president Maduro captured after US strikes

[andy06shake]

MIC wanted us in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and now it's Venezuela.

And that does indeed sound like the crux of the problem.

I don't disagree.

Which is not to suggest that's the correct way to proceed.

[CriticalStinker]

Yep, just keep pushing that barrel of sheet down the street. Laws are made to protect the criminals, the ones who are innocent and follow law routinely get screwed. That eight million alone fled the country is a fooking Genocide. My opinion.

Take a look around the world. It's not sunshine and happiness. There are countless dictatorships around the world, it's truly tragic.

We're in 2026, and humanity doesn't look too different than a hundred years ago. 

Maduro is a monster, what happened in Venezuela should make most people with empathy feel bad for their situation. 

But I'm not naive. This wasn't to help the Venezuelan people or American interest (the broader populace). We have propped up and supported many brutal dictatorships, and still do.

Iraq wasn't to liberate the people or stop WMD, it was for oil, full stop. This is no different. Saudi Arabia had more to do with 9/11 than Iraq, and we backstop their security. This admin has very close ties, and some of the family even has direct business dealings with them. So don't lecture me on pushing a "barrel of sheet down the street".

I have a memory span longer than a goldfish.

[putnam6]

Greenland was a personal preference pick of Peter Theil's to start up one of his 'Prospera' type "freedom cities" i think you'll find.

Im speaking militarily when the war comes and it will, America will be vulnerable in the north due to the unreliability of Canada, it was a partial impetus for the annexation; everything else is subterfuge or collateral reasons.

We will likely have a naval war in the Arctic WELL before we have Freedom Cities in Greenland

Can't have Russia and China in the Arctic without Uncle Sam, is the supreme reason, can't have freedom cities with the Kremlin and the CCP floating offshore

[andy06shake]

i feel like a more pressing question at the moment is if we need to "stabilize the region" or not for an extended period of time.

"stabilize the region"

Ok, but it does sound like the kind of thing the oil companies may suggest. 

It's certainly an interesting topic for discussion.

Distracting even, some might also say. 

[Lrrr]

Any extended military presence basically proves the indictment was a smokescreen. If the seizing of a tanker recently wasn't enough already.

[putnam6]

Take a look around the world. It's not sunshine and happiness. There are countless dictatorships around the world, it's truly tragic.

We're in 2026, and humanity doesn't look too different than a hundred years ago. 

Maduro is a monster, what happened in Venezuela should make most people with empathy feel bad for their situation. 

But I'm not naive. This wasn't to help the Venezuelan people or American interest. We have propped up and supported many brutal dictatorships, and still do.

Iraq wasn't to liberate the people or stop WMD, it was for oil, full stop. This is no different. Saudi Arabia had more to do with 9/11 than Iraq, and we backstop their security. This admin has very close ties, and some of the family even has direct business dealings with them. So don't lecture me on pushing a "barrel of sheet down the street".

I have a memory span longer than a goldfish.

And the Biden administration had family ties close to Ukraine

It's how the world works Stinker...

Iraq wasn't simply about oil either; the 20-plus-year contracts, military hardware, or the cost to rebuild Iraq made loads of American politicians and businessmen rich. Iraqi and Afghan military "aid" was grifted and skimmed just as it has been in Ukraine 

Much of the old guard blue politicians and red RINOS were in on the skim in the 2000s, and Ukraine which was an even bigger, bolder skim

[CriticalStinker]

And the Biden administration had family ties close to Ukraine

It's how the world works Stinker...

Iraq wasn't simply about oil, either the contracts, military hardware, or the cost to rebuild Iraq, made loads of American politicians and businessmen rich. Iraqi and Afghan military "aid" was grifted and skimmed just as it has been in Ukraine 

Much of the old guard blue politicians and red RINOS were in on the skim in the 2000s, and it's why Ukraine was an even bigger bolder skim

Shows where we are if we have to use the Biden and Bush admin to justify our situation.

[putnam6]

We were still lied to, and this is still a tax subsidy to oil companies.

Didn't say we weren't lied to either, Iraq and Afghanistan were money pits, CONNECTED politicians and corporations made large yearly profits ever since

oil companies got 1.5 trillion to play with

US aid military or other 1.9 trillion allowed so many more to wet thier beaks see Dick Cheaney Graham Romney McCain and others old guard Democrats. It's why McCain had a hard on for Ukraine. Arizona has over 1600 defense industry companies to grovel to 
 

Grand total U.S. (2003-2024): ~$1.9 trillion.
Iraq oil export revenue (2003-2024): ~$1.4-1.5 trillion (with government capture of nearly all proceeds minus production costs).
In summary, while U.S. spending has been enormous—far exceeding pre-war estimates of $50-60 billion—Iraq's oil revenues over the period have been comparable or higher in aggregate, funding the Iraqi government's budgets (though often marred by corruption, mismanagement, and conflict-related disruptions). These figures exclude U.S. military base costs outside direct operations or Iraq's internal spending.

[Lrrr]

If we're talking about finances, it should be noted that some days-old crypto wallets placed Venezuela related bets on prediction markets in the last like 12 hours. There is already people profiting off of this action who def got tipped off ahead of time. There's a scheme behind everything this admin does.

[putnam6]

Shows where we are if we have to use the Biden and Bush admin to justify our situation.

Im not justifying it at all, just pointing out possible other mitigating factors. 

 Is there any doubt that some military high-ups are in Rubio's ear, while they themselves are influenced by MIC corporate-sponsored think tanks.

What better to control the Caribbean Basin than a fleet of Trump's new battle ships

I dont have to agree or justify, the wind is gonna blow the way the wind blows regardless of our feelz