As tens of thousands of Venezuelans demonstrated this past weekend in the streets of their country — angry over weeks of power outages, limited access to water, and shortages of food and medicine — Americans should know that the doctrine of socialism has claimed yet another country.
And with that knowledge, it is understandable that many freedom-loving Americans are becoming increasingly open to the idea of a U.S. military intervention, with the idea of ousting from power socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro. American leaders — including President Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Vice President Mike Pence, and National Security Advisor John Bolton — are actually leading the chorus of condemnation, with the possibility of U.S. military intervention becoming more likely.
Yet, before the United States takes that serious step, several things should be considered. First of all, were the United States to send military forces into a sovereign nation, that is clearly an act of war, and as such, would require an actual declaration of war by Congress as stipulated by the U.S. Constitution in Article I, Section 8.
In the 1820s, the culturally Christian nation of Greece was struggling to free itself from the Islamic Ottoman Empire, and looked to the United States — then considered a Christian nation — for help. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams expressed sympathy for the Greek cause, saying, “We are the friends of liberty everywhere,” but, he added, we are “the guardians only of our own.”
“America does not go abroad, in search of monsters to destroy,” Adams explained.
Clearly, the Maduro-led government of Venezuela is one that a freedom-loving American should be glad to see fall from power. It provides a textbook case as to why socialism is destructive both to liberty and to prosperity. At the same time, with Adams’ remarks in mind, is this really something that the United States should do — invade countries and overthrow dictators we don’t like?
To be blunt, the Venezuelan people did this to themselves. They voted into power the late socialist dictator Hugo Chávez, who took a vibrant and prosperous economy in an oil-rich nation, and drove it into the ground. His socialist successor, Maduro, has continued with the same policies with predictable results.
After an election in 2018 that is widely considered fraudulent, Maduro claimed victory over his opponent, Juan Guaidó, the leader of the National Assembly. Guaidó, citing a provision of the Venezuelan Constitution, declared that Maduro is the usurper, and has claimed in January that he is now the interim president. The provision states that if there is an absence of a legitimately-elected president, the president of the National Assembly becomes an interim president.
For his part, Maduro has received the support of the National Constituent Assembly, regarded by most international observers as a puppet of Maduro. He persuaded them to revoke Guaidó of his immunity from arrest.
In short, the elements are ripe for a civil war in the country.
Is this really a boiling cauldron into which America should place its toe?
Some argue that Russia’s decision to land two planes with some 100 soldiers in the capital city of Caracas on March 23 should activate the Monroe Doctrine, which was actually written by the same John Quincy Adams who warned against searching for monsters to destroy. The Monroe Doctrine states that the United States would not look with favor upon any attempt by a foreign power attempting to colonize any portion of the Western Hemisphere.
Russia argues that the soldiers are there to service the Russian-made S-300 air defense systems, damaged by recent energy blackouts.
National Security Advisor Bolton warned Moscow against any attempt to deploy “military assets to Venezuela, or elsewhere in the hemisphere, with the intent of establishing or expanding military operations. We will consider such provocative actions as a direct threat to international peace and security in the region.”
Not surprisingly, globalists are looking to use the crisis in Venezuela. CNBC published a piece by Frederick Kempe, the president and CEO of the Atlantic Council, a globalist think tank, that boldly asserts, “Venezuela may be the right place to catalyze deeper links among the United States, Canada, key European allies and leading democracies in Latin America.”
In other words, a military intervention into socialist Venezuela might be initially satisfying to those Americans that hate socialist dictatorships like that of the Maduro regime, but the end result could be that we surrender some of our sovereignty in order to do so. After all, if an electoral dispute is enough to trigger foreign intervention, we should note that many leading Democrats have declared the election of Donald Trump as fraudulent, as well. While we may think such whining is sour grapes on the part of the Democrats and their socialist allies in the United States, could the day come when an intervention into Venezuela could lay the precedent for foreign intervention in our own country?
As of now, Maduro is quite unpopular in his own country. Perhaps the only thing that could turn that animosity around is an invasion by a foreign enemy. The United States should not make the mistake of providing the dictator Maduro with a foreign enemy.
One senior official for President Trump told reporters, according to the Washington Examiner, that intervention is “a very serious option.” While the official said that invasion is an option that “no one would like to see,” it is under serious consideration.
Hopefully, the matter will be left to the Venezuelan people themselves to resolve, and will not lead to the spilling of American blood and treasure in yet another foreign intervention.
Yes & No, No for the people running country, & yes to keep Russia from turning nation into Cuba 2 IE Cuban Missile Crisis 2 with deadlier missiles Today vs 1962.
The Venezulans must rise up & take charge.
Dont need Russia doing a Cuban 2 move in area since Oct 1962
It is not America’s legal responsibility to help Venezuela. But a case could easily be made for a moral responsibility. Are we really going to sit back and do nothing?
I think what to do is a more pressing issue than whether or not to do anything at all.
That’s right! “We are the friends of liberty everywhere but we are the guardians only of our own.” If we become directly involved and start a war with Venezuela, we will be enabling this and other countries to become EVEN MORE DEPENDENT UPON OUR MILITARY AND OUR TAXPAYERS. And as far as the civil war issue, as we know from experience, for a country to be TRULY won back, it must be won by its own people, not by other countries.
Besides, we have a war raging right here at home, with more than enough battles that were planted here by peoples from other countries, who have come to win over OUR homeland.
THEY WERE AMONG THE WEALTHIEST NATIONS IN THE WORLD, UNTIL THEY VOTED TO GO SOCIALISTIC….NOW THEY ARE AMONG THE POOREST. IF WE HAD A WALL…IF WE HAD NUMEROUS, WELL-BUILT, STRONG ENTRY STATIONS SCATTERED ALONG THE WALL, THEN WE COULD TAKE IN THE BEST OF CITIZENS….BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE. WE ALREADY SPEND A BUNDLE TO HELP SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES SO I FEEL WE DO NOT HAVE TO SAVE ARGENTINA.
We have a moral and legal responsibility to protect and defend our Constitution that is currently under attack from within. Until that is accomplished we have no business assuming a moral responsibility for another sovereign nation, especially one where the people will not fight to protect themselves.
The US has no reason to get involved with Venezuela we are already involved with to many other countries we have to stop policing the world
I am not in favor of U.S. military intervention but I am in favor of providing arms to those opposing Maduro’s bunch.
TIME TO ENFORCE THE MONROE DOCTRINE! WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT IN CUBA 100 YEARS AGO AND WE WOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM!
I’m an American, a Patriot and a Veteran! I want to come to the rescue of Venezuelans and establish bases throughout the country with the purpose of making the country a pseudo-state of America. The caveat is that I’d cover the cost of creating and maintaining our presence via the oil reserves. The changes that would ensue due to FREEDOM would once again lift Venezuela thereby creating additional sources of supporting funds. The world and technology is changing FAST and I want to push America’s borders farther out to better protect our country. So much more to say regarding however those of you like-minded get it and the haters among you will hate regardless.
As far as I am concerned the people of Venezuela bought it upon themselves. we also have a problem in the United States with younger people being taught in collage that this is the way to go in our own country.
It’s incredible, Sixty years of Castroterrorism!
Over a Million Cuban had die by anguish, the death sentence, hunger, lack of medicine and good doctors. The “hospitals “are pigs’ corrals. All medicines are send from the USA or other countries.
Castroterrorism had been able to keep puppets in Venezuela (maduro) and (Ortega) in Nicaragua.
Who had kept that bloody Castro terrorist in power all these years? Many people think Bloody Dictator Putin is behind it. The bloody Castro’s brother had only been puppets in Putin’s hands.
Hopefully, the Trump administration will be able to implement some rules to free, not only Cuba but Venezuela and Nicaragua as well.
The Venezuelans had guns confiscated 7 years ago and now they have nothing with which to fight back. DO NOT LET LEGISLATORS TAKE AWAY OUR GUNS, OR HAVE A REGISTRY FOR GUNS (so they will be easier to confiscate) OR RED FLAG NEIGHBORS.
Hopefully, the Trump administration is using negotiating tactics only to deal with this situation. As the author notes, an invasion by us would unite their country and strengthen maduro. Trump should pause and reflect on the terrible vision of meeting the parents of our military dead and looking them in the eye and telling them there was no other choice. The neocons can do so without skipping abeat, but i earnestly hope our president coukd not.
Why in this article or in the comment section is there no mention of Venezuelan vast oil reserves that are really at the bottom of all this controversy. Involved parties want the oil production to go private so they can have a piece of the action. This notion that it’s all about democracy for the people is hard to swallow.
I believe it is the responsibility of NATO to intercede. After all NATO was established to bring about fairness to all.
Amen. The people of Venezuela made their own socialist sewer. It is time that they pay the price for their actions. The US is in debt…deep debt.
Remember Viet Nam? We took that over from a failed French excursion, presumed to be fighting ‘communism’. The USA spent 20 years, nearly 60,000 casualties, 150,000 wounded, 1,600 missing, spent billions of tax dollars on it and then just pulled out and walked away. The only thing in our favor in considering invading / rescuing Venezuela is that Maduro won’t get much help from Russia and China (we hope).
On that note, isn’t it curious how every country Russia ‘helps’ seems to go to zhit in the end?
Russia and China are in with the United States to get rid of the Deep State in all countries inc Venezuela. The UN and Deep State are in all those socialist countries to “own” so to speak. President Trump knows what he’s doing. Can’t believe the media, they are the enemy working for the enemy.
No it is not America’s responsibility to free Venezuela from the government they put in we can’t make the world behave put we can let them know we do care when England joined that farce over there knew it was a stupid move never allow any other government country tell you what you can do in your country it is the people in the countries that need to stand up and defend their country and get good honest honorable men and women to lead if a corrupt politicians turns up then remove them immediately by force if need be that includes your Military they are to be for the people not the government,governments change never the same so make sure you know who is in charge of the Military make darn sure they are trustworthy and for the people not getting control but to keep the country and the people safe from even corrupt politicians . That’s what we here in America need to do with these out right crazy criminal politicians most are democratics but we have some lying republicans as well that need removed immediately, those that have been illegally trying to get rid of our President we no longer want politicians they are corrupt paddy their. Pockets at the cost of America and Americans with their closed door garbage
Of course not! We have a mountain of issues in this country that are not being addressed due to the lame Congress. ALL foreign countries have their own independence, get with it and stop shoving your people toward us.
And, if the government of elected officials will not act, perhaps the American people should, do we not stand over these useless elected officials. Go President Trump!
There are good points to be made on both sides of the argument. Ultimately, I would hope that the U.S. avoids military intervention in Venezuela. We have our hands full with our own “soft” civil war, an attempted coup to take down a lawfully elected president and our own battle against what is becoming an obvious take-down of our system of government, our economic system (capitalism) and our system of values. Our hands are more than full combating the enemy from within. If at all possible, we should try to avoid another military solution to an external mess, not of our making. Indeed, this is what voting in socialism looks like.
Call me heartless and cold but NO! we are not responsible for Venezuela or any other country on God’s green Earth but our OWN! The people of Venezuela and other countries in South America CHOSE their leadership and now must either live with it or CHANGE it themselves. America can NOT police the world and should not. For far too long, we have been the world’s “savior” and it MUST STOP. If we keep allowing people from these places to come here illegally, we are going to end up like where they came from. Just look at California and their sanctuary cities. These places have been TRASHED. Is this what you want for OUR COUNTRY as a whole??? Better start thinking with what brains you have left or we will end up like most of the other South American Countries trying to rush our borders!!! ALL aid to these places need to stop because if these people get fed up enough, they will DO something for their own country and not try to come here and turn The USA into where they left. These people CAN DO SOMETHING for themselves instead of waiting for hand outs or come here to sponge off the American Taxpayer!
Maybe Bernie Sanders could go over and solve the problem for them since he is a big Socialist and is promoting Socialism for the US. I’m sure AOC and many other Democrats pushing Socialism could join and do a really good think tank since they want to take the US down the same path. I just bet they have all the solutions as surely they do not want to destroy the US. That could not be the plan of reasonable, common sense thinking people.
Of course, their solution would probably be to bring everyone in Venezuela over to the US to live and that will mean more Democratic votes. That is what open borders is about, right!!! Only 100,000 illegals made it into the US the month of March, so we need to beef it up and get more people into the US for all of us taxpayers to support.
I guess I missed the news that states how many illegals the Dems have taken into their homes. Maybe it was not broadcast. Imagine that!!!
We should not send troops to Venezuela, but we should help in other ways. Provide arms to the Guiado Venezuelans to defend themselves against the Maduro goon gangs. Do all possible to pressure the tyrants including putting a bounty on Maduro’s head–the rats will do anything if they are offered enough money!
Excuse me… and the United Nations is where in all this… ??? WHY EVEN HAVE THE U.N. What a useless waste of American taxpayer dollars.
We need to stop getting involved in the problems of other countries. We have problems to address at home. With the situation in Venezuela however it would be prudent to explain to some of the idiots here what socialism is.
Not necessarily our responsibility but certainly a situation we need to keep an eye on and one we might need to actively address. We should keep all options open
Those who fail to learn from history are bound to repeat its mistakes. Vietnam and Afghanistan should be
reminders. We failed to learn from the mistakes of France in Vietnam, and the failure of the Russians in
Afghanistan. We don’t need to add to our failed legacy in both of those countries. Let the people right their own
ship, but give them any non personnel assistance we can (supplies, etc.).
YOU BET IT IS!
IF NOT FOR KEEPING OUR MORTAL ENEMIES OUT OF
OUR BACKYARD, THEN SAVING HUMANITY IN VENEUZALA CERTAINLY IS, IN MY HUMBKE OPINION.
HERE IS AN IDEA, LETS GIVE MR. MADURA HIS BUS DRIVERS JOB BACK.
FINALLY, IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT SOCIALISM IS COMMUNISM WITHOUT A GUN BUT THE SOCIALISTS IN VENEUZALA ALSO HAVE ALL THE GUNS??
CHEERS, JOHN O’BRIEN
We need to mind our own business- we need fixing here- no more sacrificing our soldiers-
No H NO…Stay out of that rat hole AND BRING HOME ALL THE TROOPS—FROM ALL THE ILLEGAL BASES OVERSEAS…AND PUT THEM ON OUR BORDERS–WITH LIVE AMMO ! RET US ARMY
I heard that AmeriKa…dufass AmeriKa..has already taken in 1/3 of El Salvadors citizens? THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS AND TREASONOUS ! RET US ARMY –>>GET US OUT OF THE UN….AND..THE UN OUT OF THE USA !
I agree with all that responded and I think it’s up to the Venezuelan people to resolve. We have our own issues here to resolve.
This article brought to my memory the most recent celebration of the Greek Independence from The Ottoman Empire, in 1821, which more recently, 25th March 2019, the Greek people celebrated as if it was yesterday. When President Quincy Adams refused to help the Greek people, they themselves fought like the heroes they were and continue to be, gaining their own independence. I am Greek, I know!
As for the Russians coming to Venezuelas’ aid and possible future involvement, let us not forget the Bay of Pigs….. In spite of our internal squabbles, let us not forget that America will be America and if need arises Americans would not hesitate to fight for their freedom. So look out Russia. However, I do believe that the Venezuelans will stand up for their own freedom. All they need is inspiration which I hope the Greek story above will give them.
Help? Sure, we should be sending weapons, so the opposition to Maduro can fight a civil war, with
the hope of regaining their county. They gave their country to the socialists and they won’t appreciate
their freedom and liberty unless they fight to regain it. Weapons and political support, YES, American
lives NO.
To entangle our military in another war…I can think of lots of reasons not to. However, seeing footage of decrepit hospitals, citizens collecting dirty water for drinking and cooking, people rummaging through the back of garbage trucks for morsels of food…at what point do we take action? When roads are blocked by Maduro’s thugs so the people can’t get to container loads of food, water, and medical supplies donated by caring nations, we see that the point is to so weaken the populace that they…. no longer protest. They’re dead.
Do we wait until 3 million are dead? Or 6 million? How many will we gladly accept under circumstances of asylum?
For the author to assert that the people did this to themselves…come on, Mr. Byas, their elections have been rigged for years! The election in 2018 was “‘widely’ considered fraudulent”? The citizens were receiving “food packages” that had dry milk and pasta…that’s it. But they were fearful that if they raised a fuss, or didn’t vote for MadMan, THAT meager sustenance would have been cut off. One chicken dinner costs a months’s wages. It has to be h3ll living there.
How hard can it be? Many countries already recognize Guaido as the legitimate leader. Can we get a “coalition of the willing” together?
Two cents more–Russia has to go!
The people of Venezuela chose the path of socialism by electing Hugo Chavez over 16 years ago. No one put a gun to their heads at that time. Once Chavez was elected, he simply did what ALL socialists do. He nationalized almost all businesses and bled the country dry of anything of value. Once he found out he was dying, he hand-picked his successor Maduro, a loyalist bus driver, to take over. By then, Chavez had already stripped the country of any governmental institutions that stood in his way. So the people of Venezuela own the responsibility for their own actions.
Sorry if that sounds heartless, but we have enough problem here at home with our own socialists trying to persuade an increasingly ignorant and gullible public to repeat the same mistake of Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Argentina and other “socialist paradises”. We are already engaged in military efforts around the world, where we get precious little support from our allies but do get constant criticism.
We cannot be expected to send troops to ANY foreign nation to clean up the mistakes made by the citizens of those countries. No foreign force invaded Venezuela. The people of Venezuela were simply stupid enough to buy into the always empty promises of socialism. They voted socialism in and now unfortunately, they have to live with the consequences. Which will only get more more painful and dire over time. Russia, China and Cuba have all already sent military forces to Venezuela to support Maduro in exchange for oil and a foothold in Latin America from which they can extend their military and economic reach in the hemisphere. If the other Latin American countries surrounding Venezuela want to commit their military forces to try and free the Venezuelan people from the situation they created, then by all means do so. So far all I hear from those surrounding nations is for “someone else” (meaning the United States) to do the heavy lifting. Personally I say no.
maybe borak and eric holder could send them some guns, ie. fast and furious.
Well, sometimes the only solution is a really good shot! This scum can kill millions of his own people and we are supposed to feel sorry for him if someone makes him pay for it. Our country cannot lose more of our military to protect those who will not protect themselves! If socialism gets much more control in America it may just take a terrible response. The DNC’ommunist Party is heading us toward a Venezuelan style government. They will not succeed. Stop it before it spreads! Pay attention here folks, they are going to allow the murder of new born babies now! Where do you suppose that will stop?
Sounds like everyone agrees with the author , and the commies only have the troops oops mechanics to service their air defense system . So if you were following what’s been happening down there let’s recap . The thug with the help of the commies took over another countries Ocean territories by Force ! The Commies had a squadron of fighter jets down there and may still be there ! Now if you have not caught on by now you need help . Just do America a favor then and say your sorry now before another three thousand saliors are murdered or cilivians are blown out of office buildings Again!
No it is not our responsibility!!! Our corrupt politicians just want to war, and steal all their resources. Dirty rotten stupid corrupt politicians, deep staters. Trash Bag libtards and Rinos. Stop the wars and the nation building and BRING OUR TROOPS HOME !!!!!!!!! Put them on our borders. This is what’s happens when we keep the same stupid people in power !!! Enough already. Keep it up and we will be in a civil war !!! Eliminating you dirtbags from the planet !!!!! Hopefully The Good Lord will take care of it for us !
Frankly I think we have enough on our plate considering the invaders are already in our country and have no intention of leaving until they overrun us with their brats or they just take what they want and kill the rest of us. That is the major tenant of their major religion, or haven’t you read their tiny text on what they want to do with every non-believer? You should and you should find out what is really happening in Europe and the fate of the Yellow Vests and similar people who rebel.
I have relatives, Missionaries to the Yanamamo Indians, living in the Jungles of Venezuela. They are safer than those in the cities, but suffer from lack of food, air support, fuel, paper products, etc. What little food they can purchase is so expensive, it is so dear they cannot afford to buy it. They do help these indigenous people as much as they can. I just wish Bernie Sanders and his ilk and all the other politicians who favor socialism would go there and see the conditions. I am ssure they would re-think their positions.
I agree wholeheartedly with this article! America should not try to ”save the world!l
If your lazy,socialism is for you.
No, we do not need any more conflicts. If they want democracy, let them get rid of this government.
Our first duty is to this country not elsewhere. We need to put our troops at our southern not into another country. What is happening there is the people love of everything free. When you do that people get less and less and those in the government get more and more. Venezuela should be a lesson to all that embrace socialism. There is no “smart” way to handle it. So keep our troops here and have them protect us.
The United States of America needs to wake up. A country torn apart by socialism, is that knocking on our door? I pray the people of Venezuela can come out of what they themselves voted in favor of. I hope for a solution that can be done without sending in our Military. Not heartless, just have many issues facing the future of this country. Fix us before we get into other peoples problems.
I’m with CJ. Send our little Socialist cadre over there to see the fruits of their labors and let them sort it out. It’ll give them something to do instead of providing sad entertainment for Americans who actually know how good we have it. We need to get out of the seething pit that is Afghanistan, carpet bomb the poppy fields there and keep doing it until that mess is cleaned up. I’m sure they can substitute growing food for growing heroin. We send literally billions of dollars overseas including to Central America with results that don’t benefit us in the least. We should just completely stop any payments of aide to other countries and have them apply one by one for aid that has definite strings attached for its use. If the dictators like Maduro take all the money and plant it in private accounts overseas and the people suffer and we keep paying the money, we’re just stupid and lazy.
The best way I can answer this is to answer with a question–Whose going to help us when we become a third world country? We can’t take care of our own citizens and these countries got to their situation but wrongfully controlling their spending of money they received from outside sources. We may have helped them develop the country to the modern age. Now I have no idea if certain incentives were given by greedy corporations to get resources, so that may be part of the problem. But this is a UN problem, not a USA only problem and we are not the sole nation in the UN.