Rick Scott has a few words to say (annotated)
I am not interested in “nation-building.” [very interested in nation-destroying, though] And as a Navy veteran, I am very cautious when it comes to the idea of using military force. I hate to disappoint those who want the United States to right all the world’s wrongs, but long ago I came to terms with the fact that we cannot do that.
I do want the United States to continue to be a beacon of hope and freedom, but we simply cannot commit military forces unless we absolutely must.
Which brings me to Venezuela. I was at the border between Colombia and Venezuela a few weeks ago. What is happening in Venezuela is a human tragedy. Let’s look at the facts:
here we go...
The United Nations estimates that 3.4 million refugees have fled the country. Almost 90 percent of the population lives in poverty, and shortages of food and medicine are becoming desperate.
How do sanctions help? How does an embargo help? How does refusing to buy Venezuelan oil help? How does trying to distribute aid through an illegitimate government help? How does preventing them from renegotiating loans help?
This is a man-made crisis. [You're getting warmer!] Nicolás Maduro, the ruthless dictator of Venezuela, is killing his own citizens, including women and children. Venezuela has a legitimate constitutional leader: Juan Guaidó, who, as president of the National Assembly, the last democratically elected body in the country, is constitutionally required to serve as interim president [for three months] until new free and fair elections take place. President Trump has skillfully [
] called the world’s attention to the situation, and has amassed the support of more than 50 countries that recognize Guaidó as the legitimate president.
As an aside, Democrats would do well to study Venezuela as they contemplate their current flirtation with the most discredited idea from the 20th century: socialism.
Which Democratic politician suggests we have a single commodity economy vulnerable to global crashes? Or price controls? I could just as easily say that during perestroika capitalism became the most discredited idea of the 20st century and I would be lying just as much.
But, as I said, it is not the United States’ job to send our young men and women into harm’s way to right all of the world’s wrongs. So even if you conclude that the above list of facts does not justify the intervention of the United States, there is a massive and far-reaching problem I haven’t mentioned yet: our own self-interest.
Venezuela is in our hemisphere. Russian troops are already in Venezuela. [You have been talking about invading Venezuela! Why do you think they're there?]
Do you think it would be in our national interest to allow the Russians — or the Cubans, the Iranians or Chinese — to install military bases there? Naval ports? Should we allow Hezbollah to roam free? [Russia and China have had good relations with Venezuela for years and this hasn't happened yet. But anyway, what does this mean: should we bomb the Chinese military base in Djibouti?]
We must do all in our power to ensure that doesn’t happen.
Similarly, we don’t want a Syria in our hemisphere — a place where foreign powers and terrorist groups can set up camp and sow discord throughout the continent. [Then stop trying to overthrow the government in power or start a civil war!] Consider the ramifications this would have for our southern border [
] and for the stability of the United States. This is not complicated.
There used to be a thing called the Monroe Doctrine; it was taught in history classes. President James Monroe made it clear in 1823 in his annual speech to Congress that the Western Hemisphere was closed to future colonization, and any attempt by a foreign power to oppress or control any nation in the Western Hemisphere would be viewed as a hostile act against the United States.
Steal a third of your territory and intervene in your neighbor's business 41 times. "It's anti-colonialism."
To that I say: amen. I have no interest in dictating anything to the people of Venezuela [
]. But I absolutely do believe we should dictate a few things to the Russians, the Cubans and the Chinese. No, we will not allow you to set up shop in Venezuela []. We will not allow you to take over that country [], and we will not allow you to establish any military presence in our hemisphere.
We should never allow another Cuba, and we must not stick our heads in the sand and pretend we don’t know what is going on.
In Zizek's voice: yes, I agree, but ironically.
When it comes to our security, the current migration crisis from Central America on our southern border will pale in comparison with the mass exodus the Maduro regime will unleash under the direction of Russia and Cuba. Dictators in Latin America have effectively used mass migration against the United States time and time again. [Wtf? Citations, please?!]
To be clear — I respect those who are cautious about the dangers of military intervention. I am generally among them. [Clearly you are fucking not!] But it’s time to also acknowledge that inaction can be an equally dangerous course, if not more so. Doing nothing always seems safe, though it can be the most reckless and irresponsible course.
If the cause of freedom is crushed in Venezuela, and it results in foreign powers establishing a launching pad and outpost there for their hostility against the United States, we will look back on the spring of 2019 and wonder how it is that we were so shortsighted, how we ignored the wisdom of President Monroe. I pray that is not the case.
If we don't start a civil war in a vulnerable country with an economic crisis, seize oil rights (you'll remember that the 2002 general strike and coup attempt was over the 33% oil royalty), dismantle all social programs, and place the government under a bondage and discipline IMF program in exchange for desperately needed loans, Chinese Huawei execs will intentionally send Karavans of poor indigenous people to our border like some kind of twisted tower defense game and Hezbollah will be one step closer to putting a shawarma truck on every street corner in America.
Rick Scott, get some help.
