Strategic Culture Foundation
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Authored by Tim Kirby via The Strategic Culture Foundation:
Sadly we do not always get what we vote for. Donald Trump has decided to acknowledge the self-appointed leader of a particular foreign country in spite of it already having an elected leader, which sounds like the type of meddling that Trump said he was against. But, on the plus side at least this is better than the usual invasion + nation-building scenario we have seen in the past and that Trump promised to stop.
The country in question is Venezuela. Mr. Trump officially recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the nation’s new interim president instead of the elected Nicolas Maduro. The motivations behind such a move can be both overt and conscious but often it is what is in the subconscious that we ourselves do not even notice that is actually the key motivating factor in our decisions. There is a very emotional/ideological side to Venezuela that may be influencing “The Donald’s” decision.
After Israel/Palestine, Venezuela is one of the most emotionally divisive nations in the world for Westerners. People really strongly project their own values, beliefs and personal identity to certain political situations in certain nations.
When it comes to Israel, Western Liberals sympathize with the plight of the Palestinians who have been “colonized” by “white” people and are being systematically oppressed. For them this view of the situation confirms the victim culture that they hold so dear.
On the opposite side, Republicans identify with the Israelis as an oasis of Westerness in a desert of heathens. They see the Israelis like some sort of cowboys taming the Wild Mid-East.
This ability to identify with or project one’s identity onto the Israeli/Palestinian question is what makes people get into fiery internet arguments over an issue that they know nothing about having never been to Israel, speaking a local language and being only informed by the “objective” mainstream media.
Israel is a nation/narrative that speaks to many but for vastly different reasons.
Venezuela is not as “big” as Israel in terms of provoking online emotions from naive Westerners but it could be a close second. The quasi-Communist visuals, and “fight the man” attitude of the Chavez|Maduro era are repulsive to dog-eat-dog Republican types whereas the Starbucks swilling Liberal crowd in their Che Guevara T-shirts has tons of sympathy for the “poor victims of colonization” that are just trying to fight back against “oppression”.
For example, influential and respected conservative media giant Alex Jones calls Venezuela “Communist and Socialist” and more or less blames the country’s current struggles on their lack of Westernness. Venezuela does not act like “us” so they are clearly bad and poor because of it.
And, of course, on the other side “The Young Turks” pretty much blame American “Imperialism” for all the problems in Venezuela claiming that the failures of Venezuelan Socialism do not count because of American interference.
We can see the left/right, Liberal/Conservative dichotomy in action when Caracas is in question. But there is one thing the Mainstream Media and Youtubers seem to not understand.
Systemically, Venezuela is not very different from the majority of the countries in the world including the West.
Despite all this talk of Communism and wearing red berets the only thing that is uniquely Soviet about the nation’s constitution is a right to work and housing which were featured in the Stalin constitution of 1936. However, in the very same “Communist” Venezuelan document, when speaking about workers rights we see…
“Article 89.4: Any measure or act on the part of an employer in violation of this Constitution is null and void, and of no effect.”
Yes the word “employer” meaning employer in the Capitalist sense. In fact nowhere do we see anything about “seizing the means of production” or giving rights to “the working class” as we did with the Stalin constitution. Additionally if you even bother to open Google maps you will see there are Western capitalist businesses all over the nation including good ole McDonald’s. You can package a product anyway you want but it doesn’t change the core product and most of this “Socialism” that divides Western thought on Venezuela is merely window dressing. Attention Western pundits, journalists and bloggers!
Venezuela is NOT COMMUNIST.
That nation has a Liberal constitution founded on individual rights in the Western tradition. What it does have is some “workers’ liberation” propaganda and a few government projects smeared on top of this solid Liberal cake. The current Venezuelan constitution was written during the Chavez era itself and yet is still fundamentally Western. In fact all over the EU we see Liberal constitutions with Socialist window dressing. Venezuela is hardly unique in this position.
The key reason for this dissonance has to do with the fact that what is appealing to the Venezuelan people is not very appealing to Washington. Latin America has a lot of gripes with the US for brutality and regime changes during the Cold War. “Fighting the big evil oppressor” and having a country “for the people” are things that commoners can rally around. This marketing strategy worked fantastic for Chavez giving him the popularity of a demigod. However, this sort of red banner quasi-Marxist marketing does not suit President Trump. It is exactly the type of advertising to make the current US leader despise you.
Venezuela’s internal advertising could be forgiven if it were not such an “uppity” nation that actually tries to pursue an independent policy. This stands in direct contradiction to what some see as Trump’s “Fortress America” policy of trying to pull bring American influence and interests back to the Western Hemisphere while at the same time completely and unquestioningly dominating it.
So motivation behind the Trump recognition of Guaido really boils down to three points.
1. Trump finds the Chavez-Maduro “narrative/marketing” repulsive.
2. Venezuela is too uppity and too independent in its politics.
3. Leaders like Maduro are a direct barrier to building “Fortress America”.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Whether Trump endorses Miss Piggy Guaido or not, is irrelevant. The Venezuelan military and Russia will make sure that democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro will stay in power in Venezuela.
No, ‘democratically elected’ is not quite correct. Maduro has impeded many from voting (sound familiar?)and the official opposition in the Asamblea General has been has been rendered powerless.
Other countries might have different approaches and thoughts about what is “democratic” and what is not. The Anglo-American world certainly does not own the copyright to this word or idea. It is not an Anglo invention. The idea of democracy was “invented” in ancient Greece, long before the USA was even founded. Now the US and the whole holy “West” want to tell the world what is democratic and what is not? Most people laugh about those pretentions.
Agreed. No government today is as ‘democratic’ as it was in Ancient Athens where the men voted their leaders directly into power. There were no lobbyists, political parties, and no CONNEDgress. It was assumed that if you were allowed to vote you would be sufficiently educated to do so correctly and responsibly. And by education I’m referring to the ability to recognise fallacies, rhetoric and logic. Vastly different to today’s ignorant, petulant and narcissistic population that has never been properly educated in higher thinking and doesn’t even know it.
No one told the opposition to boycott the elections. They had their chance but didn’t have the votes. And what about the years of attempted coups, and sanctions, and currency wars, and sabotage of Venezuela’s oil infrastructure by the the U.S. You’re spouting nonsense Vera.
I agree.
President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores do not give a damn about Miss Piggy Guaido and US concerns about “democracy”. They were seen dancing Salsa and Maduro playing the bongo drum, on January 26 in Caracas. Bravo! Adelante!
Venezuela has learned a lot from Turkey, Iran, Russia and China.
Expelling US diplomats is not so good, the US might take it as a starting point for war.
The Venezuelan Government could take assymetric measures: shut off electric power to US embassy in Caracas, or at least frequent power failures. Shut off water, or even better: send in dirty water from the Caracas sewers. Plug up the sewer system to embassy, shut down the internet of the embassy, etc …
Maybe the Wagner contractors, who recently arrived from Cuba, will have some new ideas?
Refusing to put yourself forward is not being impeded.
(sound familiar?)like the Ukraine where they immediately declared the people that voted for Yanukovych where terrorists and exclude tem from voting and political parties where forbiden from
participating or the US where in many states people that did
prison time can’t vote or people have to work and can’t afford a day off because they need the money or lose their job?
Maduro has impeded many from voting
and that is US propaganda also known as a lie
6 candidates competed in the last Presidential election in Venezuela on May 20, 2018. Maduro won by a wide margin, with 67.84% of the vote, beating his closest rival by more then 3 to 1 margin. Henri Falcon came in second place, with 20.93% of the vote. Elections were observed by 150 officials and journalists, including 14 electoral commissions and 2 technical electoral commissions from 8 countries. None of the participating candidates contested the results. No evidence of fraud was ever presented.
Political meddling and resource theft ~ what else!! Like every other Zio-liar ZOG-Yank Deep-State NWO-Swamp puppet President.
Excellent article. Suddenly I see what the war against Venezuela is all about. Absolutely nothing. Might have guessed.
There is no US war against Venezuela because the Russian military is there. Against the Russians, the coward US duck down. Loudmouthed bullies, that’s what they are. Lots of shouting and threatening, zero results.
economic war and supporting/creating a so called opposition is
But then the US has always viewed governments not willing to bow to it’s orders as un-democratic.
Rubbish! Why is the Duran publishing this puerile nonsense? Can’t you get someone to discus Venezuela in a more adult, reality based manner?
The author writes:
” … this sort of red banner quasi-Marxist marketing does not suit President Trump. It is exactly the type of advertising to make the current US leader despise you.”
Venezuela and lots of other countries do not give a fig about what suits Trump. They follow their own agenda, and they have a right of doing so. They could not care less, whether Trump despises them or not.
Who is Trump? Just one more in a long series of US Presidents, nothing more, nothing less. Today in power, tomorrow gone.
truth is puerile nonsense?
Looking to add another ass kisser to the Yankee collection. I don’t fully agree with Maduro but still, it is an internal affair. But of course, how can the US miss a chance to meddle…
It may be an internal affair but it is wholly the creation of US sanctions against Venezuela. USA is directly responsible for the dire economic situation in Venezuela and not Maduro!.
In short, Trump’s motivation is the same as all other presidents that have preceded him – stealing another country’s natural resources for the benefit of USA!.
Normski, you have summed it up concisely. Thank you!
For example, influential and respected conservative media giant Alex Jones calls Venezuela “Communist and Socialist” and more or less blames the country’s current struggles on their lack of Westernness. Venezuela does not act like “us” so they are clearly bad and poor because of it. This is so true I have seen it myself when visiting Northern Europe. The American people look down their noses at the local people.
Lack of “westernness”?
Cuba is also a part of the so-called “West”, and it has a Communist government. US citizens being intolerant and looking down their noses at people who are different, this is exactly what makes them so unpleasant and unwelcome most everywhere. If they cannot stand how other people live, they should stay home – and build a wall all around the USA quickly, so nobody “different” can come in.
The manufactured crisis and attempted coup in Venezuela is following the same pattern as Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador, except with more violence- and on the path to becoming another Ukraine, or worse- namely Syria, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan or Yemen. As an American, I’m angry and embarrassed that our so-called ‘democratic’ political system gives such power to the elites and the leaders they appoint, and that they cause such damage to the rest of the world. I support everyone who tries to fight that system and their resistance, but at the same time realize that we must take responsibility for the… Read more »
The author ignores the most obvious point on the dissonant feelings for Venezuela in the US: the fear of socialism and communism runs so deep in America that nobody takes the trouble to first find out exactly what communism and socialism are. That is largely the fault of earlier US admins that made “fighting communism” their agenda and vilifying socialism a means to placate the deprived masses. A better way would be to first ask the question why would they do it that way (the communist or socialist way) and find out what is positive and what is negative about… Read more »
Dissonant feelings for Venezuela in the US is their prerogative but dissonant meddling in internal affairs of Venezuela is forbidden. If the US government does not understand this, Russian bomber jets, stationed in the Venezuelan island of La Orchilla, and Wagner military, recently arrived in Venezuela, will have to show the US meddlers the way out … Nothing to see here, gentlemen, keep moving. Go home and stay behind your big, tall, long, strong wall. Whether the US likes communism or not is their own affair. It does not give the US government the right to coerce Venezuela to adopt… Read more »
compare to capitalism the capitalists don’t want that lest the working clas in their own countries realise there is a better alternative for capitalism
Israel is sitting in our congress, all the congress people have been paid big money to do what Israel wants and to make it unlawful to criticize Israel, Trumps buddies because his son in law is a first class Jew. Trump does some good things but he also does some rotten stuff too.
the self-appointed leader of a particular foreign country
more like a US-appointed leader