US Politics

[Forest Hillbilly]

wow, there's a lot of middle-aged bald men, with beards. Just admit you're losing your hair, and have a shave. They are baldness deniers

I notice that Crooks, who attempted to shoot Trump, (but hit his ear,) was shot dead at the scene, so we don't have clear motivation. However, it would seem plausible Crooks political empathies were probably left-wing.

Ironic that right-wing politicians are often described as 'far'. And yet left-wing terrorists seem to evade extremist adjectives

 

[Spindle]

Talking of extremism. This is the biggest bit of socialism that Americans love to reject - their own healthcare. And we even have mugs here want to replace the NHS with private.

Americans brace to start New Year without healthcare - BBC News

More than 20 million Americans are preparing for steeper healthcare costs in the New Year because of expiring subsidies.

www.bbc.com

 

[Wisbech Eagle]

Maybe try to remember that next time you bring up an irrelevant story from your life. 👍

I try to ensure any personal experience I relate as evidence is relevant to the discussion. That some fail to make the connections is their problem.

 

[Stirlingsays]

Talk of American helicopters over Caracas as the US Air Force carries out airstrikes on Venezuelan military bases.

Are there troops on those helicopters? Is this an attempt at an in and out directed strike on leadership? Not seeing another reason for helicopters in this use case.

Though in the modern day with AI there always needs to be the acknowledgement that videos can be faked or used from different conflicts and times.

But the number of reports and videos suggests that an attack has taken place.

 

[Ouzo Dan]

Talk of American helicopters over Caracas as the US Air Force carries out airstrikes on Venezuelan military bases.

Are there troops on those helicopters? Is this an attempt at an in and out directed strike on leadership? Not seeing another reason for helicopters in this use case.

Though in the modern day with AI there always needs to be the acknowledgement that videos can be faked or used from different conflicts and times.

But the number of reports and videos suggests that an attack has taken place.

I'm just getting up to speed with what's been going on over the past hour.

These preemptive strikes by the US have been coming for a while so it's not much of a surprise, their justification for it is on proper shaky ground but when has that ever stopped a good war?

Venezuela have been caught completely by surprise, anti air defence are non existent from what I've seen so far.
As for the Chinooks that have been spotted on various videos on X they carry equipment and men, I'd say we're watching a coup unfolding in real time, I'd hazard a guess we're going to get news Maduro is either captured/dead or he's escaped in the next couple of hours

 

[Runningman]

Starmer to announce all Venezuelan refugees welcome.

 

[Common Sense Club]

I'm just getting up to speed with what's been going on over the past hour.

These preemptive strikes by the US have been coming for a while so it's not much of a surprise, their justification for it is on proper shaky ground but when has that ever stopped a good war?

Venezuela have been caught completely by surprise, anti air defence are non existent from what I've seen so far.
As for the Chinooks that have been spotted on various videos on X they carry equipment and men, I'd say we're watching a coup unfolding in real time, I'd hazard a guess we're going to get news Maduro is either captured/dead or he's escaped in the next couple of hours

From my uneducated view I would be surprised if they were American helicopters. Surely something quicker and less targetable would be the preferred method of any attack. My guess would be that they are Venezuelan removing themselves from a targeted area. If in fact the video is genuine…

 

[Spiderman]

Starmer to announce all Venezuelan refugees welcome.

To join the thousands of Ecuadoreans who have been coming over via Spain! Apparently they can’t stay in Spain as it’s full of South Americans ( their words not mine)

 

[Forest Hillbilly]

And if that weren't enough, now making direct threats to Iran. The USA wants regime change there, so another dodgy excuse being cultivated

 

[Common Sense Club]

And if that weren't enough, now making direct threats to Iran. The USA wants regime change there, so another dodgy excuse being cultivated

If the USA wants regime, the UK is probably number 3 on the list!

 

[beak]

Starmer to announce all Venezuelan refugees welcome.

If it is a successful coup I can't see the need for refugees. Unsuccessful it is a possibility but only until order is restored.

 

[Common Sense Club]

If it is a successful coup I can't see the need for refugees. Unsuccessful it is a possibility but only until order is restored.

CBS reporting that Trump ordered military strikes…stand by for marches against the action in London and around the world.

 

[Ouzo Dan]

From my uneducated view I would be surprised if they were American helicopters. Surely something quicker and less targetable would be the preferred method of any attack. My guess would be that they are Venezuelan removing themselves from a targeted area. If in fact the video is genuine…

Venezuela doesn't have Chinooks, the only reason Chinooks would be seen over Venezuela is because the US are dropping special forces.

This could potentially be a refugee rescue although my gut says the US have some pretty solid intel on Maduro & this is what were seeing.

 

[Stirlingsays]

I'm just getting up to speed with what's been going on over the past hour.

These preemptive strikes by the US have been coming for a while so it's not much of a surprise, their justification for it is on proper shaky ground but when has that ever stopped a good war?

Venezuela have been caught completely by surprise, anti air defence are non existent from what I've seen so far.
As for the Chinooks that have been spotted on various videos on X they carry equipment and men, I'd say we're watching a coup unfolding in real time, I'd hazard a guess we're going to get news Maduro is either captured/dead or he's escaped in the next couple of hours

All the bluster aside, I can't really see the point of what Trump is doing.

This isn't the way to get a pro US regime in Venezuela, but maybe they think that taking out some and weakening the regime that they will topple it.

My experience tells me that you need over-whelming force to topple the regime and small actions like this ...rather than create an insurgency, just pull the fractions together against the attacker.

Not really convinced that Venezuela is worth all this expenditure and risk.....but I hear that Rubio is really the force behind the focus on Venezuela.

Maybe they know better and have something up their sleeve.

 

[Common Sense Club]

Venezuela doesn't have Chinooks, the only reason Chinooks would be seen over Venezuela is because the US are dropping special forces.

This could potentially be a refugee rescue although my gut says the US have some pretty solid intel on Maduro & this is what seeing.

Cheers, that would now make more sense.

 

[Stirlingsays]

Venezuela doesn't have Chinooks, the only reason Chinooks would be seen over Venezuela is because the US are dropping special forces.

This could potentially be a refugee rescue although my gut says the US have some pretty solid intel on Maduro & this is what were seeing.

I imagine that if they used special forces that would have had to have been in the first hour for maximum surprise. If it happened it would be over already and on their way back.

Otherwise you'd have somewhat of a 'Black Hawk Down' Mogadishu situation.

 

[Frenchaigle]

So much for ‘ no more foreign wars ‘
So much for I don’t start wars .
Yeah sure Venezuela is run by a dictator who lost his last election .
Trump is the same swamp dweller as the previous .
It’s all about the oil right .

 

[Ouzo Dan]

I imagine that if they used special forces that would have had to have been in the first hour for maximum surprise. If it happened it would be over already and on their way back.

Otherwise you'd have somewhat of a 'Black Hawk Down' Mogadishu situation.

It's relatively quiet over Venezuela now so I think you're right whatever the op was it's likely over already & the videos we saw of the Chinooks were US forces exfiltrating.

To your other post, the CIA amongst others have been operating in Venezuela for a while, maybe they have some puppet government lined up already.
We've seen this kind of action before in Mogadishu & that ended up a disaster.

Cuba & Iran are next though.

Roughly 6 weeks ago, the US got info Maduro was on an internal flight & actually hacked the headset of the captain & offered him $50m if he'd change course & land in Puerto Rico where Maduro would be arrested, the captain turned down the offer but a wild story all the same.

 

[Ouzo Dan]

So much for ‘ no more foreign wars ‘
So much for I don’t start wars .
Yeah sure Venezuela is run by a dictator who lost his last election .
Trump is the same swamp dweller as the previous .
It’s all about the oil right .

Maduro captured

 

[Stirlingsays]

Maduro captured

Wow.

That's a massive success operationally.....though I suspect there were losses.

It's going to be chaos in Venezuela.