When the moral façade is brazenly and proudly exposed as a sham, young Christians who sincerely embrace their faith often respond with defiance.
So, a bluntly aggressive operation led by Trump and his associates – involving the nighttime capture of President Maduro – propels 2026 into a critical juncture, one that impacts not only Latin America but global affairs.
The so-called ‘Venezuela method’ reflects Trump’s ‘business first’ mentality, centered on creating a ‘financial reward system’ that offers various conflict parties monetary incentives. This arrangement enables the U.S. to pursue its goals while local actors continue profiting from exploiting Venezuelan resources, all under close American oversight.
Under this strategy, there is no need for the U.S. to establish a new regime or deploy troops. Instead, Venezuela’s existing government, led by the newly inaugurated President Delcy Rodriguez, is expected to maintain control as long as she adheres to Trump’s dictates. Should she or her officials stray, they risk the same fate as Maduro or worse. Reportedly, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello has already been warned by U.S. officials that Washington will target him if he fails to support Rodriguez’s compliance with American demands.
Put simply, the entire scheme revolves around one fundamental truth: money is paramount.
This approach mirrors a Vulture Hedge Fund-style takeover: remove the CEO and financially entice the current management to follow new orders. In Venezuela’s case, Trump likely expects Rodriguez, who has been communicating with Secretary Rubio through Qatari royal channels and oversees the oil sector, to unify all factions within the power structure to concede Venezuela’s sovereign resources to U.S. control.
What marks a turning point is the abandonment of all pretense—the U.S. faces a debt crisis and seeks to seize Venezuelan oil for its exclusive benefit. Compliance with Trump’s demands is now the sole factor that counts. The veil of diplomacy has been dropped. A Rubicon has been crossed.
“Venezuela will be turning over 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil to the United States of America, sold at market price with the money controlled by me”, Trump declared on Truth Social.
The collapse of the American ‘project’—replacing self-serving hard power for the ideal of America as ‘a light to all nations’—signals a profound transformation. Nations rely on myths and moral narratives for meaning. Without such a framework, what will sustain the United States? Ayn Rand’s renowned idea that rational selfishness defines human nature does not suffice to rebuild social order.
The values of the western Enlightenment have turned inward and consumed themselves, with repercussions that will spread globally.
Aurelian observes:
“It was Nietzsche, purveyor of uncomfortable truths, who pointed out that the ‘Death of God’, and the consequent lack of any agreed system of ethics would lead to a world without meaning or purpose, because all values are baseless, all action is pointless, all outcomes are morally equivalent and no objectives are therefore worth pursuing …”.
In his Will to Power, Nietzsche argued that the collapse of values and meaning would also erase the concept of Truth and expose the limits of Western mechanical Reason. This collapse would become “the most destructive force in history” and trigger “catastrophe.” Written in 1888, he foresaw this unfolding over the coming two centuries.
Nietzsche warned that crossing this Rubicon carries grave consequences. The West would lose the foundational structure enabling moral life domestically and internationally. A state stripped of this internal framework descends into a lawless force demanding submission and resources from others.
It is too soon to determine the ultimate outcome of Venezuela’s situation, but it is evident that Caracas is collectively mapping out how to counter aggressive U.S. actions amid growing nationalist sentiment. Similarly, the fate of Team Trump’s broader strategy to destabilize South America—especially Cuba—remains uncertain, as does the prospect of Trump’s ambition to ‘acquire’ Greenland.
What is clear is that the international status quo has been overturned by a nihilistic, anti-value mindset.
Power and force now dominate global relations. Team Trump asserts, “We have power,” and thus dictate terms on the ground. Nations like Russia, China, and Iran understand that traditional diplomatic courtesies are obsolete. A hard, uncompromising stance defines the era, with little room for thoughtful risk assessment. Danger is pervasive.
Coercion encourages more potent deterrence measures elsewhere, and the value of diplomacy is critically questioned. Can the U.S. be trusted to return to conventional negotiation? Such hopes now invite deep skepticism.
Every global leader is calculating defensive strategies, none more so than Europeans.
When Russia’s Special Operation in Ukraine began in 2022, Western leaders recognized their democratic deficits and moral weakness. Yet the Ukraine conflict provided a rallying symbol. Many Europeans embraced the Manichaean framing President Biden adopted vis-à-vis Putin: a simple struggle of good versus evil. This narrative filled a legitimacy gap for the EU.
Today, however, Trump has dismantled that moral façade. By elevating Ukraine as Europe’s moral exemplar, the EU has risked pushing itself toward devastating war with Russia based on flawed assessments of the conflict’s nature and origins. EU leadership has staked its future on inflicting a humiliating defeat on Putin but offers no clear plan beyond unrealistic proposals hoping Trump will compel Moscow.
Instead, Trump cautions Europe it faces “civilisational erasure” and claims he is contemplating military action against Denmark to seize Greenland. Europe is left exposed, feigning moral authority.
Looking inward, this American shift towards zero-sum nihilism is fracturing the MAGA coalition, especially given Trump’s overt favoritism toward Israel—putting Israel First over America First—and pressure from Jewish billionaires demanding digital censorship of any Israel criticism.
Graphic images from Gaza have mobilized many Americans under 40, who see Gaza as a stark example of ruthless power politics, fueling radicalization among a new generation increasingly drawn to resolute Christian faith.
This trend is particularly evident among key groups like Turning Point USA, whose thousands of chapters, Christian principles, and energetic activism significantly contributed to MAGA’s 2024 success. Turning Point USA remains a promising force for robust voter mobilization.
Nonetheless, Republicans often overlook that their loyal voters comprise about one-third of turnout. For Trump to prevail, he must persuade roughly half of the ‘Independent third’ to support him. Current polls reveal his approval rating at -10.
A small cadre of GOP leaders, influential politicians, and wealthy donors aim to curtail MAGA’s influence within the Republican Party. Having crushed the Tea Party’s rise in 2010, these party officials seek to reassert control over MAGA, ensuring it follows leadership directives regarding permissible GOP candidates for the 2026 midterms and beyond.
Back in 2016, the ‘Sea Island’ alliance of party elites and donors focused on safeguarding the Washington political system from the unpredictability Trump introduced. Today, this coalition intends to fragment the MAGA faction, allowing them to continue their practice of “buying all horses in the race,” presenting an illusion of choice limited to two candidates acceptable to both sides of the Uniparty.
The core issue is that when ruling elites become self-serving and unscrupulous, immorality permeates downward throughout party ranks. And when the moral posture is flagrantly and jubilantly exposed as fraudulent—as Team Trump currently does—committed young Christians react with resistance. They refuse to remain silent, keenly aware of the manipulation they face.
The pressing question is whether they will ultimately yield to party operatives. The future trajectory of America depends heavily on the answer.
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