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Welt im Konflikt's avatar

Very interesting! But I think an important note to add it that Venezuela is already functioning in many parts like a failed state. They have multiple power sharing agreements with criminal gangs on their own territory, Military generals treat their areas of influence like their own thiefdoms taking solid gold as bribery payments. I think the destabilization that you are describing has already happened and Trump just wants a large piece of it.

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Vesna's avatar

I’m sure you didn’t mean it that way, but it does sound like you wouldn’t be opposed to the USA just giving it a bit of a push so the state can collapse. What right does anyone have to complain of complicated politics in Venezuela, when we have pressured it every which way to destroy it? Is your mind so subsumed by virus of imperialism and Western supremacy that you can’t see that?

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Welt im Konflikt's avatar

Well I don’t know what led you to believe I support US attacks on Venezuela. I certainly don’t. But it doesn’t change the reality that I pointed out above. Venezuela functions in many ways like a failed state (because of mismanagement and heavy US sanctions) and Trump wants to topple Maduro because of the resources.

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Vesna's avatar

To be honest, any criticism of Venezuela sounds wrong to me at this time. I’m sure you believe this criticism is honest, but even honest criticism will grease the wheels of the military industrial complex. Until Venezuela is free of sanctions and able to be truly independent, this kind of thinking is just playing into the hands of empire. I feel the same about Cuba, or North Korea or Iran. If you think about it, you will agree with me.

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letterwriter's avatar

Surely you don't think that obfuscation of the situation for people on the internet will change how the Trump administration operates.

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Untitled's avatar

One could argue similarly that the US is also already functioning in many parts like a failed state

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TKW's avatar

Do you have any good sources explaining this? I'm curious to read more as this is contrary to my understanding.

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Welt im Konflikt's avatar

Of course. Here is a very good source in my opinion. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/blar.13246

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letterwriter's avatar

Not who you were talking with, but this was an excellent read, thanks.

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Nasser's avatar

I actually think a more accurate term (and one already in usage) is state collapse. It’s not regimes at stake, but any real third world sovereign power of any kind.

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Malika Nash's avatar

Same model as what private equity does to businesses: destroy and sell for parts.

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Anne-christine d'Adesky's avatar

Agreed - and we need to raise US media consciousness about this and coverage. Will restack this piece now. Appreciate your reporting. Ac

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Joe Emersberger's avatar

I don’t understand the point of your twisted speculation that the genocidal Clinton’s we’re trying to do good in Libya. Hasn’t everything we’ve witnessed in Gaza for past two years woken you up? You might as well speculate that Netanyahu and Hitler had good intensions provided they sincerely believed in their genocidal ideas, therefore believed they were doing good…

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Laaaapaz's avatar

"Now, I believe that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton believed that they were trying to advance the cause of democracy when NATO began bombing Libya in 2011." WTAF? Haha

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Laaaapaz's avatar

I liked the Jakarta Method and used to defend you when people said you were a spook. But then you wrote these two incredibly unbelivable (and I would argue comedic) sentences:

Now, I believe that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton believed that they were trying to advance the cause of democracy when NATO began bombing Libya in 2011.

There was no plan for this of course, no credible account of how it might happen, but I bet they were rooting for it.

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Daniel's avatar

I do think to get oil (and other resources) out of the ground to ports for export you do need some semblance of a functioning and predictable state. Sure things get cheaper in a collapsed state but what value is that if organized crime is able to blockade at a whim without being contested by even a skeletal military state, if bridges and road cannot be repaired, when electricity cannot be guaranteed to your facilities themselves. If you do not have a predictable legal or economic environment to negotiate longterm contracts.

I do agree that collapse is the goal but only because that is only what they are capable of these days, not because it is preferable to regime change.

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mary-lou's avatar

most horrifying. the pattern so far indeed suggests the government's 'destruction' rather than 'change'. where can the Venezuelans turn to?

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Kannutto's avatar

Es chistoso cuando gente gringa quiere hacerse el listo con un tema de mi país.. aca les dejo algo para que tengan en cuenta:

https://open.substack.com/pub/7marepublica/p/ni-dictadores-nuevos-ni-viejos-extracto?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=6pbbgm

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lchristopher's avatar

Next up, water is wet; sky blue; women mercurial, men idiotic, the world is a vampire, etc. et. al.

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