Venezuela 2026.

[Paddo Colt 61]

that might be true but it seems like there are a lot of venezuelans who don't support maduro. either way, hard to see. how this is going to end well
policies

As CM points out, for the politically unengaged masses there are no principles involved. They just want things to return to normality so sanctions that strangle the economy are very successful at fermenting social unrest especially after a couple of decades.

Those we see on TV in Miami are mostly part of the old order wanting their priviledges and power back and are happy with the starve 'em out policies used against their own less well off countrymen. We've got sa feew like that here.

The first rule, howver, is not to believe a word of the US propaganda that our media dutifully pushes but try telling that to our lot.

[caz]

As CM points out, for the politically unengaged masses there are no principles involved. They just want things to return to normality so sanctions that strangle the economy are very successful at fermenting social unrest especially after a couple of decades.

Those we see on TV in Miami are mostly part of the old order wanting their priviledges and power back and are happy with the starve 'em out policies used against their own less well off countrymen. We've got sa feew like that here.

The first rule, howver, is not to believe a word of the US propaganda that our media dutifully pushes but try telling that to our lot.

that's probably true. popular support doesn't mean well thought out support but that doesn't mean maduro is without flaws

[A Country Member]

that's probably true. popular support doesn't mean well thought out support but that doesn't mean maduro is without flaws

Like what you pointed out earlier that these days democracy involves picking the lesser of two evils, that is what the Venezuelan people did by choosing Maduro. By doing so they retained their sovereignty.

What the US is moving towards is an Orwellian theme of the Americas western hemisphere region that it governs. Leaving Asia and Europe to the rest of the world like the 1984 construct of Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Geographically we fall under Eastasia but I’d think that the US will try to claim us under Oceania.

Will all this posturing be able to save the US empire considering the parlous state of the USD? And how obliging will Aus be in subservience to big bro?

[Paddo Colt 61]

Australia's deep state is committed to its sub Imperial status which means that we are willing to support US national interests even at the cost of our own. To make matters worse the Oz sheeple hasve swallowed US propaganda for the last 80 years and although US overreach has angered us at times our Austral American media always manages to roll that back to our usual unengaged torpor.

Caz and most people believe that Maduro is a crook. They haven't seen any evidence to support America's demonisation of him but, nevertheless, they are loathe to discard what "everybody" thinks.

Our governments, too, are either all the way with the USA right or wrong or in the case of progressives, terrified of annoying the US. There is still the spectre of a coup like 1975 and the perennial problem of a call to arms from the Murdoch "news" corporation and the rest of the RW media. Of course not a few ALP pollies are on the same ticket as the Tories geopolitically.

[caz]

i tend to accept that maduro's a crook and rigged the 2024 election. just because something is in the 'msm' doesn't make it wrong. i haven't seen any good counter-evidence.
the u.s., like china, is an important power and nothing wrong with trying to get on with them.

[Random Rooster]

Australia's deep state is committed to its sub Imperial status which means that we are willing to support US national interests even at the cost of our own. To make matters worse the Oz sheeple hasve swallowed US propaganda for the last 80 years and although US overreach has angered us at times our Austral American media always manages to roll that back to our usual unengaged torpor.

Caz and most people believe that Maduro is a crook. They haven't seen any evidence to support America's demonisation of him but, nevertheless, they are loathe to discard what "everybody" thinks.

Our governments, too, are either all the way with the USA right or wrong or in the case of progressives, terrified of annoying the US. There is still the spectre of a coup like 1975 and the perennial problem of a call to arms from the Murdoch "news" corporation and the rest of the RW media. Of course not a few ALP pollies are on the same ticket as the Tories geopolitically.

7.9 million Venezuelans have fled since Maduro took power in 2013. That’s not a lifestyle choice, or a climate preference.....that’s societal collapse. You don’t abandon your country in those numbers unless something is fundamentally broken.

In any event regime change is Washington’s most reliable export — chaos, blowback, and decades of instability. Every time it’s sold as an exception. Every time it ends the same way. This will be no different

[A Country Member]

The US imperialist onslaught was summed up succinctly by Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler in 1935. Reviewing his 33-year career as a Marine, Butler declared:

I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer; a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902–1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.

[Paddo Colt 61]

i tend to accept that maduro's a crook and rigged the 2024 election. just because something is in the 'msm' doesn't make it wrong. i haven't seen any good counter-evidence.
the u.s., like china, is an important power and nothing wrong with trying to get on with them.

Getting on with them means total subservience and it's been that way in Latin Americsa since 1823.

The msm has provided sufficient evidence for you to believe Maduro's a crook? I've seen nothing more than assertions from the Empire. Can you provide a link for your evidence? America intensely demonises its targets but the average ill informed punter can't let go of the myth that, despite all, it is a righteous champion of "Freedom" whatever that means - the self serving myth that it created.

Venezuela was crushed economically by sanctions but what does an elected government do in those circumstances? Give in? As in "Everyone is very unhappy here so we just give up, you win" or should it not cower to power? If in the attempt to accumulate US dollars, Maduro licenced the cartels to traffic drugs, it would make sense - use any weapon against an oppressor - but it is widely reported that the drug traffic through the country is minimal. On the the other hand the US deep state trafficked in drugs to fund the Contras in Nicuragua and green lighted some Afghan heroin producing War Lords to keep them on side.

[A Country Member]

As Maj Gen Butler was doing a hundred years ago, the US send their guys in to secure the assets

"You have total safety," Mr Trump told the executives.

"You're dealing with us directly and not dealing with Venezuela at all. We don't want you to deal with Venezuela."

He added: "Our giant oil companies will be spending at least $[US]100 billion of their money, not the government's money. They don't need government money. But they need government protection."

The president said the security guarantee would come from working with Venezuelan leaders and their people, instead of deploying US forces. He also said the companies would "bring over some security".

[Paddo Colt 61]

"Violent Imperialism", what else is it?

Soon the rounding up of the Left by the returned Fascist elites and the CIA will begin. Torture, disappearences. The Trade Union structure will be dismantled. That was the aftermath of the Chilean coup...

The reporter seemed to opine that the motive is to bring down gas prices in the US. Yeah, they're gonna spend $100B and gas prices are gonna plummet.

The aim is obviously geopolitical, BRICS, Russia and China are the real targets. This is the real America, the mask is off and it will be interesting to see Oz polling on our reaction. We didn't buy Dutton or Gaza.

[Random Rooster]

Getting on with them means total subservience and it's been that way in Latin Americsa since 1823.

The msm has provided sufficient evidence for you to believe Maduro's a crook? I've seen nothing more than assertions from the Empire. Can you provide a link for your evidence? America intensely demonises its targets but the average ill informed punter can't let go of the myth that, despite all, it is a righteous champion of "Freedom" whatever that means - the self serving myth that it created.

Venezuela was crushed economically by sanctions but what does an elected government do in those circumstances? Give in? As in "Everyone is very unhappy here so we just give up, you win" or should it not cower to power? If in the attempt to accumulate US dollars, Maduro licenced the cartels to traffic drugs, it would make sense - use any weapon against an oppressor - but it is widely reported that the drug traffic through the country is minimal. On the the other hand the US deep state trafficked in drugs to fund the Contras in Nicuragua and green lighted some Afghan heroin producing War Lords to keep them on side.

Yeah well sanctions don’t force a government to become a narco-state — they force a choice. Some states negotiate, reform, or share the pain. Maduro chose repression, hollowed-out institutions, and patronage. That’s not “resisting empire,” that’s entrenching power.

And invoking past U.S. crimes doesn’t launder present ones. Yes, the U.S. backed the Contras and tolerated Afghan warlords — those were scandals. They’re also indictments of U.S. policy, not a permission slip for Caracas. Two things can be true: sanctions hurt Venezuela, and Maduro’s regime chose to rule through that pain rather than govern for its people. Anti-imperial rhetoric doesn’t excuse kleptocracy, nor does whataboutism change who’s responsible at home.

[caz]

Getting on with them means total subservience and it's been that way in Latin Americsa since 1823.

The msm has provided sufficient evidence for you to believe Maduro's a crook? I've seen nothing more than assertions from the Empire. Can you provide a link for your evidence? America intensely demonises its targets but the average ill informed punter can't let go of the myth that, despite all, it is a righteous champion of "Freedom" whatever that means - the self serving myth that it created.

Venezuela was crushed economically by sanctions but what does an elected government do in those circumstances? Give in? As in "Everyone is very unhappy here so we just give up, you win" or should it not cower to power? If in the attempt to accumulate US dollars, Maduro licenced the cartels to traffic drugs, it would make sense - use any weapon against an oppressor - but it is widely reported that the drug traffic through the country is minimal. On the the other hand the US deep state trafficked in drugs to fund the Contras in Nicuragua and green lighted some Afghan heroin producing War Lords to keep them on side.

any casual google search suggests maduro isn't a saint. the economist, guardian have him as having stolen the election and lining his own pockets.
is stealing an election a bad thing when the forces of darkness are against you? depends on the situation. hard to argue that maduro had enough positives to have a moral argument to override the will of the people.
that's not to say i support the u.s. action. i don't. not at all

[A Country Member]

Maduro is so cunning, he even stole the 2020 election off Trump for Biden. No wonder the US wanted him in custody. Those pesky Venezuelans getting in the way

[ism22]

I heard Putin and Mieliekowski are war crims. Time to arrest them and take-over I presume?

[Bates]

I heard Putin and Mieliekowski are war crims. Time to arrest them and take-over I presume?

Sorry mate but they are too big and powerful. Small fish are sweet

#trumpthebully