Venezuela and the US

Mix a little socialism in with the oil and war may be unavoidable. Thus, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, talking about Venezuela: “The president has been crystal clear and incredibly consistent. Military action is possible. If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do.”

He goes on, demonstrating how we lie about war in the 21st century: “We’re trying to do everything we can to avoid violence. We have asked all the parties involved not to engage in that kind of activity. We’d prefer a peaceful transition of government there, where (President Nicolas) Maduro leaves and a new election is held. But the president has made clear, in the event that there comes a moment..... he is prepared to do that, if that’s what’s required.”

With our trillion dollar military budget, threatening (and waging) war is pretty much the only thing we know how to do as a nation, and by “we” I mean the ones in control, publicly and/or secretly – the ones whose egos have expanded to the size of the nation, who mean themselves when they say “that’s what the United States will do.” There’s something about “becoming” a nation that allows you to value your so-called interests far more than you value life – a monstrous paradox to which the whole planet is hostage.

So we have oil-rich, socialist Venezuela on the verge of economic and social collapse, partly due to the corruption and incompetence of the Maduro government but very much helped along by the sanctions the United States has imposed on the country for the past two years, for the purpose of ousting Maduro and regaining political and corporate control over the defiant nation.

The sanctions are for the country’s own good, of course, according to Trump, who lamented on Fox (quoted on Democracy Now!): “It’s a terrible thing. People are starving. People are dying. There’s no food. There’s no water. It’s just a terrible situation. . . . And we’re doing everything we can do, short of, you know, the ultimate.”

Presumably “the ultimate” is war – military invasion – but sanctions are a form of war and they cause precisely the sort of harm Trump anguished over in his fake spew of empathy for the people of Venezuela.

According to a study by economists Mark Weisbrot and Jeffrey Sachs, published in April by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the sanctions, having reduced the availability of food, medicine and other necessities of life, have so far caused an estimated 40,000 deaths, with many more likely to come.

“Venezuela’s economic crisis is routinely blamed all on Venezuela,” Sachs said. “But it is much more than that. American sanctions are deliberately aiming to wreck Venezuela’s economy and thereby lead to regime change....causing grave harm to the Venezuelan people.”

Too bad. US interests are at stake here. And if sanctions don’t do the trick – which is to say, produce a cooperative leader, “the ultimate” may be necessary, whatever that may mean. Of course, the US has pursued the ultimate throughout the Middle East and Africa during the 21st century, virtually to no apparent benefit even to its stated interests or “mission,” which raises the possibility that the only one really in control here is war itself, and war’s silent, corporate beneficiaries.

But we interrupt these words for an important message. Maybe the (eventual) war in Venezuela could be privatized!

According to Reuters: “Erik Prince – the founder of the controversial private security firm Blackwater and a prominent supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump – has been pushing a plan to deploy a private army to help topple Venezuela’s socialist president.”

Excerpted from: 'War on Venezuela?'.

Courtesy: Counterpunch.org