
Last week President Trump announced that the United States would no longer recognize Nicholas Maduro as president of Venezuela and would recognize the head of its national assembly, Jose Guaido, as president instead. US thus openly backs regime change. But what has long been a dream of the neocons may well turn out to be a nightmare for President Trump.
Why did Trump declare that the Venezuelan president was no longer the president? According to the State Department, the Administration was acting to help enforce the Venezuelan constitution. If only they were so eager to enforce our own Constitution!
Its ironic that a president who has spent the first two years in office fighting charges that a foreign country meddled in the US elections would turn around and not only meddle in foreign elections but actually demand the right to name a foreign countrys president! How would we react if the Chinese and Russians decided that President Trump was not upholding the US Constitution and recognized Speaker Nancy Pelosi as US president instead?
Even those who would like to see a change of government in Venezuela should reject any notion that the change must be helped by the United States. According to press reports, Vice President Mike Pence was so involved in internal Venezuelan affairs that he actually urged Guaido to name himself president and promised US support. This is not only foolish, it is very dangerous. A Venezuelan civil war would result in mass death and even more economic misery!
Regime change has long been US policy for Venezuela. The US has been conducting economic warfare practically since Maduros predecessor, Hugo Chavez, was first elected in 1998. The goal of US sanctions and other economic measures against Venezuela (and other countries in Washingtons crosshairs) is to make life so miserable for average citizens that they rise up and overthrow their leaders. But of course once they do so they must replace those leaders with someone approved by Washington. Remember after the Arab Spring in Egypt when the people did rise up and overthrow their leader, but they then elected the wrong candidate. The army moved in and deposed the elected president and replaced him with a Washington-approved politician. Then-Secretary of State John Kerry called it restoring democracy.
It is tragically comical that President Trump has named convicted criminal Elliot Abrams as his point person to restore democracy in Venezuela. Abrams played a key role in the Iran-Contra affair and went on to be one of the chief architects of the disastrous US invasion of Iraq in 2003. His role in helping promote the horrible violence in Latin America in the 1980s should disqualify him from ever holding public office again.
Instead of this ham-fisted coup detat, a better policy for Venezuela these past 20 years would have been engagement and trade. If we truly believe in the superiority of a free market system we must also believe that we can only lead by example, not by forcing our system on others.
Just four months ago President Trump said at the UN: I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return. Sadly it seems that these were merely empty words. We know from Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc. that this will not end well for President Trump. Or for the United States. We must leave Venezuela alone!
#1: A K A Stone To: hondo68 (#0)
A K A Stone posted on 2019-01-28 10:13:52 Reply Private Reply
#2: Deckard To: A K A Stone, hondo68 (#1)
Another gigantically delusional post.
Deckard posted on 2019-01-28 10:21:48 Reply Private Reply
#3: Deckard To: hondo68 (#0)
The irony is lost on the Trump cultists here.
Just four months ago President Trump said at the UN: I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.
How many lies/flip-flops is that now? I've lost count.
Deckard posted on 2019-01-28 10:24:07 Reply Private Reply
#4: Hondo68 To: A K A Stone (#1)
Pre-schoolers too!
If their parents are stupid enough to allow it, they should be beheaded with a rusty machete.
It's for the children.
Hondo68 posted on 2019-01-28 10:33:03 Reply Private Reply
#5: A K A Stone To: Deckard (#2)
A K A Stone posted on 2019-01-28 10:33:24 Reply Private Reply
#6: Deckard To: A K A Stone (#5)
How's that trillion-dollar war on drugs working out for you Anslinger?
The WOD is an abject failure - common sense should tell you that another tactic should be considered.
Instead of ignorantly bashing a great American like Ron Paul, how about you try and stay on topic princess?
Deckard posted on 2019-01-28 10:35:13 Reply Private Reply
#7: Deckard To: hondo68, A K A Stone (#0)
Wow - I missed this interesting factoid the first time.
Another example of Trump "draining the swamp"?
What say you Stone?
Deckard posted on 2019-01-28 10:48:04 Reply Private Reply
#8: A K A Stone To: Deckard (#7)
A K A Stone posted on 2019-01-28 10:50:20 Reply Private Reply
#9: misterwhite To: hondo68 (#0)
misterwhite posted on 2019-01-28 10:56:52 Reply Private Reply
#10: Hondo68 To: misterwhite (#9)
He's a Jesuit from George Washington University.
Hondo68 posted on 2019-01-28 11:18:59 Reply Private Reply
#11: A K A Stone To: hondo68 (#10)
Dope boy is making stuff up again. That is why he can't provide a link.
I doubt you even know where Venezuela is.
A K A Stone posted on 2019-01-28 11:28:54 Reply Private Reply
#12: Jameson To: misterwhite (#9)
A. Payback to Guaido for organizing the "caravan" - (even though it failed to swing the mid-terms to the republicans)
B. To divert attention away from the public humiliation of losing the Shut-Down pissing match.
C. To divert attention away from the public humiliation of having his life-long scum-bag dirty-trixter indicted and arrested in time for the 7:00AM news.
D. All of the above
(Hint: it's "D")
Jameson posted on 2019-01-28 11:37:59 Reply Private Reply
#13: IbJensen To: A K A Stone (#5)
This will leave all the drug lords awash in a sea of their poison. I further believe that the spreading legalization of marijuana is one of the dangerous decision in our lifetimes.
IbJensen posted on 2019-01-28 11:41:45 Reply Private Reply
#14: Deckard To: A K A Stone (#8)
Stone: (dodging the question) If you dont like it bite for Howard Schultz.
Deckard posted on 2019-01-28 11:46:20 Reply Private Reply
#15: Deckard To: IbJensen (#13)
Off-topic.
IGNORE!
Deckard posted on 2019-01-28 11:47:09 Reply Private Reply
#16: A K A Stone To: IbJensen (#13)
For someone smoking a joint?
Selling some weed?
That is not a good solution. It is kind of evil to kill someone for a problem they have.
The penalty for weed should be small.
Heroin and crack dealers should face harsh penalties. End users should not face the same imo.
A K A Stone posted on 2019-01-28 11:50:36 Reply Private Reply
#17: IbJensen To: A K A Stone (#16)
IbJensen posted on 2019-01-28 11:55:44 Reply Private Reply
#18: IbJensen To: Deckard (#15)
The topic was introduced up the posting ladder, shithead!
You are the worthless lefty that should be ignored.
IbJensen posted on 2019-01-28 11:59:55 Reply Private Reply
#19: Hondo68 To: A K A Stone (#11)
A Trump puppet, virtually unknown until a week ago.
Hondo68 posted on 2019-01-28 12:00:26 Reply Private Reply
#20: A K A Stone To: hondo68 (#19)
A K A Stone posted on 2019-01-28 12:06:14 Reply Private Reply
#21: Hondo68 To: A K A Stone (#20)
Dumb!
Hondo68 posted on 2019-01-28 12:17:29 Reply Private Reply
#22: misterwhite To: hondo68 (#10)
Answer: Not Maduro.
misterwhite posted on 2019-01-28 15:39:59 Reply Private Reply
#23: misterwhite To: Jameson (#12)
You think he lost? Game over?
misterwhite posted on 2019-01-29 10:45:22 Reply Private Reply
#24: Jameson To: misterwhite (#23)
100%
Comrade Dip-Shit threw in his cards.
He achieved nothing. He cost the economy $11 Billion
And he fucked-over a million US families.
With the exception of a small number of inadequate, limp, cultists, everyone in the country places the blame where it rightly belongs - on the toad.
He won't try it again.
If he is stupid enough to pull this shit a second time, the Air Traffic Controllers will start using their sick-time on day one.
Up next - Adderall-head tries to declare a fake "emergency" and attempts to hi- jack disaster-relief funds to pour down the rat-hole of his "border-wall" fantasy.
Jameson posted on 2019-01-29 11:59:25 Reply Private Reply
#25: A K A Stone To: Jameson (#24)
They would rather waste it then protect Americans.
I'm sure you said it was the Republicans fault for every other time when the liberal fascists was President.
You faggots are demented.
A K A Stone posted on 2019-01-29 12:07:32 Reply Private Reply
#26: A K A Stone To: Jameson (#24)
A K A Stone posted on 2019-01-29 12:09:14 Reply Private Reply
#27: Jameson To: A K A Stone (#25)
If you really believe this was about "border security" you're either more stupid than we've all considered, mentally incapacitated from years of chugging MD 20/20.....or both.
This was about Golden-shower boy's need to overcompensate for his "shortcomings" by demanding $5 thousand-million in ransom from the US taxpayers.
Jameson posted on 2019-01-29 12:19:57 Reply Private Reply
#28: Jameson To: A K A Stone (#26)
Did you start drinking before noon again today?
Jameson posted on 2019-01-29 12:22:29 Reply Private Reply
#29: A K A Stone To: Jameson (#27)
Anyone who doesn't support borders is not a real American citizen.
You need to be taken out with the trash.
A K A Stone posted on 2019-01-29 12:36:55 Reply Private Reply