Trump says he’s not ruling out military option against Venezuela

[Daedius]

What happened to Trump being a selfish a-hole who doesn't care about anyone else, just money and profit? Socialism is evil, the people in Venezuela are literally starving to death because of it.. doing something would just be humane.

No it ain't, people are evil... there has been no true socialism, they've all led to dictatorships, totalitarian or authoritarian governments because people are so easily corrupt.

That being said, there are plenty of governments that integrate socialist elements to great effect.

[Nadiru]

No it ain't, people are evil... there has been no true socialism, they've all led to dictatorships, totalitarian or authoritarian governments because people are so easily corrupt.

That being said, there are plenty of governments that integrate socialist elements... such as welfare.

Welfare systems are capitalist institutions; they are how capitalist societies regulate the poor.

[Deleted]

No it ain't, people are evil... there has been no true socialism, they've all led to dictatorships, totalitarian or authoritarian governments because people are so easily corrupt.

That being said, there are plenty of governments that integrate socialist elements to great effect.

This is because socialism is against human nature:O Havent you figured that out yet? The only way to achieve it is through dictatorship and this always leads to mass deaths and suffering.

[Pengekaer]

The very notion of a military solution not being off the table is just plain dumb. Venezuela is only a threat to her own people, and only because the people were dumb enough to hand over the power to the socialist party.

What is a military campaign even supposed to do? Make the venezuelans more competent? Fat chance. The reason its ridiculous to even talk of the military is that Venezuela does not present a military problem, just a case of bad governance.

If they make market reforms, and work really, really hard, then perhaps their children, even in this generation, will get to eat 3 proper meals a day. Little more to it.

[Shadowferal]

o...Trump threatening someone/something...must be Tuesday...or something.
Probably realized what a load of shit threatening NK...McConnell...and anyone really...is.

[Independent voter]

Maduro and his lackies are in the process of re-writing the Venezuelan constitution right now. Maduro means to stay in office forever like Putin.

[Pengekaer]

Maduro and his lackies are in the process of re-writing the Venezuelan constitution right now. Maduro means to stay in office forever like Putin.

Yes, isn't it just puzzling that the citizens are letting them do it ? :O

[Taso]

Yes, isn't it just puzzling that the citizens are letting them do it ? :O

A good number of citizens don't want it. The opposition doesn't want it. The only people I can assume to give him the power are the real poor but otherwise he is able to do it because of the military.

[Dr Assbandit]

Watch as his ardent fans hail this as the action of an alpha strongman even though they were the loudest voices screaming about Hillary being a warhawk .

I think the word hypocrisy has been sufficiently raped and has lost all meaning by now.

[Deleted]

Yes, isn't it just puzzling that the citizens are letting them do it ? :O

The citizens most certainly aren't. But they can't do much against Maduro's Police, backed by the majority of the Armed Forces.

[XDurionX]

I have to say, for YEARS I've resented this question even being asked.

Asking of the _______ option (usually military option) is off the table by a reporter has the implicit presumption that it should be.

But the President of the United States, or hell anybody in a position that needs negotiating leverage about anything should NEVER take any option off the table. That's giving away something for nothing. That's broadcasting intentions. That's not how any kind of negotiation or agenda-setting works.

This question just needs to get shot to death and set on fire. Nothing should be off the table publicly, ever, even if it is not seriously considered privately. Strategic ambiguity is a powerful tool our weirdly voyeuristic society has no appreciation of.

No, we should not bomb Venezuela. But nobody should know we're not going to do that for sure except the President and his national security team. Everybody else, it should be a big question mark, just like every other case. Limiting options? Insanity.

We're talking about someone boasting on Twitter here. Trump'd take a little insignificant boost to his ego over the nation's safety any day.

[cordrann]

Why? keep it around as an example of how not to govern, and what socialism does to a country when it reaches it's crescendo.

Yeah, its totally the socialism bringing them down and not the massive government corruption.

[Theinquisition]

Yeah, its totally the socialism bringing them down and not the massive government corruption.

Socialism gives the government enormous power, so it hands the corrupt the keys to the castle.

[cuafpr]

b.c. you can't rule it out ?????

[Noomz]

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/0...nezuela-241553

But WHY? Does this guy think he can just threaten with the US Army and use it to solve all problems?
And yeah what the fuck happened to "America First"? Now he wants to meddle more and be world police by threatening a country over its internal affairs?

[kasuke06]

I'm missing the problem here. A shrewd negotiator always keeps all their options open unless specifically disqualified through other negotiations(I'll take X out of the equation if you can do Y for me).

So why is this bad?

[sarahtasher]

I'm missing the problem here. A shrewd negotiator always keeps all their options open unless specifically disqualified through other negotiations(I'll take X out of the equation if you can do Y for me).

So why is this bad?

Because, again....

A)An intervention will cost trillions of dollars
B)An intervention will kill thousands of Venezuelans and generally wreck their lives (please, don't pretend that Venezuelans are a threat to the US. FFS, don't). It's not going to help them. Th
C)Like in Iran for that matter, the opposition to Maduro is trying (quite logically) to present themselves as patriotic Venezuelans-not pawns of the CIA. (They are quite likely patriotic Venezuelans, but Maduro present them as CIA agents). The United States threatening Venezuela harms them.

[GreenJesus]

You guys. He was asked a question by a reporter if something was off the table. He didn't go up on a table and declare, "We are going to nuke Venezuela". Seriously guys, you are just hating on Trump for no reason right now (in this case).

[Darsithis]

Probably better in our politics forum, where we have another thread: http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...y-Intervention