A very big price
The Genghis Khan de nos jours, but minus the charm.
In a telephone interview this morning, President Donald Trump issued a not-so-veiled threat against the new Venezuelan leader, Delcy Rodríguez, saying that “if she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” referring to Nicolás Maduro, now residing in a New York City jail cell. Trump made clear that he would not stand for Rodríguez’s defiant rejection of the armed U.S. intervention that resulted in Maduro’s capture.
As if she were a toddler making too much noise while Daddy is reading the paper. As if he had any right whatsoever to make any head of government do what he orders. We know he has the guns and bombs to do it, but that is not by any stretch of the imagination the right to do it. If a pack of freedom fighters grabbed Trump and ran off with him, he wouldn’t conclude they had the right to tell him what to do.
During our call, Trump, who had just arrived at his golf club in West Palm Beach, was in evident good spirits, and reaffirmed to me that Venezuela may not be the last country subject to American intervention. “We do need Greenland, absolutely,” he said, describing the island—a part of Denmark, a NATO ally—as “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.”
Sure and I need Trump’s money and his penthouse overlooking Central Park, but that doesn’t mean I get to have them.
The prospect of Maduro’s government continuing to resist the U.S. raised the risk of a protracted fight for control of Venezuela that would require increased U.S.-military involvement and even occupation. Trump yesterday signaled his willingness to order a second wave of military actions in Venezuela, should he deem it necessary.
“Rebuilding is not a bad thing in Venezuela’s case,” he said. “The country’s gone to hell. It’s a failed country. It’s a totally failed country. It’s a country that’s a disaster in every way.”
In a speech in December 2016, Trump declared as president-elect that the U.S. will “stop racing to topple foreign regimes that we know nothing about.” He had campaigned that year in opposition to “nation building,” arguing that the country needs to focus on rebuilding at home instead of in nations such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
Well sure but Venezuela is completely different. 100%.
When I asked this morning why nation building and regime change in Venezuela would be different from similar efforts he previously opposed in Iraq, Trump suggested posing the question to former President George W. Bush.
“I didn’t do Iraq. That was Bush. You’ll have to ask Bush that question, because we should have never gone into Iraq. That started the Middle East disaster,” Trump said.
Really? What a colossally stupid thing to say. We’re not talking about Iraq, we’re talking about Venezuela. We don’t have to ask Bush anything, because he’s not president and he didn’t invade Venezuela and kidnap Maduro yesterday.
So invading an oil-rich country and toppling its government on the basis of lies and without a backup plan for governing it was the start of a disaster. Can’t really argue with that.
So, what’s the plan?
And American ships are so much friendlier! Not that I believe what Trump says, but If they were in international waters, wouldn’t they have every right to be there, just like American ships? Is he going to take over every country that’s “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships”? What if Greenland invites Russian and Chinese ships? They get to do that if they want. Besides, aren’t Putin and Xi his pals and buddies? Can’t he call them and get them to move their ships? After all, they respect him, right?
Projection, DARVO.
Can’t be just any failed country though, can it. He’s choosy. Venezuela is a failed country that happens to be swimming on a sea of oil. He’s not interested in “rebuilding” Haiti, is he?
Well, he’s the one who gets to set the double standard. He doesn’t have to follow any laws, or any rules at all. He’s Donald J. Trump, the do-er, not the done-to.
If a pack of freedom fighters does run off with him, it would be great if they could take him to The Hague. He could tell the International Criminal Court that he refuses to acknowledge their jurisdiction or authority. I’m sure they could use a good laugh. Or, maybe they could deliver him to downtown Caracas: say in a large, crowded, public square. There, he could learn about the local culture, and plead his case for invasion directly to the Venezuelan people, for whom he cares so deeply. He could explain to the family members of the people he had murdered in international waters just why their loved ones neede to be killed. If he doesn’t accept the ICC, he can surely understand these families’ need to know. He can tell them to ask Bush about Iraq.
What I find especially depressing is the feeble response of most countries in western Europe. See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reactions_to_the_2026_United_States_strikes_in_Venezuela
Only Norway is focussing on the illegality of the invasion and kidnapping. (Have they forgotten their duty to award the 2026 Peace Prize to Trump?) Even Denmark, which initially made a reasonably robust statement, has toned it down to concentrate on Maduro’s nastiness. Emmanuel Macron did the same: initially condemning the action but then remembering the need to kiss Trump’s arse. The UK and Germany have been feeble and wishy-washy.
Hungary is an interesting case. No statement at all, so far. Presumably Viktor Orbán is still trying to decide which arse is more attractive, Putin’s or Trump’s.
Too bad SCOTUS agrees.