US Airstrikes on Venezuela (Maduro captured).

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Titan2

I was thinking this this morning. However, unless you are able to suddenly say, we now have nukes, leave us alone, the US would never allow us to develop the infrastructure to develop and launch said weapons. No way they allow nukes so close to New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington, etc. We would be Peurto Rico before you could say... anything.

Yeah we need assurance from other nations. Like France and the UK.

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

How did the world order disintegrate so quickly? The US system was supposed to be built to prevent exactly these kinds of unilateral decisions. One clown comes in and knocks everything over like bowling pins.

I don’t think you can overstate the risk to Canada right now. Trump does what he says he’s going to do and he’s got eyes on the resources of this country.

And all that posting about Greenland looks a lot more serious now than it did a week or two ago.

Finally, I don’t think I would be planning any trips to Taiwan soon. This represents a big window of opportunity for China to get involved in all this territory taking.

The US system was built on norms and traditions and not laws. Way too many avenues for the President to do what he wants. Project 2025 was planned for decades and executed flawlessly. Then you just need a puppet to flout all the norms and the people behind the scenes pursue whatever agenda they want. There is no way Cheeto is smart/cognizant enough to plan and execute everything we have seen. The cabal that is pulling his strings are fully in charge. This is what scares me so much about him dying. They will just have a much younger puppet in Vance to execute their plan through. No chance he doesn't fall in line or he would get Epsteined. In fact, I think Epstein is the smoke screen, not the other way around as so many are saying. P2025 doesn't give a #### if Trump is a pedophile/rapist/murderer but it keep Trump in line and keeps the attention off of all the machinations they have done to do what they want. Cuba is next to finish that bit of business they failed at years ago. Then Greenland, then Colombia so they can realize the drug money for their own purposes. We are seeing a giant game of Risk playing out and P2025 wants the left side of the board for themselves. You think they care about Taiwan? Small price to pay for Xi to stay quiet about the western hemisphere.

The only thing that can stop this is a renewed Republican party that can break away from the Magats and re-assert control in model we have seen in the last 50 years. Otherwise, the US will be a massive imperialist power. Not a good vision.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by opendoor

A Venezuelan expat living safely in North America or Europe who left the country due to the Bolivarian regime is going to generally be much more supportive of outside military action that removes the government from power than people who actually have to live through the realities and the repercussions of that.

Just to highlight the extreme end of that, here's a Venezuelan living in Uruguay channelling Lord Farquaad's "some of you may die, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make":

https://twitter.com/user/status/2007932511020806621

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Doctorfever

https://twitter.com/user/status/2007576683084169728

Carney shares the optimism for the future of Venezuela with a few people on CP.

https://x.com/MarkJCarney/status/2007576683084169728

I think this is a leader that needs to balance a future trade deal, the role of international law, and the removal of a fairly bad dictator in comments that will be heavily scrutinized by a country who secured / is securing a viable source of heavy crude as an alternative to Mexico and Canada.

So it’s not a ringing endorsement of Trump but it certainly contains no criticism.

[TorqueDog]

^ I think you can like the outcome without being particularly enthusiastic about how we've arrived at said outcome.

"That was stupid of you, I'm glad it worked out, don't do that again." - Everyone's dad at some point.

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

^ I think you can like the outcome without being particularly enthusiastic about how we've arrived at said outcome.

"That was stupid of you, I'm glad it worked out, don't do that again." - Everyone's dad at some point.

Let’s be clear. Carney isn’t telling Trump “don’t do that again “. No PM would. We simply don’t wield that big of a stick.

He should be glad it worked out though. A terrible dictator has been removed. Biden wanted the same thing done, just didn’t act on it (my opinion).

[Whynotnow]

Originally Posted by Doctorfever

Let’s be clear. Carney isn’t telling Trump “don’t do that again “. No PM would. We simply don’t wield that big of a stick.

He should be glad it worked out though. A terrible dictator has been removed. Biden wanted the same thing done, just didn’t act on it (my opinion).

We actually have no idea if it worked out though. All we know is Maduro is no longer in power, so that part worked out. What happens next, is an unknown and there’s a host of scenarios where it doesn’t work out particularly well.

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by Whynotnow

We actually have no idea if it worked out though. All we know is Maduro is no longer in power, so that part worked out. What happens next, is an unknown and there’s a host of scenarios where it doesn’t work out particularly well.

I agree 100%.

They took a chance, no doubt about it. But that nation had no chance if they didn’t.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Titan2

2025: Well that was the worst year evar! Glad it is over.

2026: Hold my beer.

Its practically still "Hold my Champagne!"

We're only 5 goddamned days in!

[#-3]

Originally Posted by Doctorfever

Let’s be clear. Carney isn’t telling Trump “don’t do that again “. No PM would. We simply don’t wield that big of a stick.

He should be glad it worked out though. A terrible dictator has been removed. Biden wanted the same thing done, just didn’t act on it (my opinion).

If I may,

Perhaps a good politician does not say things in public when they are too nuanced. The reaction is probably complicated, unlikely happy with the situation, dimly hopeful for the outcome. But when you don't have a clear message you are better to put out meaningless fluff that says nothing, like his message.

At least he isn't a boot licking moron like PP.

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by #-3

If I may,

Perhaps a good politician does not say things in public when they are too nuanced. The reaction is probably complicated, unlikely happy with the situation, dimly hopeful for the outcome. But when you don't have a clear message you are better to put out meaningless fluff that says nothing, like his message.

At least he isn't a boot licking moron like PP.

Meaningless fluff is more a Trudeau thing. Carney will be better.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by Doctorfever

Meaningless fluff is more a Trudeau thing. Carney will be better.

Key difference, Trudeau, meaningless fluff when Canada had something to contribute.

I guess what in saying it's Canada should not have anything to contribute to this situation at the moment, for better and for worse. So meaningless fluff is the only thing to say without catching foot in mouth.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Doctorfever

Let’s be clear. Carney isn’t telling Trump “don’t do that again “. No PM would. We simply don’t wield that big of a stick.

He should be glad it worked out though. A terrible dictator has been removed. Biden wanted the same thing done, just didn’t act on it (my opinion).

It wasn't entirely clear since I quoted what I did, but I was remarking broadly and not just isolating my opinion to Carney's response. I've been seeing a fair amount of criticism of people saying that it's a good thing this happened and anything said to the contrary is just liberal whining, and a lot of criticism saying that it was done illegally and that's why it's a bad thing.

I don't think those are mutually exclusive positions. I hope that removing Maduro has positive results for the people of Venezuela... but history does not suggest that is often the case. How he ended up being removed is a bit more concerning.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

It didn't work, though. Funny enough to Trump's chagrin (and unfortunately for Venezuelans) Maduro's government cronies/sympathizers basically filled his position in a day and everything is immediately back to running as normal there. Even his son is standing in and sending memos to his dad that he's holding down the fort while he's away.

Don't know what trumps expectations were, exactly. But taking the reins of another country's government wasn't going to be as simple as plucking out one man and his wife and then strolling in weeks later when they got around it.

Decent Epstein distraction though, I'll give him that.

[afc wimbledon]

I mean you have to assume as the Venezuelan military stood down and let the US in that this was just a very convenient way for a couple of Generals and the Deputy PM to pull off a palace coup without looking bad

I wouldn't be all surprised if it turns out the Venezuelans approached the US and told them to come get him

[AFireInside]

I look forward to the US going into North Korea and liberating that country because all they clearly care about are dictators, has nothing to do with anything else.

[Ashes]

Originally Posted by Captain Otto

As soon you use words like, "common sense" and "sleepy joe" we know what cult you're in.

Anything to the right of the far-left echo chamber is considered a cult these days I guess. I'll take it.

Leave it to you to think of common sense as cult behaviour though, that tracks.

You really gonna sit there and defend Joe Biden? He was mentally incapable of doing the job or even interacting like a human being anymore.. I think there's more than enough evidence of his mental decline. No need to over empathize with absolutely everything. He got the nickname for a reason, just accept it and move on.

[Ashes]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

It’s nice that you’re enjoying the moment but people who have read a history book in their lives probably have a different perspective on whether this is a moment to celebrate it not.

Ah yes, millions of Venezuelans celebrating the capture of their dictator. But you know better about exactly what's going to happen next because you read some books, sounds about right. History typically repeats exactly as it did before after all, no chances that people with power could see the chance of a regime change destabilizing things again, no chance that's been accounted for.

Who knows what exactly will happen next, we all want the country to get a fresh start. Point is you guys don't know what's going to happen next, no one does, but if this isn't a time for optimism.. when's the right time? Their country was just freed from a 26 year dictatorship, from a situation where millions fled the country just to escape his tyranny. Regular political prisoners, murders, kidnappings.. wild that it's even a discussion about whether this is worth celebrating for the people who've had to live in that for so long.

Anyway, agree to disagree going forward, I'm happy for the people and I hope after a few months things are stabilized and heading in a much better direction going forward. I'm choosing to be optimistic, one less dictator is a good thing IMO.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Ashes

Anything to the right of the far-left echo chamber is considered a cult these days I guess. I'll take it.

Leave it to you to think of common sense as cult behaviour though, that tracks.

You really gonna sit there and defend Joe Biden? He was mentally incapable of doing the job or even interacting like a human being anymore.. I think there's more than enough evidence of his mental decline. No need to over empathize with absolutely everything. He got the nickname for a reason, just accept it and move on.

Embarrassing stuff.

[Ped]

I'm sure everything will work out out. I mean, Iraq and Afghanistan are thriving bastions of democracy now, right?