By Ron Paul | Source
It did not take long for President Trump to change the reason for sending the US military to “arrest” Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The allegation that President Maduro ran a drug cartel was front and center in the months leading up to President Maduro’s “arrest.” Afterwards, President Trump said the invasion was about Venezuela’s oil and announced plans for the US government to send American oil companies into Venezuela.
About a week after the invasion, President Trump had a meeting with executives from American oil companies to discuss plans for Venezuela. Some of the companies’ executives at the meeting were less than enthusiastic about developing Venezuelan oil. One reason for this is that, since the Venezuelan government nationalized oil activities twenty years ago, fracking has made the US the world’s leading producer of oil and natural gas. Rebuilding the oil industry in Venezuela could cost as much as a billion dollars for an uncertain payoff. Among the complications, Venezuelan oil does not easily flow though pipelines unless it is cut with solvents, making it more expensive to transport.
In his first press conference after the Venezuelan first couple was seized, President Trump said: “We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.” He later stated that Maduro’s successor Vice President Delcy Rodriguez would “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” if she does not adequately fulfill the US government’s demands.
Following the invasion of Venezuela, there have been suggestions that President Trump will direct the US military to invade other countries as well. For example, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio said, “if I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned.”
To no one’ s surprise, Senator Lindsey Graham was delighted by the possibility that Venezuela was just the first of many regime change wars President Trump will wage. Senator Graham even got President Trump to autograph a Make Iran Great Again hat. Many Iranian victims of the Shah of Iran’s secret police might disagree with Senator Graham on whether having the CIA install another puppet government in Iran will make that country great.
President Trump’s newfound love of regime change wars may be one reason why he is seeking to increase the military budget to 1.5 trillion dollars. President Trump claims that tariff revenue can fund the increase, but that is simply not possible. The majority of the increase in spending would come from other taxes, including the Federal Reserve’s regressive and hidden inflation tax.
A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that there is much less support for an “activist” US foreign policy among Americans under 50 than among older Americans. This is the case among both Democrats and Republicans. In fact, the differing view on foreign policy among younger people was a major factor behind President Trump’s support from younger people in 2024. Continued betrayal by President Trump of his no more regime change wars pledge will cause the president and the Republicans to lose support among younger voters.
Good points, Diamond Lil 🙂
Unfortunately, under this Administration the ‘have’s’ no longer share with the ‘have nots,’ marking a dramatic reversal from our global benevolence for 80 years after WWll.
For instance, rather than just surgically rooting out any corruption infiltrating USAID, it was vilified unfairly and all funding cut. (My neighbors spent years with USAID overseas, and are devastated that children, mothers, AIDS victims, etc. are now dying from America’s abrupt cancellation of legitimate funds.)
All Foreign Aid was only @1% of America’s GDP, but gave us immense ‘soft power’ and respect around the world, now vanishing.
Trump’s changing rhetoric about Venezuela reveals his true motive for invasion: First ‘Saving Democracy!’ and ‘Stopping illegal drugs!’ [even tho Federal sources say little cocaine and no fentanyl flows to America from there] to ‘Oil, Oil, Oil!’ (But Big Oil execs just told Trump that they’re reluctant to invest time and $$ there.)
Life is complicated, and most of us are longing for the same thing – a loving, peaceful, healthy planet where all Life can flourish. (heart emoji 🙂
Oh poop☹️
I haven’t stayed current, due to exhaustion.
I only watch public statements or briefings, for accuracy.
I’ll stand by the light to dark viewpoint, and watch something official, at some point, to see what there is to see.
While good trump / bad trump has never made full sense to me,
my feeling is to expect gradual change, and then,
BLAMMO❗️⚡️
Solar flash, I guess, someday.
Either way, the malnourished need carefully planned foods distributed, for a return to health. 🥹♥️💎
Lots of love for our sweet, feisty Diamond Lil 😂 Your sister SwanDove
😁🥰💎
Not sure if I’m misinterpreting what you’re saying, but how on earth does one refer to American foreign policy post WW2 as ‘benevolence’?
No Goldstein, no! no! no!
I was referring ONLY to the feeding programs, for starving civilians, after the war.
I was reminded of this, because the malnourished Venezuelans will also require carefully planned meals, to safely increase calories….
on a large scale.
Food security is a huge part of this world stepping from dark, to light, imo.
All the major nations of this planet share the same black eyes, including the USA, rest assured, that
I do know that.
🙂💎♥️
Good point – I was referring to US leadership in Humanitarian work around the world, providing food, disaster relief, education, medical expertise, clean water tech, etc. to countless desperate places.
Idealistic young Americans joined the Peace Corps, my neighbors worked overseas with USAID, my physician Dad volunteered with Project Hope for 2 years teaching docs in a small rural clinic…
Enlightened service like that – not the dark manipulations America also did. “The bigger the front, the bigger the back” as Zen masters say!
Y’know what, Swandove?
All a little Lightie like me knows, is that the regular folk in Venezuela need food security, and that this country has done this before, and can do it again.
A few years ago, I recall the news cycles briefly covered Venezuelans begging the world leaders for assistance against the cartels;
They got rhetoric, just rhetoric.
There can be many heads to a snake, it’s a blessing when not all of them bite.
After that, I don’t know anything!
…Except to spend enough time daily, going within.
This is much easier to do with a full stomach!
Excellent Zen quote, btw😁
♥️💎
Whoopsie – I was actually responding to Goldstein 🤩
Thank you, Era of Light, for posts like this and the one about Dan Bongino that provide thoughtful insight amid the tumult of our times. 🙏
Also, much appreciation for the wide variety of comments here at EOL, reflecting so many different points of view among Lightworkers! 😍
Listening respectfully to each other fosters true Community, and brings us much further along the Ascension path than staying isolated in our preferred ‘information silos’ and scorning others who disagree. 💞
Hi Swandove!
One would imagine that Ron P doesn’t like the thought of 80% of Venezuelans leaving malnutrition, and dehumanization,
for wealth, and fulfilling hopes and dreams, like from the bygone past in their prison country.
That’s okay, Ron, anyone with eyes to see, and ears to hear, understands what you’re saying perfectly 🤭🥰
😭It’s hard for the haves, to share with the have nots🤭
I can imagine young people, trained in nutrition, running feeding programs specifically tailored for the malnourished.
WW 2 was a terrible ar chon manipulation, but after the war, the U.S. set up feeding problems, and proactive black market deterrence.
It was also a way to win over the common man, strategy.
This feels similar.
What makes me think the United States will be honorable, and blend benefits for both the U.S. interests and the oppressed 80%?
I’m just as familiar with this nation’s black eyes, as anyone.
☝️Because this world is going from dark to light, sillies!
That’s why 😁♥️
Haha, feeding stations, I’m sure Venezuelans don’t need more problems 🤦♀️
Swandove, the cream rises to the top, Kejraj loved your comment, I see!😍
I wasn’t in the mood to let Ron off the hook today….he’ll probably get over it 🤭
💎♥️
Greetings!
Thank you for your positive feedback.
Much love!
You don’t receive much positive feedbacks about political stuffs, huh ? 😄