the commie interlopers? Like Iraq, they were killed, fled or died a decade ago.
The impossible choice like always. We could support an opposition who will grow to resent us and vote the same shit into place after we leave and who the next Democrat administration will abandon. Or, you let the dominos fall.
We would have a global epidemic of roaring mice. No thanks.
Cliche nailed it. You can vote your way into Socialism but you always have to shoot your way out of it.
Doesn’t matter what version of Socialism that it is: Communism, Progressivism, National Socialism (Nazis) or Fascism.
Does anybody really still believe those elections were legit?
The world’s Communists are the ideological childish of the world. What’s theirs is theirs and what’s yours is theirs, too. And while Venezuela is not our immediate neighbor to the south, you just know that they will not be content to remain within their own boundaries. We can deal with them now or later, but ignoring the situation is not an option. Eventually a response will be required. And a sole, U.S., response is not the only answer. I’d put Communists in the same light as Islam so far as not wanting it in our hemisphere. We don’t venture into war with imperialistic motives, that’s always the crime the Left is accusing the U.S. of committing. And if the Russians and the Chinese are in favor of a Communist Venezuela — and giving material support of that, there, why is it verboten for U.S. and other non-Communist countries to counter them? This argument that Venezuelans voted the socialists in and therefore must live with the consequences may be true enough, but their problem doesn’t stay just their problem.
Put a hundred million in bounty for his death, somebody will take his scalp.
Stay OUT! NOTHING in the Constitution makes the federal government the world police, OR a charity. No more foreign aid, no more “humanitarian” aid.
“You vote your way into Socialism and then have to shoot your way out.” -Cliche Guevara
We’re not far behind them. We just have to get through our corruptocrat, crony-capitalist phase. And then we’re low-hanging Socialist fruit ready for pickin’.
I wish I could take credit for that line. It’s a keeper but someone else coined it last week I forget where.
But the future belongs to those who show up and our enemies don’t stand by and mind their own business.
They’ll install another strongman to kill dissenters and destabilize regional allies if we vote present.
Unfortunately, our schizophrenic elections only make our fairweather friendly foreign policy all but useless.
What’s true for handling flammable material is also true for politics:
If you can see that it’s about to go up in flames, don’t touch it. You will always get burned. If your prints are on it, you will likely be blamed for it burning up, too.
I have a friend who is Venezuelan. He keeps telling me all that is needed for Maduro to fold like a bad poker hand is to send two US F-16’s over Caracas. I have to keep telling him that it will give fuel to all the South American & Central American leftists who will point at us and start screaming “Yanqui Imperialism!”
If we help those people, the Dems and MSM will claim we’re Imperialist oil-grabbers, etc.
If we leave them alone, the same will claim we are greedy, not compassionate, etc.
No win here.
Get a neighboring country to sort it out, fast.
“Let Venezuela fail…”
It sure looks like it already has
Let Venezuela Crash and burn on its own. With a little help first a no fly zone in or out of any Aircraft, Secondly No travel to Cuba for any reason. Later a naval inspection of all shipping entering or leaving Cuban waters. Third Arms sales to the Baltic states and other countries close to the Russian frontiers as well as joint military exercises. Finally a naval interdiction of a ships entering or leaving Venezuelan port conducted by the countrie’s neighbors
The US can’t put boots on the ground as they’ve shown in two middle east wars already they can win the war easily then fuck up the peace spectacularly. Start talks with the Colombians, the Brazilians and the Guyanese that have been choking on refugees from Maduros’s paradise about creating safe zones inside Venezuela where food, water and shelter can be had under the protection of those countries armed forces, The US, Canada and the west can supply the food, clothing etc. Tell Maduro this is a humanitarian mission but will be me with deadly and overwhelming force should he unleash either his own or his Cuban “Advisors”. In the meantime the US ought to start upping the pressure on Cuba until the leave Venezuela. Trump ought to let the Russions know that if they stat arming up Maduro then the people of the Ukraine may just get a whole lot of better anti-air capability then it had before.
Ever notice how those folks on the left who keep telling us how much they want to take from us in the name of publicly sharing our wealth also demand gun control and confiscation? It’s not about the guns, it’s about control.
Venezuelans got what they wanted, but didn’t realize it came with a “no returns” policy
The US government never passes up an opportunity to aggressively interfere in other countries, even when Russia was being overthrown by Communists, who succeeded.
8,000 US troops deploy in Siberia: the 27th and 31st
infantry regiments ‘act to stabilise Russia’
By The Siberian Times reporter02 August 2016
The aim? To put in place a Moscow government ‘friendly’ to Washington, and to protect US interests and citizens.
What happened next? A ‘forgotten’ military adventure that began 98 years ago is full of modern lessons, according to an intriguing new book.
It was on 15 August 1918 that the 27th Infantry Regiment landed in Vladivostok with orders to be ‘apolitical’ yet to assist the US’s allies in bringing stability to Russia as they battled to reverse the Bolshevik takeover of Russia.
World War One was still underway but the seismic seizure of power by Vladimir Lenin was gradually spreading eastward across Russia’s vast territory; still, the revolution was not yet guaranteed despite the cold-blooded slaying
of abdicated tsar Nikolai II and his immediate family several weeks earlier in Yekaterinburg.
[Many historical photos]
http://siberiantimes.com/other/others/features/f0246-8000-us-troops-deploy-in-siberia-the-27th-and-31st-infantry-regiments-act-to-stabilise-russia/
The Story of the American Expeditionary Forces
AEF Siberia
By: Christine L. Putnam
“It was a war few Americans knew about then or now. Orchestrated behind closed doors, inspired by panic, and plagued by futility, America’s military intervention in Siberia during the First World War continued long after the Armistice sent the doughboys in France home.”
“Without grace nor glory, American forces left Siberia. The 27th and 31st Infantries returned to the Philippines. As Graves left with the last troops on April 1, 1920, a Japanese band played “Hard Times Come Again No More”.[30] The intervention, which cost the lives of 353 American soldiers (including 127 listed as killed in action despite suspicions that they had been taken as prisoners) was officially over.[31] Many soldiers returned home traumatized by the hardships endured and atrocities witnessed.
Major General Graves never overcame the plague of accusations that he harbored Red sympathies. ”
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/siberia.htm
Woodrow Wilson and the American Expeditionary Force to Siberia, 1918-1920
By Christopher T. McMaster
2014, VOL. 6 NO. 04 | PG. 2/2 | «
http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/889/2/woodrow-wilson-and-the-american-expeditionary-force-to-siberia-1918-1920
Have they eaten EVERY zoo animal yet? Then let ’em keep fighting each other.
Maybe we should just air drop a bunch of guns and ammo.