The myth that Donald Trump is a dove has long been debunked. However, it appears that his commitment to peace was never genuine in the first place.
In 2023, then-Sen. JD Vance endorsed President Trump's presidential bid for one big reason: Trump's commitment to peace. "He has my support in 2024," Vance wrote, "because I know he won't recklessly send Americans to fight overseas." However, just two years later, the US had launched an explicit attempt to bring about regime change in Venezuela by abducting its president from his bed.
This brazen move is a stark reminder of Trump's true nature. He has consistently demonstrated a hawkish and belligerent approach to foreign policy. During a Saturday press conference, he stated that America now "runs" post-Maduro Venezuela. Administration officials have said that the country's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, will either rule according to American dictates or else. One of those dictates is that American oil companies be allowed to extract Venezuelan crude — and that the proceeds of their sales be used to finance US military activity in the country.
In essence, Trump is demanding Venezuela will become an American imperial vassal and pay for the privilege. If they do not, they will face a "a second and much larger attack" — and potentially even an invasion.
Trump's threat against Venezuela highlights his continued commitment to a brand of imperialism that prioritizes US interests over international law and global stability. The fact that this move is being justified as a law enforcement action aimed at putting Maduro on trial for drug-related charges only adds to the absurdity of the situation.
The defenders of Trump-as-peace-candidate have long relied on the myth that he is committed to non-interventionism. However, this line has been consistently proven wrong by his actions in office.
Trump's foreign policy has been marked by a series of reckless and aggressive moves, including the invasion of Iraq and Syria, and now Venezuela. The fact that these actions have failed to achieve their intended goals only serves as proof of Trump's commitment to belligerent and interventionist policies.
The impact of Trump's hawkishness on global politics is significant. It has weakened faith in the US-led alliance system, which was once a cornerstone of international order. The recent Maduro operation has shattered this order, leaving it vulnerable to chaos and disorder.
The emerging world disorder is characterized by a kind of regional "carve-up" in which the US, Russia, and China each get to do what they want in their respective spheres of influence. This model is entirely consistent with the spheres-of-influence approach that Putin has long advocated, and Trump embraced in the latest National Security Strategy.
The fact remains that an unconstrained Trump acting on his longstanding hawkish impulses could cause all sorts of chaos in his remaining three years. While US military interventionism is very precedented, Trump's particular brand of it — naked pre-modern imperialism backed by a modern globe-spanning military — is not.
Americans should be prepared for things to go very, very wrong.
In 2023, then-Sen. JD Vance endorsed President Trump's presidential bid for one big reason: Trump's commitment to peace. "He has my support in 2024," Vance wrote, "because I know he won't recklessly send Americans to fight overseas." However, just two years later, the US had launched an explicit attempt to bring about regime change in Venezuela by abducting its president from his bed.
This brazen move is a stark reminder of Trump's true nature. He has consistently demonstrated a hawkish and belligerent approach to foreign policy. During a Saturday press conference, he stated that America now "runs" post-Maduro Venezuela. Administration officials have said that the country's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, will either rule according to American dictates or else. One of those dictates is that American oil companies be allowed to extract Venezuelan crude — and that the proceeds of their sales be used to finance US military activity in the country.
In essence, Trump is demanding Venezuela will become an American imperial vassal and pay for the privilege. If they do not, they will face a "a second and much larger attack" — and potentially even an invasion.
Trump's threat against Venezuela highlights his continued commitment to a brand of imperialism that prioritizes US interests over international law and global stability. The fact that this move is being justified as a law enforcement action aimed at putting Maduro on trial for drug-related charges only adds to the absurdity of the situation.
The defenders of Trump-as-peace-candidate have long relied on the myth that he is committed to non-interventionism. However, this line has been consistently proven wrong by his actions in office.
Trump's foreign policy has been marked by a series of reckless and aggressive moves, including the invasion of Iraq and Syria, and now Venezuela. The fact that these actions have failed to achieve their intended goals only serves as proof of Trump's commitment to belligerent and interventionist policies.
The impact of Trump's hawkishness on global politics is significant. It has weakened faith in the US-led alliance system, which was once a cornerstone of international order. The recent Maduro operation has shattered this order, leaving it vulnerable to chaos and disorder.
The emerging world disorder is characterized by a kind of regional "carve-up" in which the US, Russia, and China each get to do what they want in their respective spheres of influence. This model is entirely consistent with the spheres-of-influence approach that Putin has long advocated, and Trump embraced in the latest National Security Strategy.
The fact remains that an unconstrained Trump acting on his longstanding hawkish impulses could cause all sorts of chaos in his remaining three years. While US military interventionism is very precedented, Trump's particular brand of it — naked pre-modern imperialism backed by a modern globe-spanning military — is not.
Americans should be prepared for things to go very, very wrong.
. It seems like he's just looking out for his own interests and the interests of US corporations, rather than thinking about what's best for Venezuela or global stability 
. And let's be real, Venezuela's "crime" is that they have oil, which Trump wants to control 
. The fact that he's threatening them with a "second and much larger attack" if they don't comply is just outrageous 
. This kind of imperialism is exactly what gets me, it's like America thinks the world owes us something 
. I also think it's weird that Trump is using this as a "law enforcement action" to put Maduro on trial - sounds like a pretty thin excuse for him trying to exert control over Venezuela 
. Can we just have a president who genuinely cares about peace and diplomacy, you know? 
. trump's idea of peace is basically just letting america get its way no matter what, which isn't exactly the definition of peace in my book 
. we need someone who actually cares about diplomacy and cooperation, not just pushing our interests forward with guns blazin' 
. this whole imperial vassal thing he's going on with venezuela is straight outta some bad 90s movies 
... but like, at the same time I'm super convinced he's all about peace and love 
? Like, how can one guy be so contradictory? 
! And the fact that American oil companies are basically running the show there? That's just imperialistic nonsense 
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. I always knew he was trouble but now it's just plain brutal. He's got this whole "peace" act down pat but it's all just a front for his real intentions - to just take what he wants and bully everyone else into submission 
. I'm so sick of these power-hungry politicians who think they can just do whatever they want without any consequences. Trump's actions are gonna have global repercussions for sure, like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off 
. It's only a matter of time before things spiral out of control and America is left looking like the bad guy 
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like come on trump u need to get a grip
this is getting worse by the day... trump's actions are like a never-ending nightmare for venezuela and the rest of us too 
the thought of an unconstrained trump with all that power is literally giving me anxiety 
i just wish americans could wake up and see how messed up his foreign policy is... it's like, we're supposed to be a beacon of hope or something, but instead we're just causing chaos and destruction everywhere 
the real question is what's in it for US oil companies and how much blood will be spilled if they don't comply 
. I mean, who needs diplomacy when you can just bully your way to getting what you want? It's like the whole world is one big playground for Trump to run around in and play by his own rules 
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. People have been pointing this out since his presidential campaign days, but Trump's actions just keep on proving them wrong 
. And I think that's what makes the whole situation so alarming 
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The whole idea that Donald Trump was ever about peace just feels like a massive load of BS 
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. The fact that he's trying to dictate what Venezuela does with its own resources and telling them they'll face "a second and much larger attack" if they don't comply? That's straight-up imperialism in my book 
. it's like he thinks he can just impose his will on other countries and get away with it 
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