And John, one thing you didn’t mention is that much of this has to do with Guyana’s oil, and Maduro’s threat to take it (for China). That offshore oil is far cheaper to produce than the incredibly expensive Orinoco heavy oil. Maracaibo is largely tapped out, and Guyana - possibly with European involvement- looks very good. The Americans don’t really need the oil, but they definitely want to stop China from stealing it
No reasonable person can argue that paving the way for free and fair elections is not a good idea. But the devil is in the details. I don’t believe that the OAS is capable of organizing itself to occupy the country while an election is planned, nor do I believe that the Venezuelan military would allow it to happen. Maduro has been removed. The Americans can put pressure on Rodriguez to achieve modest goals. The rest is up to the Venezuelan people
I didn’t argue the OAS should occupy the country; I argued the US should use the momentum it has already built up to guarantee free elections. After that, we are agreed, is up to the Venezuelans.
I agree completely. But doing that will be no easy task. Machado (and 9,000,000 Venezuelans who mostly support her) are not even in the country. And the anti-American military are in control. Baby steps, I suppose
Machado won the elections last year. tRump did not support her ad she took his peace prize.. Canada can support her return to democracy.. the longer America is involved the worse it will get.. good article
Implicit in your piece is that the US is by default actively interested in promoting democracy - it is not.
You’ve badly misinterpreted the US NSS which speaks to US domination of the Western Hemisphere (not real partnerships), and outlines European liberal democracy as a greater threat than China or Russia.
This US regime has switched sides - please, we must stop being apologists to their words, policies and actions. The fate of liberal democracies hinges on realizing this and acting on it now, not after it’s too late.
How many threats to other countries and its own citizens does the Trump regime have to make before folks understand our new reality and the dangers we face from an autocratic, authoritarian, undemocratic, imperial US regime?
If you have read anything I’ve written in the last year - which clearly you have not - you’d know I’m not a Trump apologist. Pointing out that his own strategy calls for creating conditions that allow it to become the economic and security partner OF CHOICE is not excusing his many excesses.
Ok, let me put it a different way because you clearly have focused on and taken offense to the term apologist.
A poor use of wording on my part I suppose (but I’d still call it apologist, just perhaps unintentionally so).
Instead, I’ll say this. Your article seems tone deaf to the moment. The Trump regime is authoritarian and very clearly intends to consolidate power in the US and throughout the Western Hemisphere. Democracy is not their friend, rather, it is an enemy to be destroyed, both at home and abroad. This is both implicitly and explicitly outlined in the NSS.
Promoting democracy and free elections abroad is a vestige of an America that no longer exists, an America of yesteryear and a post-WWII liberal democratic order of its own creation that the US is in the midst of dismantling.
Authoritarian regimes don’t view democracies as allies or in their best interest. As such, they seek to undermine them and replace them with like-minded sycophants. This is America today. This is the roadmap laid out in the NSS.
Writing as if American foreign policy is not now explicitly authoritarian, imperial and anti-democratic is tone deaf to the moment.
Ps, “excesses” is a strange word to use to describe what Trump and his regime are undertaking and the damage they have wrought and assuredly are about wreak on the western hemisphere and the rest of the world. A decidedly unserious, almost flippant and dismissive descriptor for his actions. I can’t help but think you are continuing to view the world with a post WWII lens and are stuck in the default assumption that the US remains the defender of democracy and the “free world.”
All I’m suggesting in my commentary is that the narrative has moved well beyond the post WWII liberal democratic order that we’ve all taken for granted.
Promoting and supporting democracy is antithetical to America’s Donroe Doctrine.
So why write an article that doesn’t acknowledge this reality or suggests otherwise?
“Prolong the beating”? Please. Get over yourself John.
I made a fair critique of your piece that badly misconstrues Trump and the NSS. The Cotler article doesn’t negate this, all it suggests is that you do know the dangers - and yet you still wrote a tone deaf article that does indeed misrepresent the NSS. You do you.
I’m late to comment here, sorry, but one quibble. You say “In contrast, (to Poland) Venezuela adopted socialism”. In fact, Venezuela adopted corruption, not socialism. Socialism is not the villain here.
Sound commentary as usual!
And John, one thing you didn’t mention is that much of this has to do with Guyana’s oil, and Maduro’s threat to take it (for China). That offshore oil is far cheaper to produce than the incredibly expensive Orinoco heavy oil. Maracaibo is largely tapped out, and Guyana - possibly with European involvement- looks very good. The Americans don’t really need the oil, but they definitely want to stop China from stealing it
No reasonable person can argue that paving the way for free and fair elections is not a good idea. But the devil is in the details. I don’t believe that the OAS is capable of organizing itself to occupy the country while an election is planned, nor do I believe that the Venezuelan military would allow it to happen. Maduro has been removed. The Americans can put pressure on Rodriguez to achieve modest goals. The rest is up to the Venezuelan people
I didn’t argue the OAS should occupy the country; I argued the US should use the momentum it has already built up to guarantee free elections. After that, we are agreed, is up to the Venezuelans.
I agree completely. But doing that will be no easy task. Machado (and 9,000,000 Venezuelans who mostly support her) are not even in the country. And the anti-American military are in control. Baby steps, I suppose
Machado won the elections last year. tRump did not support her ad she took his peace prize.. Canada can support her return to democracy.. the longer America is involved the worse it will get.. good article
Implicit in your piece is that the US is by default actively interested in promoting democracy - it is not.
You’ve badly misinterpreted the US NSS which speaks to US domination of the Western Hemisphere (not real partnerships), and outlines European liberal democracy as a greater threat than China or Russia.
This US regime has switched sides - please, we must stop being apologists to their words, policies and actions. The fate of liberal democracies hinges on realizing this and acting on it now, not after it’s too late.
How many threats to other countries and its own citizens does the Trump regime have to make before folks understand our new reality and the dangers we face from an autocratic, authoritarian, undemocratic, imperial US regime?
If you have read anything I’ve written in the last year - which clearly you have not - you’d know I’m not a Trump apologist. Pointing out that his own strategy calls for creating conditions that allow it to become the economic and security partner OF CHOICE is not excusing his many excesses.
Ok, let me put it a different way because you clearly have focused on and taken offense to the term apologist.
A poor use of wording on my part I suppose (but I’d still call it apologist, just perhaps unintentionally so).
Instead, I’ll say this. Your article seems tone deaf to the moment. The Trump regime is authoritarian and very clearly intends to consolidate power in the US and throughout the Western Hemisphere. Democracy is not their friend, rather, it is an enemy to be destroyed, both at home and abroad. This is both implicitly and explicitly outlined in the NSS.
Promoting democracy and free elections abroad is a vestige of an America that no longer exists, an America of yesteryear and a post-WWII liberal democratic order of its own creation that the US is in the midst of dismantling.
Authoritarian regimes don’t view democracies as allies or in their best interest. As such, they seek to undermine them and replace them with like-minded sycophants. This is America today. This is the roadmap laid out in the NSS.
Writing as if American foreign policy is not now explicitly authoritarian, imperial and anti-democratic is tone deaf to the moment.
Ps, “excesses” is a strange word to use to describe what Trump and his regime are undertaking and the damage they have wrought and assuredly are about wreak on the western hemisphere and the rest of the world. A decidedly unserious, almost flippant and dismissive descriptor for his actions. I can’t help but think you are continuing to view the world with a post WWII lens and are stuck in the default assumption that the US remains the defender of democracy and the “free world.”
All I’m suggesting in my commentary is that the narrative has moved well beyond the post WWII liberal democratic order that we’ve all taken for granted.
Promoting and supporting democracy is antithetical to America’s Donroe Doctrine.
So why write an article that doesn’t acknowledge this reality or suggests otherwise?
Not to prolong the beating but perhaps read this: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/john-ivison-dark-days-look-120020212.html
“Prolong the beating”? Please. Get over yourself John.
I made a fair critique of your piece that badly misconstrues Trump and the NSS. The Cotler article doesn’t negate this, all it suggests is that you do know the dangers - and yet you still wrote a tone deaf article that does indeed misrepresent the NSS. You do you.
Thanks for the chat.
I’m late to comment here, sorry, but one quibble. You say “In contrast, (to Poland) Venezuela adopted socialism”. In fact, Venezuela adopted corruption, not socialism. Socialism is not the villain here.