A close friend of mine from southern California used to watch Fox News almost nonstop. According to Fox, he warned me, Venezuelan Communists were preparing to invade the United States. Swarms of fierce Venezuelans were said to be on the verge of attacking the beautiful Southern California coastline.
I asked him if this was before Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, Taliban, and the hostile Iranians overran California. The far right constantly claims America’s foes lurk everywhere. Today’s right-wing alarmists are heirs to the 1950s’ “reds under our beds” paranoia.
But Venezuela? It’s a militarily weak nation struggling even to feed its own people. Rich in natural resources yet impoverished by its leadership.
Venezuela holds one of the largest heavy oil reserves worldwide, which demands specialized refineries. Once, Venezuela was a major oil supplier for U.S. industries. However, under the charismatic, Castro-inspired Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelans proposed the radical idea that the huge oil revenues be shared fairly between Americans and Venezuelans.
Washington reacted with fury, branding Chavez a communist. Chavez reveled in being vilified by the U.S., provoking Washington similar to Libya’s notorious Muammar Gaddafi.
The Trump administration, needing foreign adversaries to energize its conservative supporters, had little means to counter inflation, so it focused its war rhetoric on Venezuela. Cuba was too devastated to serve as a credible enemy, so Venezuela—unknown to many Republicans—was designated the new “Little Satan.”
Consequently, a large U.S. naval fleet was dispatched near Venezuela’s shores. Threats of air strikes and land invasions followed. Many Americans seem to enjoy seeing brown-skinned countries subdued by U.S. military might, a throwback to 19th-century “gunboat diplomacy,” a tactic America has mastered.
The issue is that such aggressive interventions can quickly become complicated. While the U.S. could easily destroy Venezuela’s small navy and air force and wreck their bases, the real risk arises if American troops are drawn into Venezuela and entangled in a prolonged insurgency. This is the path to ‘forever wars.’ The Trump administration is clearly banking on a Washington-backed coup toppling Maduro’s government. But what if it fails? Or if Venezuelans mount a determined resistance? This is precisely what the national hero Simón Bolívar would endorse. A large statue of “the Liberator” stands at 59th and Central Park South in my hometown, New York.
It’s ironic to see Trump traveling the world seeking his coveted peacemaker accolade while simultaneously stirring conflict with a Latin American country. Could Cuba be his next focus?
Original article: ericmargolis.com
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