“Venezuela!” is the reflexive argument of the right-wingers against socialism, so it’s not surprising that a cocky gang of American thugs would decide they could just swagger in and topple the Venezuelan government — 62 stupid mercenaries against a nation of 28 million people. They were so arrogant that the head of the mercenary organization (tell me again why we tolerate these assholes?) tweeted proudly at Donald Trump about it as the military operation began.
Why? The invasion was bonkers and criminal, why would you brag about it as your men were attempting an illegal coup against a foreign nation? The whole thing was unprofessional and incompetent, not to mention an unprovoked act of militarism. All the shrieking about “Socialism!” on the US right seems to have convinced the people behind this nonsense that the people of Venezuela would welcome them with parades, rose petals, and delirious declarations of “Democracy! Whiskey! Sexy!” in the same way they fantasized about the invasion of Iraq. Only they encountered something very different (but the same as they saw in Iraq).
“They came to Venezuela thinking the people would greet them like some kind of Rambos, with applause,” Maduro said on Wednesday. “But the Venezuelan people … captured them, tied them up, and the police had to intervene so there were no acts of violence against them.”
No sympathy for this gang of bumbling clowns
Maduro is not a good guy, just another authoritarian. But imagine if some other nation landed 60 mercenaries on the Potomac, intending to march on Washington DC and ‘liberate’ our country from the dictatorship of Trump. Some of us might think the general idea of arresting Trump is great, but would object to the extra-legal way it was being done, and would argue that this would do nothing to change the citizenry; others would harden in their attitudes and strengthen their support for our president, and it would push the whole country farther down the road to a dictatorship, even if it succeeded (which it wouldn’t). The whole operation was stupid and misguided and criminal.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden is trying to walk a tightrope, working hard to avoid saying anything harsh about the mercenary invasion.
The violence in Venezuela today against peaceful protesters is criminal. Maduro's regime is responsible for incredible suffering. The U.S. must stand with the National Assembly & Guaidó in their efforts to restore democracy through legitimate, internationally monitored elections.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 30, 2019
Come on, Joe. No malarkey, remember? It’s not hard to flat-out condemn the idiots behind Silvercorp, rejecting this kind of flagrant anti-democratic militarism. That’s what we ought to be doing. Not saying the US should do everything in their power to ‘rescue’ that American jerks now imprisoned in Venezuela, but recognizing that they are dangerous, armed criminals who ought to be tried by the government of the country they tried to overthrow. You may not like Maduro, as I don’t much care for him, but there are legitimate, democratic ways to depose him, just as there are legitimate, democratic ways to depose Trump. I hope.
Interviewed by Democracy Now! early on Wednesday, economist and foreign policy expert Jeffrey Sachs, who directs the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, and Professor Miguel Tinker Salas of Pomona College discussed what they both agree is the dangerous and counterproductive agenda that leaders like Trump, Bolten, Biden, and Pelosi are now pushing in Venezuela.
“What’s so stupid about these American policies, these neocon policies,” said Sachs, “is they do create disaster, but they don’t achieve even the political goals of these nasty people like Bolton. It’s not as if they’re effective and nasty; they’re completely ineffective and totally nasty at the same time.”
While acknowledging that Maduro has certainly made mistakes and legitimate criticisms of his government exist, Tinker Salas said the history of U.S. intervention in Latin America—not to mention elsewhere in the world— shows overthrowing governments in this manner “doesn’t produce the change that most people want. And what it does is it aggravates conditions for the majority of the population.”
Sachs—who last week released a detailed study along with economist Mark Weisbrot on the devastating impact that U.S.-imposed sanctions have had on the Venezuelan economy—added that people backing Guaidó and the coup effort are really just embracing “normal U.S. right-wing foreign policy, nothing different.”
Nothing new here. Attacking South and Central American nations with deniable squads of mercenary thugs has historically been the standard way the United States keeps those nations under control. It’s too bad we’re not going to be able to vote for a party in November that treats our brothers and sisters to the south as equals.
It’s just astounding to me that our politicians pussy-foot around a blatant disregard for international law so casually.
“Let Loose The Dogs of War “,and all that kind of stuff .It is a wonder all them redneck gunnuts don’t do the same .
They must get so bored sitting polishing their guns ,waiting for them commie democrats to come and try and get their guns ,a day trip to Cuba should be fun for them .
There’s a photo that’s supposedly of some of the equipment seized from these guys. Some people think one of the rifles is an Airsoft rifle, a gun that fires plastic pellets. These guys seem to have been ridiculously amateurish, despite the guy behind Silvercorp supposedly being a decorated soldier.
While I absolutely agree that this was not only a clownish debacle but also obviously criminal, I do think this statement is awfully weak:
“While acknowledging that Maduro has certainly made mistakes and legitimate criticisms of his government exist, ”
Come on. Maduro’s reign has been an utter catastrophe, with starving people pouring over the border into Colombia. One of the worst failures of government in history. And his rule is completely illegitimate, he just arbitrarily changed the constitution to keep himself in power. True, not much the U.S. can do about it, but let’s be honest about the situation.
Worst terrorists ever.
In the brilliant “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” webseries, the eponymous super-villain has one of its heists going sideways because he announced it beforehand on his video blog. Only to learn that the police department is one of his subscribers and was waiting for him.
Never thought that this joke would repeat itself in real life.
@3 Cervantes, the thing is, no matter how bad the situation is, the USA has absolutely NOTHING to do with it. Unless the Colombian government starts a strike against American targets, it has no legitimacy to meddle in foreign countries politics.
The only reason for Americans to even remember that Venezuela exists is not because “socialism”, but oil. It could be called the Petroleum Curse, as every time a undeveloped country discovers oil in it’s territory, suddenly there is something happening that require the USA to intervene, sometimes directly but sometimes in more covert and sinister ways.
@3 cervantes: Except half of that is because of sanctions, and he was elected through democratic procedures that were dubious but not actually more dubious than the ones currently in place in the US, where for instance a packed court arbitrarily made up reasons to allow mass voter disenfranchisement.
Absolutely, call him an authoritarian and a failure of government. Just keep in mind where the country trying to “help” stands on the same spectrum, what it’s been doing, and the plain reasons why it would oppose him and not various other leaders who are at least as bad.
“In Washington, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said the US would “use every tool” to get the two captured Americans back”
I wonder if ‘every tool’ includes lifting the economic sanctions creating poverty and starvation across the region, or if ‘every tool’ will turn out to mean ‘every bomb’.
I suppose we should be all thankful that the US degenerated to the point where it can’t pull it off anymore.
off topic : https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/07/coronavirus-trump-military-aide-at-white-house-tests-positive-for-covid-19.html
… hope the next one will land a hit…
There are timing issues here. First, the “Silvercorp” tweet was dated Monday May 4th, 2020 – ie the day after the raid/coup attempt, early on Sunday May 3rd. It looks like a plea for Trump to intervene and get them out of the world of shit they threw themselves into.
Secondly, Biden’s tweet is from April 30th 2019, and the Common Dreams article from from May 1st, 2019; it has nothing to do with the brain-dead mercenaries in boats.
The stupidest bit in an extravaganza of stupidity: the Silvercorp founder who was behind the whole thing said he was inspired by Alexander the Great at the Battle of Gaugamela.
Alexander was outnumbered 40,000 to 50-100,000. Alexander was not outnumbered 62 to 340,000.
What is it, the mercenaries creed, “Die stupid and leave a useless corpse” or something.
Probably thinking about William Walker from Tennessee who did it and became president of Venezuela in 1856.
“It’s not hard to flat-out condemn the idiots behind Silvercorp”
For Biden it is. As an American Patriot, endorsing war crimes during Obama’s presidency, he could have ordered such an action himself. And you are going to vote for him.
“It’s just astounding to me that our politicians pussy-foot around a blatant disregard for international law so casually.”
It’s normal for a failed state with a political system that makes political change as difficult as possible. Voting for Biden will postpone the necessary change even more.
Btw I can think of just one good reason to actually vote for Biden (no, keeping Donald the Clown out of the White House is not one of them): a firm stance on climate change and other environment issues. That will change my mind. Thus far I’ve seen nothing in this respect.
Joe Biden = Donald the Clown Light.
The US has publicly offered a $55mn bounty on Maduro. It’s maybe got something to do with it.
mnb0, #15
Even more than what?
@12 chrislawson: That’s a great inspiration either way. A victory guaranteed a place in the history books because on paper it should never have happened. Something that one of the most capable and luckiest generals in history is famous for just barely pulling off, winning with a daring charge at his rival right before the side of his own army gave in? Absolutely something you should want to try copying.
Why is it always necessary to rag on Maduro? He ain’t that bad and as someone up thread said a major portion of the people’s problems are caused by the US directly. And by the way accusing Maduro of being an authoritarian ignores that the guy who tried to overthrow him with a coup, was allowed to walk around Venezuela for several days after his failed coup before he decided to high tail it over the border.
This certainly lowers the bar for Green Berets.
cervantes @ # 3: Maduro’s reign has been an utter catastrophe, with starving people pouring over the border into Colombia. … not much the U.S. can do about it, but let’s be honest about the situation.
Did you even read the OP:
???
It is not true that Venezuela’s problems are caused by U.S. sanctions. Absolutely, unequivocally false. This is from Wikipedia. There are plenty of other sources that can accurately explain to you what happened. Excerpt:
On 2 June 2010, Chávez declared an “economic war” due to increasing shortages in Venezuela.[4] The crisis intensified under the Maduro government, growing more severe as a result of low oil prices in early 2015,[11] and a drop in Venezuela’s oil production from lack of maintenance and investment.[7] The government failed to cut spending in the face of falling oil revenues, and has dealt with the crisis by denying its existence[12] and violently repressing opposition.[7][13] Extrajudicial killings by the Venezuelan government became common, with the U.N. reporting 5,287 killings by the Special Action Forces in 2017, with at least another 1,569 killings recorded in the first six months of 2019; the U.N. had “reasonable grounds to believe that many of these killings constitute extrajudicial executions”, and characterized the security operations as “aimed at neutralizing, repressing and criminalizing political opponents and people critical of the government.” The U.N. also stated that the Special Action Forces “would plant arms and drugs and fire their weapons against the walls or in the air to suggest a confrontation and to show the victim had resisted authority” and that some of the killings were “done as a reprisal for [the victims’] participation in anti-government demonstrations.”[14] Political corruption, chronic shortages of food and medicine, closure of companies, unemployment, deterioration of productivity, authoritarianism, human rights violations, gross economic mismanagement and high dependence on oil have also contributed to the worsening crisis.[15][16][17 . . .
In 2018, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) documented that “information gathered indicates that the socioeconomic crisis had been unfolding for several years” before international sanctions,[32] with Michelle Bachelet saying in 2019 that the social and economic crisis was dramatically deteriorating, the government had not acknowledged or addressed the extent of the crisis, and she expressed concern that although the “pervasive and devastating economic and social crisis began before the imposition of the first economic sanctions”, the sanctions could worsen the situation.[33][34] National and international analysts and economists stated that the crisis is not the result of a conflict, natural disaster or sanctions but the consequences of populist policies and corrupt practices that began under the Chávez administration’s Bolivarian Revolution and continued under the Maduro administration.[8][24][35][36]”
vereverum @ # 14: … William Walker from Tennessee who did it and became president of Venezuela in 1856.
Nope, Walker seized (very briefly) Nicaragua.
cervantes @ # 23: This is from Wikipedia.
An extremely dubious source on any topic of political controversy, given its vulnerability to trolls and systematic disinformation campaigns.
Try to find a good critique of Sachs’s estimate of 40,000 Venezuelan deaths due to US sanctions, or better yet his and Tinker Salas’s complete study.
In other news, I was recently reminded that in Bolivia, the unelected interim president who had been massacring opponents after the military coup is still the one in charge. But sure, Maduro stands out as a singularly illegitimate leader who needs to be taken down by any stupid means necessary.
dumbasses. i guess they can’t remember as far back as bay of pigs. militarily we won in grenada a tiny island. panama, by playing loud rock music. we have not won in iraqistan or fuckedupistan for 20 years. and they want to take on venezuela. dumbasses
America decided long ago that it had the right to impose capitalism on the nations of South and Central America in the way that Russia decided it had the right to impose communism on the natiins of eastern Europe. I the sense that might equals right.
@ 26 monad
Bolivia?
But that is different. She is a US protégé and a good fundamentalist christian. Oh, and a racist.
You seriously expect Biden, the guy who (1) was defending the Iraq invasion until 2012, (2) praised the Libyan debacle in public as late as 2015 (despite the fact that it expanded ISIS’s territory and caused the reappearance of slavery), and (3) thought that it was a good idea to try and topple Syria by arming anybody in the mideast who said they would attack Assad, would condemn any military operation? He’s basically a Republican, and an extremely interventionist one at that, why would he ever do that?
I love Maduros taste. Amazing. Deep fried bliss. Why would US mercs want to raid my freezer? Bastards.
In a bay of mojo marinated pig Maduros the greatest side.
Wait this sounds even better: “In Venezuela, a yo-yo is a traditional dish made of two short slices of fried ripened plantain (see Tajadas) placed on top of each other, with local soft white cheese in the middle (in a sandwich-like fashion) and held together with toothpicks. The arrangement is dipped in beaten eggs and fried again until the cheese melts and the yo-yo acquires a deep golden hue. They are served as sides or entrees.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_banana
Maduros a yo-yo?
In news that will surprise absolutely no one, the latest stories claim that at least one of the people behind this debacle was a fervent QAnon believer: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qj4dvd/captured-american-mercenary-appears-to-be-really-into-qanon
I wonder what Venezuela would be like today or if Maduro would have ever gotten into power if the US and its lackeys haven’t been punishing the nation ever since the word “socialism” was uttered.
Don’t be silly. Corpses are very useful and serve as food for a variety of organisms. Being a corpse s probably the greatest contribution they ever did to the world.
+++
You mean “what would have happened if there hadn’t been at least two US supported coups against Chavez?” or something like that? I’ve actually been to Venezuela in 2005. I saw the slums, the kids digging on landfills for things they could sell and had a military escort so I could go for a pee because the crime and murder rate was through the roof. And I also saw the enormous attempts at alleviating these things, the people who went to a doctor for the first time in their lives or who finally learned reading in their 40s.
But funny enough, children starving while the shops are full, and children dying from lack of medical care because their parents cannot afford a doctor are never considered state violence.
Voltaire’s prayer made flesh.
Since you evidently have a very effective crystal ball, why didn’t you warn the world about Covid-19?
Venezuela is the way it is because fracking dropped the prce of oil and they didnt have the foresight to diversify their economy.
https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2017/08/13/whats-really-going-on-in-venezuela/
Maduro is garbage and the stories I hear from Venezuelan friends don’t paint a pretty picture on whats going on there. Is he as bad as Castro? No. But he is shit.
There’s some truth in that, but for a primary producer state to diversify in the face of relentless hostility from both the USA and the domestic upper and middle classes is enormously difficult.
I’d say he’s a lot worse than Castro, because he’s incompetent and self-deluding as well as dictatorial. Chavez’ worst mistake was to install Maduro as his successor.