@kcblitzkrieg
Well it was a several months long trial.
The difference, I guess, would just be that there is 24-hour news coverage and social media now.
But, I think the end result is the same -- both will be removed, put on trial and then silenced.
I think it changes the dynamic very much when you go from having an entire country under your thumb to being 'made' a 'spectacle'.
Even Noriega was defiant until the end.
@Raiders22
The difference, I guess, would just be that there is 24-hour news coverage and social media now.
Yes, my point. Plus Noriega was silenced prior and they are already letting Maduro do his thing. I was too young for that trial so I can't speak intelligently on it but I am fully aware of the relationship the US had with Noriega, specifically GHB and his CIA....they didn't want him talking. It could be interesting letting Maduro run his mouth, we all might learn something new... 
Asking for Big Trouble in Venezuela
"On 8 January 2025, I was on “Judging Freedom” talking with the Judge mainly about Venezuela and how it fits into Trumpian foreign policy. I made the argument that this is not a case of regime change — as all the US did was remove the president and replace him with the vice-president — and it is also not a case of us trying to turn Venezuela into a democracy. This last point explains why the neoconservatives are unhappy with what Trump is trying to do in Venezuela. Trump thinks he can use America’s awesome economic leverage to maintain a stable government in Caracas that will cooperate with us as we exploit Venezuela’s oil resources to our advantage. No boots on the ground here. This is a case of old-fashioned imperialism — the sort that went away because it does not work in the age of nationalism. Trump and his advisors, especially Marco Rubio, think they have found a new way to make imperialism work. I would bet they fail. Hopefully they will walk away when the endeavor starts to fail and not double down."
-John Mearsheimer, substack.
Well maybe this would mean Lockheed martin stock is under valued.
Cause part of the land in green Land he ordered this....
The proposed package would include 100 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, six M299 launchers, three CATM-114R captive air training missiles, support equipment, spare parts, diagnostic devices, technical documentation and logistical and training support. If the purchase proceeds, Lockheed Martin would serve as the prime contractor.
8 January, the United States Department of State announced the approval of a Danish request for a possible purchase of AGM-114R Hellfire guided anti-tank missiles and associated equipment. According to the Department of State, the total value of the package could reach up to $45 million.
Yes, this will be interesting.
Exxon CEO says Venezuela is uninvestable unless there are significant changes. Lack of commitment from oil companies raise doubts about Trump claims. Nobel economist Klugman warns that vast wealth Trump imagines from Venezuela oil doesn't exist because most of the oil is low quality and expensive to process.
@kcblitzkrieg
I like Mearsheimer. He has written many deep and well-thought-out articles and books.
But I disagree with him on some of the things he has said and written in the past.
Because of his great standing, folks tend to take his word as almost a final authority on something.
He has a very perspicacious analysis of all his topics. But he sometimes takes a very overly complex subject and tries to simplify it at its very base level. He does this very well. But he injects his view of what they term ‘realism’ into it and tries to ‘force’ it to work.
Certainly, he is closer to Hobbes’ insistence that states would be in a state ‘of constant conflict’, than Kant’s view of the states being in a constant ‘state of peace when it comes to international politics.
For example, I disagree with him somewhat on his view on Ukraine/Russia, especially back in the 2014 timeframe. He incorrectly almost absolves Russia and tries to entirely lay the blame at the West’s feet.
But in this assessment he is, essentially, just doubling down on his previous writings in his books and trying to make his worldview fit that situation.
Then, when the current situation with Russia/Ukraine started, he was even more adamant about being correct.
There are some other issues with the Middle East and Israel, India’s fight for nuclear weapons, etc.
Even though he is brilliant and has done great work, I think his basis is faulty on some of his analysis.
His main premise seems to assume all great nations will strive for dominance just by nature.
With that as a background, I want to point out a couple of things about his analysis of the current Venezuelan situation.
It is not unique to Mearsheimer to view the USA as a nation that is going around attempting to steal other countries’ oil.
He is correct that it is not about regime change, as the next in line was simply lifted up.
Oil, for sure, is something to be considered. But not for the reason(s) Mearsheimer and others, especially the Eco-Leftists posit.
The USA currently produces more energy than any other country. This is a stabilizing factor in the world.
China, on the other hand, is the world’s largest oil importer. They get roughly 5% of their oil from Venezuela.
Because of the vast amount of money China put into Venezuela and its oil situation and the loans they gave them, this developed into a very shady situation.
China, and Venezuela, were dodging sanctions through their ‘shadow fleet’ illegally.
You can see why China was taking advantage of this, of course.
Then you can see from a geopolitical viewpoint why the USA could not simply allow this to happen in their part of the world.
So, when the Eco-Leftists clamor on about the USA wanting the oil, they are missing the biggest issue.
The main folks that will be ‘missing out’ on Venezuelan oil is not the USA. It is the Communist regime of China.
One quote from the nation said about the USA wanting their oil, “What do you think the Russians and Chinese wanted here?”
So, when these folks proclaim ‘No Blood for Oil’ they need to consider why they were not chanting when China is funding the regime in Venezuela or other dictatorships in Africa just for their oil.
It is only the USA they want to complain about.
As one guy pointed out that this is not the only spot where hypocrisy shows up in the complaints. They rally out for the USA to use solar panels, batteries and minerals from China. In other words, they want to force the supply chain for their own energy straight through the Communist regime. Yet they oppose any effort that might constrain China’s oil imports or strategic reach.
It is a weird conflation to oppose your own country’s energy independence while opposing China’s leverage over the ‘clean energy’ leverage and also being against disrupting China’s access to the Venezuelan oil fields.
The end result of this sort of reading is obvious, whether they intend it or not.
The issue is that, nowadays, oil is more than a commodity like it used to be. It is now a strategic weapon.
So, if Venezuela is stabilized, it affects China’s leverage. That is why they are so upset.
The USA is not struggling for oil. China is because they import 75% of their oil.
So, if the USA can get Venezuela stabilized and, therefore, the oil situation there, it can only be good overall.
The oil can then get back on the world market and openly traded in real dollars.
This will benefit the people of Venezuela and not the dictators of China and Venezuela.
That is NOT ‘Imperialism’, but it is stability.
Certainly, oil is an issue. But it is an issue not because the USA needs it bt because China needs it.
Like the guys said, “For a rising authoritarian power with global ambitions, that’s a weakness worth paying attention to— whether the protestors understand it or not.”
So, it is not a case of ‘betting the USA will fail’, as Mearsheimer says. It is a case of hoping Venezuela can stabilize and succeed and, therefore, help stabilize the world and the energy supply a bit more. So, it is not ‘old-fashioned imperialism’. It is simply not a situation they ‘hopefully, will walk away from’ if it fails.
China need for energy to produce products is well known.
Whether the liquid gas corridor in Siberia / Mongolian pipe line. To even accepting coal to drive heat. China has a population of nearly 6 billion souls.
Another viral commodity is food. As China and for their part India consume 75% or so of all worlds food resources.
These place them in need of sustainable supply. Afghanistan has the largest oil reserve known. But in its defunct state of conflict and tribal Lord fuedal system investment in infrastructure seems futile and their need to look else where.
Food resources in China are needed And rural China the unregistered citizens can have as many children as they wish where Industrial China has a strick one child unless waiver is given policy.
The principal dynamics at that large of an equation is then capitalism and freedom of speech policies are unwanted because it drives antisocial behavior.
And a solicits policy must be adapted to contain civil government and a society of peaceful order. Making it a lucrative labor market that can work domestically in China.
A series of if then.
If Trump continues this path of military intervention as part of an acquisition strategy to green Land he then breaks the nato alliance. And this would be tragic for all concerned. China Russia and USA will not directly bomb because of this alliance an attack on one is on all.... Just the twist that would invade a danish land and aquire through rights of conquest must be addressed.
In what way can we " the shining beacon of hope" behave as ruthless thugs such as Putin or Kim un...
At some point we must address this growing concern of the regimes potential strategy.
Indeed. power mad Trump imperialism is about controlling other countries for economic, political, cultural or strategic reasons. But imperialism is among characteristics of fascism.
There is huge speculation and even solid evidence that China has been intentionally over-estimating their population for years, if not decades.
So, instead of their 1.4B folks, they may actually have much closer to 1B. This is still due to the one-child policy. Coupled with the fact that their fertility rate is right around 1.0 -- if not lower.
China is expected to drastically drop in population in the next 50 years or so.
@nature1970
They no longer have the one-child policy. They are just seeing the results of it run through the poulation.
Food is not really their biggest issue. They are still the largest food producer in the world. Sure, they are also the biggest consumer as well.
But they are nowhere near as bad off as others, like Venezuela or parts of Africa, or Pakistan, or Bangladesh.
Afghanistan has the largest oil reserve known
This is simply not true at all.
If Trump continues this path of military intervention as part of an acquisition strategy to green Land he then breaks the nato alliance. And this would be tragic for all concerned.
How would it be tragic and for whom?
In what way can we " the shining beacon of hope" behave as ruthless thugs such as Putin or Kim un...
At some point we must address this growing concern of the regimes potential strategy.
This is not a good comparison at all. In no way at all is it anything like those dictators regimes.
That is alarmist propaganda.
Afghanistan has significant potential oil reserves, estimated by the USGS and other reports to be over 1.6 billion barrels, concentrated in the northern Amu Darya and Afghan-Tajik basins, but historically these have been underdeveloped due to decades of conflict, with some reports showing zero proven reserves until recent Chinese-led extraction efforts began tapping into them.
Key Details:
Estimated Potential: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports suggest potential undiscovered resources of 1.6 billion barrels of oil and significant natural gas.
Major Basins: Most potential lies in the Amu Darya basin (shared with Tajikistan) and the Afghan-Tajik basin, with fields like Angus showing earlier production.
Lack of Proven Reserves: For years, official data showed zero "proven" reserves due to lack of development, though large quantities are known to exist geologically.
Recent Development: Chinese companies have signed deals (e.g., with CAPEIC) to extract oil, especially from the Amu Darya basin, marking a shift towards commercial production.
Economic Significance: These resources could play a major role in Afghanistan's economic development, providing domestic energy and export revenue, but instability has hindered exploitation.
In essence, Afghanistan possesses considerable oil wealth, but realizing its potential has been a long-term challenge, with recent Chinese investment signaling a new phase of development.
Afghan Oil Production Jumps With $49 Million Chinese Investment - VOA
The Amu Darya basin, spanning Afghanistan and Tajikistan, is estimated to contain 962 million barrels of crude oil and 52,025 billion cubic feet of natural gas,
VOA - Voice of America English News
Afghanistan signs oil extraction deal with Chinese company
Baradar told Thursday's news conference that another Chinese company, which he did not identify, discontinued extraction after the fall of the previous governme...
Al Jazeera
Oil and mining: pillars of Afghanistan's economic growth
A focused analysis of oil According to a 2006 report by the U.S. Department of Energy, Afghanistan was estimated to have one billion barrels of oil reserves. Ho...
????? ?????? ?????????
Afghanistan Percent of world oil reserves - data, chart
The latest value from 2021 is 0 percent, unchanged from 0 percent in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 0.53 percent, based on data from 187 countries. H...
Global economy, world economy | TheGlobalEconomy.com
Unlocking Afghanistan's Oil Treasure Trove: 9 Fields That Could Change ...
The Afghan Tajic oil field is located in the north and northeast of Afghanistan, covering an area of 31,000 km. It shares a border of approximately 360 km with ...
YouTube
Documentary of $3 Trillion in Afghanistan Mines
in addition to its mines Afghanistan has significant reserves of oil and natural gas that could play a vital role in the country's economic. development the val...
YouTube
Why doesn't Afghanistan have oil?
According to Wikipedia, Afghanistan is the only country in the world with no proven oil reserves. However, there is a report that references 80 million barrels ...
Taliban-led Afghanistan begins extracting oil
The Taliban has signed agreements with Chinese companies to extract oil from Afghanistan: * **Sar-e-Pul** The Taliban signed an agreemen
t with a Chinese company...
Anadolu Ajansi
Declaration of intent to invade a nato alliance members territory is a act of terrorism.
An attack on one is on all....
Dictators do this and the president is not a king.
Time good men do something but play along to this insanity
As far as your other parts of this diatribe it simply a deflecting tactic to trump is not that evil and that is pathetic....
@nature1970
https://www.globalfirepower.com/proven-oil-reserves-by-country.php
96th here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_proven_oil_reserves
Not listed here.
Even getting the ones they have going and staying going was a hassle with the Taliban and China.
They simply dd not trust China. That is bad when the Chinese look worse on a business deal then the Taliban do.
So, this is another example of why China should not have leveraged access to oil in the West.
@nature1970
As far as your other parts of this diatribe it simply a deflecting tactic to trump is not that evil and that is pathetic....
It is not at all.
The presumption you have is that he is and you believe the propaganda pushed on you.
What has he ever done that is not in the best interest of his country. He is the prime example of that in many, many years.
That is the exact opposite of evil. He is, at heart, a businessman. Sure, some of the negotiating is cutthroat type stuff.
But evil examples are the dictator he just removed, and the ones he is trying to leverage the USA's advantage over -- like Russia and China.
Or even his dealings with the truly evil regimes in the MENA region.
You can't take Greenland by military force you can't say this in public this is not acceptable.
Venezuela mess is what it is we had a 15 million bounty on Maduro and delta force completed that mission.
However the un meeting to address the new hypersonic middle Russia deployed on Friday will emerge as who is apposed to attacking a sovereign nation and who supports the dictator Putin.
This should be clear I understand Russia will veto what ever but it will be interesting to see where trumps alliance is with Putin and China or with the west.
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