Discussion: NYT: Video Contradicts Trump Admin's Claim That Maduro Forces Burned Aid Trucks

[socalista]

@castor_troy

I don’t think we’re in any danger of going there.

I do. Look at all the people in comments above who are already racing to go there.

[old_curmudgeon]

This isn’t a non-story, but it’s a small one.

I think we need to think realistically here. The US would like to believe that Maduro is the source of all evil and ill-fortune in Venezuela. And i’d like to see him gone yesterday. But history shows a lot of instances in which the US government has let wish be the father of thought and speech. In other words, it’s not a sign of evil that, even with Trump occupying the White House, the US made a mistake. (There’s lots of evil that is Trump’s fault–we don’t need to reach for it.)

[mattinpa]

@ralph_vonholst

JiJiJiJiJi.

He just keeps beclowning himself years after the beclowning opened up a wormhole into a universe where clown life is the only possible form of life.

[castor_troy]

@socalista

I do. Look at all the people in comments above who are already racing to go there.

I’m only counting two with comments leaning in that direction. Don’t think that’s enough to be concerning.

[socalista]

I’m including the comments saying this is Iraq Invasion Redux

Which, seriously, makes no sense. Venezuelan oil isn’t even economical at current market prices. The only way American oil companies would even be able to profit from Venezuelan oil is if they cut operations in the U.S. and elsewhere.

If there’s Kabuki going on here, it’s in the service of giving Russia a military base on our doorstep. Oil, not so much.

[ralph_vonholst]

Humanitarian Crisis happening there as we speak.

‘A city of shadows’: fear as Venezuela’s crippling blackout enters day four

Power outage – that Maduro blames on foreign saboteurs – could have dramatic implications for country’s political future

“Venezuela is on the verge of a total collapse,” tweeted Bolivia’s former president, Jorge Quiroga. “In a few hours the surreal dystopia of Mad Max will be unleashed.”

'A city of shadows': fear as Venezuela's crippling blackout enters day four

[castor_troy]

@socalista

I’m including the comments saying this is Iraq Invasion Redux

I wouldn’t, but maybe that’s me. Plenty of similarities. Despot dictator who oppresses their people, but neither one did something directly against us.

If we had an interventionalist foreign policy wherein we removed bad leaders, then fine.

But we (officially) don’t, so Venezuela is troublesome.

[irasdad]

@ralph_vonholst

“Venezuela is on the verge of a total collapse.”

Waiting for Guaidó?

[castor_troy]

@irasdad

Waiting for Guaidó?

…I see what you did there…

[ralph_vonholst]

And this is who we’re dealing with, not the Bushes. This zero sum, transactional clown has no clue about global oil geopolitics. As you say, this is troubling. And Kelly, McMaster, and Mattis are all gone.

TRUMP TWICE FLOATED PLUNDERING IRAQ’S OIL TO IRAQ’S PRIME MINISTER
The president’s staff had to smack the idea out of him.

Trump Twice Floated Plundering Iraq’s Oil to Iraq’s Prime Minister

[tena]

Bazinga!

[ghost]

@castor_troy

ETA: I’m sure it’s just a coincidence the little sabotage thingy going on with their electricity grid right now.

I can tell you two things from personal experience representing clients against the Government of Venezuela over the last 15 years:

1. According to Chavez and now Maduro, everything that goes wrong is due to “sabotage” by the opposition and foreigners.

2. Venezuelan infrastructure is so bad and neglected that it doesn’t take any sabotage for it to collapse.

[castor_troy]

@ralph_vonholst

And Kelly, McMaster, and Mattis are all gone.

Not to worry. I’m sure the experts in Venezuelan policy at Mar-a-Lago have this all figured out.

They’re just trying to figure out how to get their “Remember the Maine!” moment so that they can go full-bore in.

They were hoping the border aid incident would have erupted into a nice mass shooting with a few hundred casualties or so to give us the humanitarian reason. Maduro didn’t bite, so we’re onto sabotaging the grid in a couple of “accidents” now to try to get the street riled up and the same over-bearing crackdown as at the Maidan.

@ghost

Venezuelan infrastructure is so bad and neglected that it doesn’t take any sabotage for it to collapse.

Agreed. But even dictators are correct sometimes. And I think we just had two big events in close proximity in time (Hydroelectric dam failure followed a couple days later by the transformer). Wouldn’t be at all surprising if we helped nudge that along, either directly or through providing materials and support.

[ghost]

Maybe, but having been on the other side of repeated accusations of “sabotage” — including submission of proven false and fraudulent evidence — I retain a healthy skepticism of GOV sabotage claims.

[noonm]

@castor_troy

They’re just trying to figure out how to get their “Remember the Maine!” moment so that they can go full-bore in.

This was my thought as well. Hopefully after the WMD debacle during the run-up to the Iraq War, the press and the American people will have wised up to this tactic.

[lish]

Everything the Republicans have said and done for the past three decades (starting with the Clinton impeachment) has been perpetrated in BAD FAITH. Why should we presume this blustering salvo was some innocent “mistake”?

[brian512]

Questioning is always good, so long as we remain willing to accept more than one answer in response to the question.

Just sayin’.

[mondfledermaus]

Assholes, Trump, Rubio and Bolton almost have me rooting fro Maduro…almost

[rascal_crone]

Beckett’s all they can do at this point.

[rascal_crone]

@noonm

the press and the American people will have wised up to this tactic.

That’s a lovely fairy story to tell yourself before bedtime.