By Walt Zlotow
Poor, beleaguered Venezuela, with new pals China and Russia, may be demolishing the two century old US Monroe Doctrine.
Over the past several months the US has committed mass murder of unknown souls on small boats off Venezuela, seized a Venezuelan oil tanker, and massed a huge force of 10,000 troops, aircraft and world’s largest aircraft carrier nearby Venezuela. All this designed to dislodge hated Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro to allow America’s takeover of Venezuelan oil resources.
And they are vast, among the world’s largest at over 300 billion barrels. They also pose a major threat to US world energy and political dominance. Venezuela supplies over 80% of China’s energy needs, all of which is paid for in Yuan, not US dollars. China has made major investments in the Venezuelan economy to further their energy interdependence.
Russia too has become a significant military, economic and political partner of Venezuela to counter two decades of US intimidation, now turned violent, to oust the socialist governments of first Hugo Chavez and now successor Maduro.
Neither China nor Russia will sit back as Trump seeks his illegal, immoral and criminal takeover of Venezuela and its vast resources. Both are pouring in military and intelligence resources to keep US boat bombings and tanker seizers from devolving into outright invasion.
President Trump keeps ratcheting up the military pressure but so far avoided outright invasion. What is Trump waiting for when his intimidation force squanders over $8 million per day and Maduro has clearly signaled he’s going nowhere but to the Venezuelan war room? Due to Chinese and Russian help, Venezuela will be no pushover. While the US brings vast military firepower to any intervention, US cannon fodder may end up arriving at Arlington by the planeload. Even the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier might be joining those small fishing boats down to Davy Jones Locker. With just 15% of Americans supporting invasion, domestic opposition to Trump’s folly will be ferocious.
The rest of Latin America, indeed the world, watches as the US has boxed itself into an untenable corner. Engage in all out war and it’s likely to end disastrously even in victory. Turning around the Trump armada will signal to Latin America that the Monroe Doctrine is dead, allowing more countries to pivot from US military and economic intimidation to countries like China, Russia and others who treat them as descent political, economic partners.
Time for the US to retire the Monroe Doctrine, end senseless economic sanctions that simply turn the world against America, and become an honest, reliable partner in world affairs. Alas, Trump and his neoconservative war council appear oblivious how they are accelerating America’s world dominance decline.
Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL
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America will do what it wants to do, all the time the world stands back and lets it.
Not the entire world, jonangel. China and Russia are standing by them so far. The remainder is as spineless as ever.
Has Australia suggested the US has overstepped the mark or are we still saying it’s nothing to do with us?
You are correct, China, Russia and possibly North Korea are offering some opposition to America’s world take over. But the so called Coalition of the Willing are still licking Americas bum. Here in Australia, we just do what America tells us to do, to make matters worse, they charge us for their advice!!!