US Imperialism Unleashed: Rogue State on the Loose
The UK's decision to restrict intelligence-sharing with the Pentagon on suspected drug-traffickers' boats in the Caribbean sends a clear message that Donald Trump's imperialist revival will no longer be tolerated without resistance. The repeated, lethal US airstrikes on alleged smugglers off Venezuela's coast have been widely condemned as extrajudicial killings amounting to murder.
The strikes appear to foreshadow direct US attacks on Venezuela itself, with Trump making no secret of his desire to topple Nicolás Maduro's authoritarian regime. However, most Venezuelans support this aim, but not the means. Regime change forcibly imposed by a foreign power contravenes international law, unless it is authorized by the UN or undertaken in self-defence as a last resort.
The US lacks a persuasive justification for war, despite Trump's fanciful portrayal of Maduro and Latin American cartel bosses as "narco-terrorists" with whom he deems the US to be at war. However, Trump believes that he and his country are above the law, that might makes right. This is exactly the kind of brash, monarchic imperialism that the New World colonists famously rebelled against.
The self-aggrandising, regionally expansionist outlook of the second Trump administration is a manifestation of the new era of state lawlessness that has taken hold around the world. The concept of a common rulebook and joint action to tackle shared global problems has been scorned. In Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has taken state lawlessness to new extremes, and no one seems able or willing to stop him.
The anticipated US assault on Venezuela could trigger imminently, with Trump seemingly having no plan for the country's future. Like George W Bush in Iraq in 2003, he appears to think that functioning democracy will magically materialise in a post-coup Caracas. However, he does not value representative governance per se – nor the security and prosperity of Venezuelans.
A questionable precedent is being bruited about in Washington, recalling the 1989 US invasion of Panama, which overthrew Manuel Noriega's dictator. Trump should beware, as Operation Just Cause was not straightforward. Several hundred civilians, and some US troops, died. Venezuela is a much bigger, less easily subjugated country.
Problems of state lawlessness in the Middle East centre principally on Israel and Iran. Forced reluctantly into a Gaza ceasefire, Benjamin Netanyahu's violence-addicted regime is seeking new targets. Record numbers of mostly unchecked, unpunished Jewish settler attacks on West Bank Palestinians recall genocidal Israeli actions in Gaza.
A repeat bout of unprovoked, US-backed Israeli aggression would be another instance of extreme state lawlessness. Yet who would stop it? Not the UN. Not the international courts. Not a cowed Europe, nor Trump-appeasing Arab states. A similarly woeful saga of fecklessness, indifference and impotence could unfold if, say, China were to invade Taiwan.
This is the world as it is now. Rampant state lawlessness finds ultimate expression in an accelerating global nuclear weapons race unconstrained by arms control treaties or common sense. Trump is resuming nuclear tests; Putin is following suit. Xi Jinping flaunts China's atomic arsenal; Netanyahu conceals Israel's. Indian and Pakistani leaders threaten mutual destruction. North Korea's Kim Jong-un is building nukes like there's no tomorrow.
The rogues' gallery of state sponsors of violence has grown to alarming proportions, threatening global security with each passing day. They're all rogue states now – and they could get us all killed.
The UK's decision to restrict intelligence-sharing with the Pentagon on suspected drug-traffickers' boats in the Caribbean sends a clear message that Donald Trump's imperialist revival will no longer be tolerated without resistance. The repeated, lethal US airstrikes on alleged smugglers off Venezuela's coast have been widely condemned as extrajudicial killings amounting to murder.
The strikes appear to foreshadow direct US attacks on Venezuela itself, with Trump making no secret of his desire to topple Nicolás Maduro's authoritarian regime. However, most Venezuelans support this aim, but not the means. Regime change forcibly imposed by a foreign power contravenes international law, unless it is authorized by the UN or undertaken in self-defence as a last resort.
The US lacks a persuasive justification for war, despite Trump's fanciful portrayal of Maduro and Latin American cartel bosses as "narco-terrorists" with whom he deems the US to be at war. However, Trump believes that he and his country are above the law, that might makes right. This is exactly the kind of brash, monarchic imperialism that the New World colonists famously rebelled against.
The self-aggrandising, regionally expansionist outlook of the second Trump administration is a manifestation of the new era of state lawlessness that has taken hold around the world. The concept of a common rulebook and joint action to tackle shared global problems has been scorned. In Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has taken state lawlessness to new extremes, and no one seems able or willing to stop him.
The anticipated US assault on Venezuela could trigger imminently, with Trump seemingly having no plan for the country's future. Like George W Bush in Iraq in 2003, he appears to think that functioning democracy will magically materialise in a post-coup Caracas. However, he does not value representative governance per se – nor the security and prosperity of Venezuelans.
A questionable precedent is being bruited about in Washington, recalling the 1989 US invasion of Panama, which overthrew Manuel Noriega's dictator. Trump should beware, as Operation Just Cause was not straightforward. Several hundred civilians, and some US troops, died. Venezuela is a much bigger, less easily subjugated country.
Problems of state lawlessness in the Middle East centre principally on Israel and Iran. Forced reluctantly into a Gaza ceasefire, Benjamin Netanyahu's violence-addicted regime is seeking new targets. Record numbers of mostly unchecked, unpunished Jewish settler attacks on West Bank Palestinians recall genocidal Israeli actions in Gaza.
A repeat bout of unprovoked, US-backed Israeli aggression would be another instance of extreme state lawlessness. Yet who would stop it? Not the UN. Not the international courts. Not a cowed Europe, nor Trump-appeasing Arab states. A similarly woeful saga of fecklessness, indifference and impotence could unfold if, say, China were to invade Taiwan.
This is the world as it is now. Rampant state lawlessness finds ultimate expression in an accelerating global nuclear weapons race unconstrained by arms control treaties or common sense. Trump is resuming nuclear tests; Putin is following suit. Xi Jinping flaunts China's atomic arsenal; Netanyahu conceals Israel's. Indian and Pakistani leaders threaten mutual destruction. North Korea's Kim Jong-un is building nukes like there's no tomorrow.
The rogues' gallery of state sponsors of violence has grown to alarming proportions, threatening global security with each passing day. They're all rogue states now – and they could get us all killed.
The US actions towards Venezuela are literally unbelievable 
! Trump's behavior is so reckless and imperialistic it's like he thinks the world revolves around him 
. I mean, come on, who does that?! 
And let's talk about the people of Venezuela, they deserve better than to be invaded and destabilized by a foreign power 
. We need leaders who actually care about the well-being of their citizens, not just themselves 
. This is exactly what the world needs less of – state lawlessness and more of diplomacy and cooperation 
it kinda makes u wonder if trump thinks he's above the law or somethin? 
idk about u but i'm lowkey scared for venezuela & latin america rn... can we pls just have some peace & stability 4 once? 
and yeah, it's not cool that he's being all reckless with his airstrikes, those people have rights too 
what about some actual diplomacy or collective action?! this whole state lawlessness thing is just getting absurd 
the world doesn't work that way, dude. we need some real leadership and accountability, not just a bunch of hot-headed tweeting and nuclear brinksmanship 
, I'm not saying Trump's a bad guy or anything but his approach just feels like imperial overreach at its finest...I mean, come on, no clear plan for post-Maduro Venezuela? That's like trying to put out a fire with gasoline 
. And then there's the whole Israel-Palestine thing, it's like the US is just enabling Netanyahu's aggression without putting any real pressure on him...or at least not until he becomes a liability 
. The world needs some strong leadership right now and I'm not seeing it from Trump or basically anyone else 
.
. We need some serious diplomatic effort and cooperation to prevent this from happening 
.
! Trump's aggression is super concerning 
No way, José 
. And what about human rights? 
Venezuela's people deserve better than Trump's aggression 
.
. Trump might think he's above the law, but world leaders need to hold him accountable 
!
we need people in power who actually care about what they're doing and aren't just looking out for their own interests 
. Sounds like a classic case of US propaganda to me... We need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions, but also critically evaluate info that comes out of Washington. The real issue here is the erosion of international law and norms, which everyone seems to be violating left and right 
. The world is already in a state of chaos with nuclear tests happening left and right 
, and now we're gonna add a potentially catastrophic war to the mix?! 
and what about all these nukes being built left and right 
its like the whole world is just gonna end in a nuclear war 
️, and it totally made me think about how some politicians are like those clumsy cats - always knocking things over with their own brand of chaos 
. But you know what's even crazier? The world is getting more and more like a bad cat-astrophe movie 
. That's why we need international cooperation and accountability mechanisms in place, stat 
.
And now he's saying we're above the law? that's just, like, crazy talk 
It feels like we're just sitting ducks waiting for someone to pull the trigger 
.
and now he wants to do the same thing with venezuela