South of Hatch

2026

Venezuela

 Trump read the lengthy statement that had been prepared for him on the invasion of Venezuela.  When he then began to speak for himself it was his usual litany of fantasy and lies, with little reference to the subject of the press conference.  He droned on about the use of the military in American cities, declaring among other things that Washington D.C. was now the safest city in the country.

Trump declared an intention to run Venezuela and to take over and profit from Venzuelan oil.  He was dismissive of a possible role for opposition leader Maria Machado and indicated that the Venezuelan Vice President might be made the country's puppet president.  The likelihood seems high that the fifteen thousand troops on ships now off Venezuela will be used to secure the country's oil infrastructure.

Rubio, standing to Trump's right looked uncomfortable and impatient throughout Trump's statement.  His own brief contribution was as a cheerleader, without reference to the looming disastrous diplomatic fallout in Latin America and around the world.  Trump, during Rubio's presentation, looked like he was asleep on his feet.

Trump's action in Venezuela is not unparalleled in U.S. history, but perhaps the closest resemblance is to Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935.  Trump's historical awareness probably does not extend that far back. 

 

 

  It also seems doubtful that he is conscious of the fact that in 1945 it all ended badly for il duce.

See Paul Krugman's take on Trump's prospects of getting what he wants out of his Venzuela adventure.

A New Year

Gathering

Perspective

 The headlines about the most recent mass shootings have faded away.  No one, however, will be surprised by the appearance of the next ones.

Meanwhile, if the news media want useful information for their consumers, perhaps these facts will seem appropriate for a daily headline:

"Every day, 125 people in the United States are killed with guns, twice as many are shot and wounded, and countless others are impacted by acts of gun violence."

That is from the Every Town for Gun Safety website.  Any of the search engines will verity the figures.

In the wake of Bondi Beach slaughter, I was impressed by the response of Australia's leaders who apologized for losing momentum against the deluge of guns and announced a massive buy-back campaign.  In the U.S. it seems the best we can hope for ere expressions sorrow at the events.  Some State legislators strive to do more, but cowardness and greed remain triumphant.

See Wikipedia for a breakdown of the stats.

Tingley Pond