US Military's Lethal Strikes in Venezuela Fuel Fears of Revived 'War on Terror'
As the Trump administration intensifies its military operations in Venezuela, concerns are growing that the United States is reinvigorating the "war on terror" – a campaign that has already claimed millions of civilian lives worldwide. The latest strikes, which have killed over 80 people, were carried out in the name of combating "narco-terrorists" and have sparked fears of an unchecked expansion of presidential power.
Critics argue that the label of "narco-terrorist" is being used to justify lethal action against civilians who are simply suspected of participating in drug trafficking. This raises concerns about the Trump administration's assertion of unchecked authority over the military, which has been a hallmark of its second term in office.
Researchers at Brown University's Costs of War project have documented that US-led interventions in the "war on terror" from 2001 to 2023 killed over 400,000 civilians directly and an estimated 3.5 million more indirectly due to destroyed medical infrastructure and other war-related factors. Sanctions imposed during this period were also deadly, causing up to 500,000 excess deaths per year.
The Trump administration's efforts to expand the "war on terror" are part of a broader pattern of authoritarianism, which has seen the president eviscerate oversight mechanisms and assert near limitless power over various policy areas. This includes a recent court case in which the administration argued that it had the authority to define what constitutes a "rebellion" – effectively giving the president unchecked discretion over the deployment of troops domestically.
Critics argue that this logic is similar to the Trump administration's previous claims about the need to designate foreign organizations as "killable terrorists", with little public evidence or oversight. The lack of transparency and accountability in these operations has raised concerns about the potential for further civilian casualties.
The situation in Venezuela is particularly dire, with thousands of people trapped by a collapsing economy and international sanctions. The US military's actions are widely seen as a pretext for regime change, rather than a genuine effort to combat terrorism.
As one researcher noted, "Venezuela is not just some chess piece in an abstract game of geopolitics – we're talking about real people whose lives are at stake." The international community must hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions and work towards a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of global conflict.
As the Trump administration intensifies its military operations in Venezuela, concerns are growing that the United States is reinvigorating the "war on terror" – a campaign that has already claimed millions of civilian lives worldwide. The latest strikes, which have killed over 80 people, were carried out in the name of combating "narco-terrorists" and have sparked fears of an unchecked expansion of presidential power.
Critics argue that the label of "narco-terrorist" is being used to justify lethal action against civilians who are simply suspected of participating in drug trafficking. This raises concerns about the Trump administration's assertion of unchecked authority over the military, which has been a hallmark of its second term in office.
Researchers at Brown University's Costs of War project have documented that US-led interventions in the "war on terror" from 2001 to 2023 killed over 400,000 civilians directly and an estimated 3.5 million more indirectly due to destroyed medical infrastructure and other war-related factors. Sanctions imposed during this period were also deadly, causing up to 500,000 excess deaths per year.
The Trump administration's efforts to expand the "war on terror" are part of a broader pattern of authoritarianism, which has seen the president eviscerate oversight mechanisms and assert near limitless power over various policy areas. This includes a recent court case in which the administration argued that it had the authority to define what constitutes a "rebellion" – effectively giving the president unchecked discretion over the deployment of troops domestically.
Critics argue that this logic is similar to the Trump administration's previous claims about the need to designate foreign organizations as "killable terrorists", with little public evidence or oversight. The lack of transparency and accountability in these operations has raised concerns about the potential for further civilian casualties.
The situation in Venezuela is particularly dire, with thousands of people trapped by a collapsing economy and international sanctions. The US military's actions are widely seen as a pretext for regime change, rather than a genuine effort to combat terrorism.
As one researcher noted, "Venezuela is not just some chess piece in an abstract game of geopolitics – we're talking about real people whose lives are at stake." The international community must hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions and work towards a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of global conflict.
400k+ civilian casualties worldwide already from 'war on terror' and now they're gonna add more 
it's not about narco-terrorists, it's about power & control 
this all feels super fishy to me... like they're just using every "terror" label as an excuse to bomb people & destroy economies 
400k+ civilian deaths from these wars is insane, and now they're trying to extend that logic domestically? no thanks 
. It's like, one thing we should be talking about is how to help people who are struggling with poverty and lack of resources, not dropping bombs on them 
. I mean, the numbers from all those "war on terror" interventions in the past are crazy - 400k civilians dead directly, 3.5m more indirectly... it's like, we can't just keep repeating this cycle of violence 
. We need to think about the people on the ground in Venezuela, not just some abstract game of geopolitics 
.
The fact that researchers are saying up to 400,000 civilians killed in just the "war on terror" since 2001 is mind-boggling – we need some serious oversight and accountability ASAP 
. And what's with the Trump administration trying to define what constitutes a "rebellion"? That's basically giving them a blank check to do whatever they want without checks and balances 
.
.
.
but at the same time, like, what's the alternative? we gotta make some tough decisions here 
but can't we just try to find a middle ground? like, maybe the US can work with Venezuela to find a solution without resorting to military force 
and btw, what's with this 'narco-terrorist' label tho? seems kinda vague 
. we need to make sure there are checks in place to prevent this kind of abuse of power and protect innocent lives