Venezuela
Is Venezuela lost for decades? Is it going to become a full blown pariah state? The opposition leader Guido seems like a
Most TV Shows and Movies being in English combined with all EU countries taking English as an elective like Spanish here
Everyone speaks English. It is still likely that the promised skilled labor will be attracted to an Anglophone country, all else being equal.
That is one of the UKs and Irelands big advanteges
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/29...
American Airlines restarting flights to Venezuela. It's been my dream to go there.
Well, when I say "the left" I am doing it in an American sense, so I am certainly including Social Democrats. I understand the Overton Window is so shifted in Europe to the left (or US tot the right depending on your perspective) that you dont consider Social Democrats left per se. The whole "Europe remilitarizing" thing seems like a complete non starter. For all their rheto
I don't see a particularly big problem with a trade deal with the world's biggest democracy. Things can change, when that happens - so can trade deals.
European countries are always going do extensive trade with the world over and rely on it, it has been one defining characteristics of European history, economics and politics for millennia. Sure, the odd populist pops up and argues in favor of isolationism, but it never works because very few European countries have a geography that lends itself to such policy, and as geographical bloc it certainly does not. In the cases where the populists do get to power, their promises on that issue never materialize, because political suicide and economic ruin of your nation is not appealing legacy.
I would agree that manufacturing and agriculture should be at levels that ensures economic viability also in uncertain times. However, with the fall of western hegemony now a reality, that is simply the the new reality of international politics which very few European politicians are unaware of. However, this is a continent of some 50 sovereign states (depending on how you count them), and will be resolved, like most such matters, in a grand ponderous herd that will be somewhat absurd to watch for an American.
And no, social democrats are very much on the left. However, viewing the left as a singular bloc in European politics is misguided at best. For example, it would not make sense if you want to divide into which blocs are "pro-US" or "anti-US", because that divide does not follow "right vs left".
Your post seem mostly to be an argument in favor of American-style conservatism. For American conservatives to make that a convincing sell, you guys need to make it work in your own country first. For two (non-consecutive) terms under new American conservatism with control over all government branches and extreme centralization of power, the outcome has been division, unrest, corruption and economic downturns. I know American conservatives likes to blame it on their opposition, but that is abdication of responsibility. Everyone has political opposition.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/29...
American Airlines restarting flights to Venezuela. It's been my dream to go there.
buy low!
Recent CNN article on the happenings in Venezuela.
It seems like the Trump admin's approach might be that it's better just to work with the regime/Rodriguez who they obviously have leverage with than to push for democracy which brings about unknowns.
My guess is that taking out Maduro never had anything to do with installing democracy.
Recent CNN article on the happenings in Venezuela.
It seems like the Trump admin's approach might be that it's better just to work with the regime/Rodriguez who they obviously have leverage with than to push for democracy which brings about unknowns.
Rubio pretty much said exactly this a couple weeks ago. I dont think it is an accident that Rodriguez was made the oil czar in 2024 and in a little over a year Maduro was deposed and she took control of the govt. I am not even saying this is a bad thing, just pointing out what seems to have happened.
My understanding is under Chavez/Maduro the oil industry mostly fell apart due to incompetence and there isn't going to be any investment to build it back up anytime soon until things markedly improve.
But the first part of this is having all the heavy crude that is still being produced (a fraction of what was before Chavez/Maduro) sent to the US for processing before being sent to China. And cutting off Cuba/Iran/Russia completely from the process.
My guess is that taking out Maduro never had anything to do with installing democracy.
I hate to be overly cynical, but in the entire time the U.S. has been a world power, I doubt there has ever been a push for regime change by the United States that was truly about installing democracy. Western-friendly authoritarian regimes usually are easier for a country like the U.S. to use to its advantage than democracies are.
Rubio pretty much said exactly this a couple weeks ago. I dont think it is an accident that Rodriguez was made the oil czar in 2024 and in a little over a year Maduro was deposed and she took control of the govt. I am not even saying this is a bad thing, just pointing out what seems to have happened. My understanding is under Chavez/Maduro the oil industry mostly fell apart
I doubt oil companies are rushing to invest heavily in a country which for the foreseeable future is going to be one election / coup away from nationalizing their investments.
I hate to be overly cynical, but in the entire time the U.S. has been a world power, I doubt there has ever been a push for regime change by the United States that was truly about installing democracy. Western-friendly authoritarian regimes usually are easier for a country like the U.S. to use to its advantage than democracies are.
This is way too cynical. I think for a long time the US, and other western nations, thought if they could incorporate the third world into Pax America and bring free markets, industry and technology, they would invariably turn into western style democracies. They sincerely thought it would be inevitable if the conditions were right.
However history proved this to be way too optimistic for how third world societies, and really human nature itself, operates.
Now that the western world understands the third world is going to third world no matter what, it’s about making pragmatic decisions with regards to non democratic, and in many cases horrible, institutions.
Dun, you really think America cosied up to Saddam's Iraq or Pinochet's Chile to install democracy? I don't think it's unduly cynical to opine "no" to this question.
work with a bunch of venezuelans - they say that nothing has changed post maduro
The more I learn about what the u.s. does and has done on the geopolitical stage, the more I'm turning into victor.
I've been watching the Netflix doc on the cold war and we weren't exactly the good guys.
Always has been, we were an angry nation from the start.
More recent foreign policy has been all about maximizing the post-WWII leverage that America lucked into.
welcome Tovarish
This is way too cynical. I think for a long time the US, and other western nations, thought if they could incorporate the third world into Pax America and bring free markets, industry and technology, they would invariably turn into western style democracies. They sincerely thought it would be inevitable if the conditions were right.
They may have believed that those countries would evolve into functional democracies over the long run, but they were happy enough to have an extended transition period of friendly authoritarianism.
