The US's 'manifest destiny' of spreading freedom has long been a cornerstone of American foreign policy, but it seems that many are surprised by Donald Trump's recent actions in Venezuela. The truth is that the idea of US presidents promising isolation and delivering war is not new.
Since the late 1980s, when the Soviet Union collapsed, powerful states have increasingly sought new enemies to justify their military interventions. This has led to a pattern of hypocrisy, where international law is frequently disregarded and the true motives behind such actions remain unclear.
US presidents have always started by pledging isolationism, promising not to get involved in distant conflicts that are essentially foreign to their concerns. However, this stance has rarely been taken seriously. From Woodrow Wilson's participation in World War I to George W Bush's invasion of Iraq, the US has consistently intervened in various parts of the world.
Trump's recent coup in Venezuela was staged to appear as an outrage against international law, but it is clear that the US had long been involved with Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge in secret talks via Qatar. The putch may have been intended to look outrageous, including Rodríguez's initial condemnation of it, but it has since worked as planned.
The reality is that the global potency of the White House and Pentagon establishment appears irresistible. Powerful states often use international interventions to achieve commercial gain or domestic glory, or simply to aid an ally. The US has a long history of using this tactic, from George HW Bush's kidnapping of Panama's president Manuel Noriega in 1990 to Britain's bombing of Belgrade in 1999.
Trump's recent actions in Venezuela are a massive U-turn on his previous claims that he was fed up with Nato and defending Europe. He has since called for an end to lecturing the world on how to behave, but it remains to be seen whether this is just a ruse or if he genuinely intends to follow through.
The prospect of a US-led "Trump corollary" to the Monroe doctrine, which would justify the use of national security to overwhelm other nations, is alarming. This could potentially lead to a United States empire of the Americas, with Trump's wife reportedly sharing a map of Greenland dressed in American flags.
Ultimately, it seems that Trump has learned nothing from his predecessors. He may have promised to be different, but in many ways he is just another example of US politicians who revel in the possibilities and deployment of military power. As George Washington's isolationist instincts would suggest, perhaps Trump will come to realize that his current actions are misguided and that a more peaceful approach might be necessary for a more stable future.
Since the late 1980s, when the Soviet Union collapsed, powerful states have increasingly sought new enemies to justify their military interventions. This has led to a pattern of hypocrisy, where international law is frequently disregarded and the true motives behind such actions remain unclear.
US presidents have always started by pledging isolationism, promising not to get involved in distant conflicts that are essentially foreign to their concerns. However, this stance has rarely been taken seriously. From Woodrow Wilson's participation in World War I to George W Bush's invasion of Iraq, the US has consistently intervened in various parts of the world.
Trump's recent coup in Venezuela was staged to appear as an outrage against international law, but it is clear that the US had long been involved with Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge in secret talks via Qatar. The putch may have been intended to look outrageous, including Rodríguez's initial condemnation of it, but it has since worked as planned.
The reality is that the global potency of the White House and Pentagon establishment appears irresistible. Powerful states often use international interventions to achieve commercial gain or domestic glory, or simply to aid an ally. The US has a long history of using this tactic, from George HW Bush's kidnapping of Panama's president Manuel Noriega in 1990 to Britain's bombing of Belgrade in 1999.
Trump's recent actions in Venezuela are a massive U-turn on his previous claims that he was fed up with Nato and defending Europe. He has since called for an end to lecturing the world on how to behave, but it remains to be seen whether this is just a ruse or if he genuinely intends to follow through.
The prospect of a US-led "Trump corollary" to the Monroe doctrine, which would justify the use of national security to overwhelm other nations, is alarming. This could potentially lead to a United States empire of the Americas, with Trump's wife reportedly sharing a map of Greenland dressed in American flags.
Ultimately, it seems that Trump has learned nothing from his predecessors. He may have promised to be different, but in many ways he is just another example of US politicians who revel in the possibilities and deployment of military power. As George Washington's isolationist instincts would suggest, perhaps Trump will come to realize that his current actions are misguided and that a more peaceful approach might be necessary for a more stable future.
I'm like 3 days late to this thread already but I had to chime in... it's crazy how predictable some politicians can be. I mean, Trump's whole thing about being "fed up" with NATO and Europe sounds like total BS now that he's just using that as a way to justify his own actions in Venezuela. Like, what even is the point of having a president who claims to be against lecturing other countries if they're just gonna go around doing whatever they want anyway? 
Trump's moves in Venezuela have just shown us what's really going on behind the scenes 
. The whole "manifest destiny" thing is just a cover for their own interests 
. They go in all guns blazing, pretending to be heroes, but it's all about lining their pockets and expanding their empire 
. Newsflash: this isn't about freedom or democracy; it's about US power and control 
.
. Now that he's in power, he's ditched those claims faster than you can say " fake news" 
. And what's the end goal here? A US empire of the Americas with Trump at the helm 
? Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me 
.
. But for now, let's just say I'm keeping my popcorn ready for the fireworks that are going to go down 
. It's like he's playing both sides against each other - the US is all about spreading freedom, but when it comes to actual action, things get messy 
. It's always good to keep an eye on what's going on in Venezuela and how it might affect other countries 
.
. You gotta take a step back and look at all the different pieces that fit together (or don't fit together 
). I've made another diagram to show what I mean:
seriously though, it's wild how he and the usa go from being all about isolationism to invading another country without even blinking an eye...the hypocrisy is just dripping from his words 
his whole "defending europe" thing was pretty laughable too 
guess that whole "being different" thing was just a marketing ploy 
like trumps been playin games with venezuela from behind the scenes who knew he was workin out deals with delcy rodriguez through qatar? it feels so scripted everything he says seems to contradict himself, like hes tryin to sell us a bill of goods but we can see the strings attached 
and honestly i dont see how he thinks this is gonna end well
Trump's actions in Venezuela are just another example of how messed up the system is, and it's not even like he's trying to hide it anymore... I mean come on, who tries to justify coups by saying 'it's for international law'? 
and a us led trumpy corollary 2 the monroe doctrine sounds super alarming 
newsflash: us presidents have been doing this stuff for decades, it's not new 
and now trump thinks he can just break the mold? 
i'm calling BS on this one 
.
. It's all about maintaining power and control, no matter how messy or brutal that gets 
. So yeah, Trump might promise to be different, but I highly doubt it 
. It feels like the US is just using its power to get what it wants, instead of actually helping people. Trump's whole "manifest destiny" thing is pretty hypocritical, considering how his own country has gotten involved in all these wars and conflicts throughout history 
.
.
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. The fact that there were secret talks with the opposition before the coup even happens is sketchy at best 
. I'm not buying it when politicians promise one thing and do another. We need leaders who are willing to listen and work towards peaceful solutions, not just flex their military muscles 
i mean, we're told trump was fed up with nato and europe getting lectured, but now it seems like he's just switching sides 
... whatever it is, one thing's for sure - this whole "trump corollary" to the monroe doctrine is giving me major anxiety 
. He says one thing but does another 
.
. If Trump's actions are just a ruse, then we're in trouble 
.
. And let's be real, who really believes he's going to follow through on his promises of not lecturing the world? 
but really he's just following in the same old boots of the ones before him. I'm not saying that's his fault or anything, it's just how it is - US politicians have always been a bit too fond of military action to suit my taste 
.