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Venezuela? The bad guys are on Wall St


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2019 Jan 28, 5:08pm   4,258 views  65 comments

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With Washington talking up a military coup (Democrats for once in no hurry to berate Trump on the issue) and Russia a sufficiently interested party to have flown nuclear capable bombers into Caracas last month, it behoves us all to get up to speed on Venezuela. It should go without saying we can’t trust a word corporate media say but, case it doesn’t, here’s why.

First, corporate media are not independent but reliant on market forces. This applies not just to the billionaire media but, for reasons given elsewhere, to Guardian and BBC too.

Second, media both sides of the Atlantic have a long record of backing US predation on the global south. Never have they deviated from this – take the Guardian’s cheerleading on Iraq. Worse, they’ve abdicated a core duty in their refusal to explore motives that cast a very different light on Western interventions sold to us as humanitarian.

Third, sanctions have sown economic havoc in Venezuela. They’re spoken of in such calm tones that an already innocuous word loses even what little force it might have had. But sanctions kill. They are one way the powerful bully the weak in the name of high ideals belied, for those who choose to study them, by the facts.


"I was a high class muscleman for Big Business, Wall Street and the Bankers; a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico safe for American oil interests in 1914, Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank to collect revenues. I helped in the rape of half a dozen Central American republics for Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar in 1916. In China I saw to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested. Capone operated in three districts. I operated on three continents."

—Major-General Smedley Butler



I have no quarrel with the specific claims above but find them reductive. They are accurate – and we should not downplay the fourth claim, as dollar and petrodollar hegemony come under challenge in Eurasia too – but in the context of Washington’s ‘right’ to police all of Latin America, disobedient states are brought to heel (through fascism if need be) not just to protect particular assets but to send a message across the entire continent. As in the middle east, Washington and Wall Street will brook no self-determination in their “spheres of interest”.

No, for sense on Venezuela we must look elsewhere. I’ve quoted Stephen Gowans before, on Syria. Now here he is on crisis in Caracas.

The US-led and coordinated intervention to overthrow Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro by recognizing Juan Guaidó, the leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly as the interim president, has nothing whatever to do with restoring democracy in Venezuela (which was never overturned) and everything to do with promoting US business interests.

Washington’s imperial arrogance in effectively appointing Guaidó as president, attempting to go over the heads of Venezuelans—who alone have the right to decide who their leaders are—is motivated by the same concerns that have motivated other US interventions around the world: toppling governments that put their citizens’ interests above those of US investors.

That Washington has a propensity to engage in destabilization operations against leftwing governments is hardly a secret. From 1898 to 2004, the US government undertook 41 successful regime change interventions in Latin America, an average of one every two-and-a-half years. And that excludes the unsuccessful ones, such as the Bay of Pigs invasion.

In almost every instance, US regime change interventions around the world have been motivated either directly or indirectly by commercial considerations, and were undertaken to restore or protect the primacy of US business interests in foreign lands. And in many cases, the interventions paved the way for the installation of rightwing dictatorships.

More: https://off-guardian.org/2019/01/28/venezuela-the-bad-guys-are-on-wall-st/

#Venezuela #Hegemony #RegimeChange #Oil #Gold #FreeTrade

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1   anonymous   2019 Jan 28, 5:20pm  

Here's how the world picks sides in the Venezuela crisis. Worryingly, these are not just two random collections of countries, but two blocs with a lot of pre-existing enmity.

•The U.S. has urged the world to 'pick sides' in Venezuela's constitutional crisis.

•This map shows which countries continue to support Maduro, and which ones have thrown their weight behind Guaidó.

•Could this be the first intimation of a new Cold War – or worse?

Since last Wednesday, Venezuela has two presidents. The world map above shows which countries (in red) support Nicolas Maduro, whose re-election last May many observers say was rigged; and which ones (in dark blue) support Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader who declared himself 'interim president' last week.

There's something more going on with that map, however – something ominous about the two camps that have coalesced on it. These are not just two random groups of countries. These are two camps, with plenty of grievance and enmity between them. Some of the borders between both blocs are even active frontlines. Could this be the outline of a new Cold War, or if cooler heads don't prevail, a hot one perhaps?

Maduro is anti-U.S. and the U.S. is anti-Maduro. Following the 'enemy of my enemy' principle, the U.S. recognized Guaidó almost immediately after his self-proclamation, followed by most other countries in the Americas. Notable exception: Mexico, which initially took Maduro's side, but has since moved into the neutral camp.

The main international allies of Venezuela are Cuba and Russia, which remained loyal to Maduro's presidency; but he also got official support from other countries friendly to his regime: China, Iran, Turkey and South Africa, to name the most important ones. Regionally, Maduro can also count on the support of Bolivia, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Suriname.

Europe is colored light blue: The UK, Spain, Germany, France and most other EU members (plus a few other countries, including Ukraine, Norway and, further afield, Japan) have declared a compromise position. They support the National Assembly (run by the opposition and presided by Guaidó) but not yet the latter's presidency. The UK, Spain, Germany and others have called on Maduro to call fresh elections. If he doesn't do so within eight days, they will recognize Guaidó.

Maps and more in the full article: https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/which-countries-support-maduro-guaido?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3
2   Goran_K   2019 Jan 28, 5:21pm  

Wow. Democrats are actually defending Maduro.

I wish I could say I'm not surprised, but Democrats often reach lows I never thought possible. We're literally talking about a country that used to be one of the richest in South America to a country where people eat their zoo animals to stay alive.

Crazy.
3   mell   2019 Jan 28, 5:24pm  

Dude seriously - there are plenty of assholes on Wall Street exploiting loop holes and trading on inside info, bailouts etc. But to compare this to a dictator who has his starving and protesting people brutally murdered by gun squads - after successfully turning a rich into a poor country via Socialism (TM) - is just plain asinine.
4   MisdemeanorRebel   2019 Jan 28, 5:31pm  

Off Guardian, that's Literal Russian Propaganda.
5   anonymous   2019 Jan 28, 5:45pm  

God only knows the U.S. has a stellar record in going into these places and turning them around huh ?

Anyone bothered to check how things are going in the Middle East recently ?

As I stated yesterday we don't give a flying fuck about the people - just the resources and the people be damned.

You got oil - we want it, you got some brown people in your country - fuck em, we will bomb your country, kill your people and then take your oil.

Same shit going on in the Iran dust up.

On a side note John Bolton is itching to get us involved militarily - we do not need to invade a sovereign nation again to "save' them but I did read somewhere that if we go in, the military adventure will pay for itself and we will treated like conquering heros complete with rose petals thrown at the feet of our military.
6   Tenpoundbass   2019 Jan 28, 5:49pm  

May he be strung up in the Capital Square to set an example how there is no place in a Democrat Republic for Commies.
He got fat while so many starved. Shame on the Democrats.
7   anonymous   2019 Jan 28, 5:52pm  

Tenpoundbass says
Democrat Republic


Is this like Democratic People's Republic of Korea ?

Tenpoundbass says
Shame on the Democrats


What - for backing another ill advised and poorly thought out Nation Building Adventure by the U.S.
8   anonymous   2019 Jan 28, 5:54pm  

Tenpoundbass says
He got fat while so many starved


Sounds like Potus shoving hamberders down his pie hole while 800,000 government workers were without pay running to food banks trying to find something to eat
9   anonymous   2019 Jan 28, 5:56pm  

How many of you "patriots" are going to be volunteering to help liberate Venezuela, if we decide to go in ?
10   RWSGFY   2019 Jan 28, 6:03pm  

Kakistocracy says
Russia a sufficiently interested party to have flown nuclear capable bombers


Yeah, these are REALLY scary:

www.youtube.com/embed/dHMSSU_XyxU
11   Goran_K   2019 Jan 28, 6:04pm  

Kakistocracy says
How many of you "patriots" are going to be volunteering to help liberate Venezuela, if we decide to go in ?


Hillary isn’t president, so literally zero chance of a globalist resource war.
12   RWSGFY   2019 Jan 28, 6:06pm  

LOL @ Russian bots are going bananas at the perspective of Putin & Co. losing $20B.
13   anonymous   2019 Jan 28, 6:08pm  

Goran_K says
Hillary isn’t president, so literally zero chance of a globalist resource war.


Didn't know Bolton and Trump etc. were part of the Clinton Administration which does not exist.

Won't be a globalist war per se - just our military doing Exxon Mobil etc. dirty work
14   anonymous   2019 Jan 28, 6:09pm  

John Bolton’s notes may have revealed possible military plans for Venezuela. Sure looks like 5000 troops to Columbia



https://nypost.com/2019/01/28/john-boltons-notes-may-have-revealed-possible-military-plans-for-venezuela/
15   Goran_K   2019 Jan 28, 6:12pm  

Kakistocracy says
Goran_K says
Hillary isn’t president, so literally zero chance of a globalist resource war.


Didn't know Bolton and Trump etc. were part of the Clinton Administration which does not exist.

Won't be a globalist war per se - just our military doing Exxon Mobil etc. dirty work


No.
16   RWSGFY   2019 Jan 28, 6:14pm  

Goran_K says
Wow. Democrats are actually defending Maduro.


Of course they do. He is their Brother in Socialism after all.
17   anonymous   2019 Jan 28, 6:15pm  

Goran_K says
No.


That would most definitely be a yuuggee yes. Might I suggest you brush up on the history of Exxon Mobil and Venezuela going back to the 1980s or so
18   RWSGFY   2019 Jan 28, 6:26pm  

Kakistocracy says
Might I suggest you brush up on the history of Exxon Mobil and Venezuela going back to the 1980s


Whatever. It's still leaps and bounds better than the history of fucking Rosneft and Venezuela going back to 2000s.
19   Tenpoundbass   2019 Jan 28, 6:41pm  

Commies Suck and Socialism fails everywhere it has been tried.

Muduro must die so Venezuelans can heal and move on past this very bad chapter in certainly not just their History but in Human History as well.
20   MisdemeanorRebel   2019 Jan 28, 6:43pm  

Kakistocracy says
How many of you "patriots" are going to be volunteering to help liberate Venezuela, if we decide to go in ?


The Off Guardian must love Trump, being a Putin Propaganda Outlet, amirite?
21   mell   2019 Jan 28, 7:50pm  

Granted Bolton is a war hawk but that's why he has been somewhat disgruntled so far under Trump who doesn't go to war like the Dems and neocons.
22   Ceffer   2019 Jan 29, 2:50am  

I wonder if the Joint Chiefs and the CIA have decided yet how many thousands of American lives they are going to consign to brutal death for a Venezuelan false flag event yet? A bigga badda bomb, a train, a plane, a boat, or a building or maybe all of them at once? Maybe just a series of fake Venezuelan atrocities, and our own citizens will escape the false flag noose?

Oh, yeah, the CommieFuck Venzes dood it, really, they did! AND weapons of mass destrucion AND Maduro will be wiping his face with dead incubator babies.

Let's watch the Neocon Theater Of The Macabre!

INVADE!
23   anonymous   2019 Jan 29, 4:52am  

Factbox: U.S. refiners revisiting crude supplies amid new PDVSA sanctions

U.S. refiners on Monday said they would comply with the Trump administration’s new sanctions on dealings with Venezuelan state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and take steps to lessen any impacts on consumers.

PHILLIPS 66 - Phillips 66 said in an email it is confident it could obtain alternative sources of oil to lessen any disruption to its operations. The company said it complies with all U.S. laws, and noted that Venezuelan crude historically has made up a small percentage of its oil supply.

CHEVRON - Chevron Corp said it actively manages its crude supplies to be able to furnish customers with fuels and lubricants, and continues to comply with U.S. laws.

VALERO ENERGY - Valero is reviewing the new U.S. sanctions and “will re-optimize” its oil purchases to minimize any impacts on its operations, the San Antonio, Texas-based company said in a statement. It also plans to aid the United States to make the nation’s refining system operate more efficiently as a result of the sanctions, it said.

CITGO PETROLEUM - Citgo Petroleum, the U.S. refining arm of PDVSA, did not reply to a request for comment. The Houston-based company received some 175,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan crude last year, more than any other U.S. refiner.

PBF ENERGY - PBF Energy did not respond to a request for comment. The Parsippany, New Jersey-based company was the fifth largest receiver of Venezuelan crude with 9,505 barrels per day.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-oil-factbox/factbox-u-s-refiners-revisiting-crude-supplies-amid-new-pdvsa-sanctions-idUSKCN1PN019?il=0

Translation of the above by the oil companies - Oh Fuck

What it means to you - open that wallet a bit more at the pump
24   RWSGFY   2019 Jan 29, 7:26am  

Russians: "Don't you dare sanction our puppet commie fuck or you'll suffer $0.05 more per gallon at the pump!".

Dudes, we, Californians, are suffering $1-$1.5 per gallon at the pump from our own commie fucks, you can't scare us with that.
25   Goran_K   2019 Jan 29, 8:35am  

Leftist: "Keep the troops in Syria, you can't pull out!"

Also leftist: "Don't send troops to Venezuela!"
26   Shaman   2019 Jan 29, 8:59am  

Look, here’s how the world works. Every country which is NOT Venezuela is only looking to exploit that failing country for resources, and all “aid” or “loan” money paid (as bribes to whomever is in power over those resources) is NOT charity but the required squeeze for business to commence.

Venezuela fucked themselves by kicking out the foreign oil companies and nationalizing the oil fields. This cut off the flow of money paid by interested parties abroad because it became obvious that the ruling government there would refuse to honor any and all agreements. This means that their word was trash, so their fiat currency was likewise worthless, and economic degeneration commenced until you get where you are today.

Remember, it all started with the socialist policy of nationalization.
27   RC2006   2019 Jan 29, 9:00am  

This thread just shows which side is really colluding with Russia, the Communist Left.
28   kt1652   2019 Jan 29, 9:09am  

The real masters will convince the slaves Maduro had to go in the name of freedom.
It is Maduro's fault he didn't learn from the fate of Qaddafi and Saddam.
Follow the program and we will provide the protection, no?

29   Bd6r   2019 Jan 29, 9:31am  

Pressuring/sanctioning Maduro is fine - US can choose whom we trade with. Sending troops to overthrow him would not be fine.

The fact that Wall st is a bunch of pirates does not change the fact that Maduro/Chavez are idiots who ran a formerly relatively prosperous country into ground with their socialist ideas.
30   kt1652   2019 Jan 29, 9:52am  

Right. Worked so well with Saddam, Iraq is a modern peaceful nation now.
Time to get out of the box we've been in for 100 years.
31   zzyzzx   2019 Jan 29, 10:06am  

Since this one never gets old:
32   Bd6r   2019 Jan 29, 10:07am  

kt1652 says
Right. Worked so well with Saddam, Iraq is a modern peaceful nation now.

Is US sending troops to Venezuela? Did we send troops to Iraq? Is there a difference between two approaches?

Even with sending troops, how did it work out with Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan? Why did it work there and not in Iraq?
33   zzyzzx   2019 Jan 29, 10:07am  

5000 troops seems woefully inadequate, depending upon what one is intending to accomplish.
34   Bd6r   2019 Jan 29, 10:09am  

zzyzzx says
5000 troops seems woefully inadequate, depending upon what one is intending to accomplish.

Possible that they are just trying to scare Maduro.
35   kt1652   2019 Jan 29, 10:11am  

Watch Ron Paul, it's a short video.
The petro-dollars benefits to the US is unreal.
The buying countries must stock usd to purchase oil. The supplier country must invest the excess usd in the usa, usually us treasury.
Just unbelievable. All because US-Saudi agreement by Nixon and Kissinger.

www.youtube.com/embed/upY-Yxtj4fs
36   mell   2019 Jan 29, 10:44am  

d6rB says
kt1652 says
Right. Worked so well with Saddam, Iraq is a modern peaceful nation now.

Is US sending troops to Venezuela? Did we send troops to Iraq? Is there a difference between two approaches?

Even with sending troops, how did it work out with Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan? Why did it work there and not in Iraq?


There is yuge difference. Saddam actually had a thriving country going on with enough wealth for everyone and empowered women. Plus he controlled the religious extremists quite well. As long as you weren't his political enemy you did well. Venezuela on the other hand has been transformed into a starving shit hole via Socialism (TM) and now the starving population is fired at.
37   kt1652   2019 Jan 29, 10:48am  

d6rB says
kt1652 says
Right. Worked so well with Saddam, Iraq is a modern peaceful nation now.

Is US sending troops to Venezuela? Did we send troops to Iraq? Is there a difference between two approaches?

Even with sending troops, how did it work out with Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan? Why did it work there and not in Iraq?

"Did we send troops to Iraq?"
Is this a joke?
Japan, Taiwan, S Korea => NO oil there.
38   Bd6r   2019 Jan 29, 11:17am  

mell says
There is yuge difference. Saddam actually had a thriving country going on with enough wealth for everyone and empowered women. Plus he controlled the religious extremists quite well. As long as you weren't his political enemy you did well. Venezuela on the other hand has been transformed into a starving shit hole via Socialism (TM) and now the starving population is fired at.

I completely agree. My point was that we sent troops to Iraq (which was a criminal mistake), while we do not have any troops in Venezuela and hopefully will not have.

Also, Iraq oil is now pumped more by Chinese than Americans.
39   Bd6r   2019 Jan 29, 11:18am  

kt1652 says
Japan, Taiwan, S Korea => NO oil there.

Or perhaps population which is not infected with 6th century ideology, and that is why they are doing well.
40   Ceffer   2019 Jan 29, 11:25am  

Very simple. Venezuela sells all mineral rights in it's country to USA for ten cents on the dollar, to go directly into the bank accounts of Venezuela's rotten to the core kleptocracy, and agrees to a perimeter of US military bases on it's soil: problem solved.

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