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.
Not our business.
On this same point, then why are we fighting wars all over the middle East sacrificing the blood of our soldiers and costing us untold trillions of dollars ? The Taliban was wiped out in Afghanistan years ago. None of the rest of the countries have done a single thing to us. Why are we in the business of preemptive war ? Oh yeah, I forgot about the money generated by the war machine for the large corporations that actually own our government….. So, I guess I’ve answered my own question.
They need to change their own government.
Socialism has deep-sixed yet another country. That pretty much says it all. I guess imbeciles like Sanders, Warren, and OC don’t read?
Each person and nation is responsible for its own safety and its own freedom. John Quincy Adams had it exactly correct. First we protect our own while offering to guide all those who ask to achieve the same. If the people of Venezuela or any other country including the United States are responsible for what or who you vote into office.
To be a responsible informed citizen of the nation you live and work in, is what separates those that live freely and those that are living under an unjust government.
Our own nation and our own freedoms are under attack by Godless, immorally bankrupt groups of people looking to destroy our way of life; from restricting our religious freedom to destroying our Constitution and families.
It is up to the people to protect its inalienable rights granted us not by men but by God.
Let Venezuela fix its problems WITHOUT the USA.
ABSOLUTELY NOT! just as the ILLEGAL ALIEN crisis is not our problem!
Remember the MONROE DOCTRINE???? The leftists probably haven’t heard of that bit of wisdom…. But it is still good international law and Russia as well as China had better take heed!
Good afternoon,
The Venezuelan people chose Maduro so it should be their choice, if necessary, through blood and death to remove him from power!! Through this very, very, very painful lesson they will learn and remember NEVER to ever chose another socialist to be in their government. Hopefully, the United States will never ever have to learn this lesson the “hard way” but with people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, the media, etc. the United States may, also, have to learn the same lesson Venezuela is “learning” the “hard way!”
Of course the USA is not directly responsible for the problems in Venezuela…however when Russia puts military troops there, then it becomes our problem. How long do we think it will be before the Russian moves further north into Central America and the Caribbean where the Chinese are marshaling all kinds of commercial ventures to support the Russians and themselves….and that’s why we need to take control Venezuela before they are in Washington D.C. Do we really think all these mostly illegal men are crossing our boarded….connect the dots….remember that the Democrats, that are actually communists and who are supporting the illegals….think about it.
No we need to get America cleaned up and the illegals out security on our boarders strengthens of our Military and better internet security against any hackers, we need our government cleaned out and make impossible for socialist communist muslums atheists satanist Lawyers masons to run for any government office they all have proven to be an enemy of OUR CONSTITUTION as WRITTEN anyone trying to distort change or destroy any part of Our Constitution as Written need to be held accountable to a form of Treason and they need to be removed automatically immediately then prosecuted with the full force of our Law no plea deals no fancy prison and all benefits revoked immediately
I agree with Sarita, Diane, and Big Al. We should be protecting our own before we rush off to protect another. If the people of Venezuela start to fight for themselves, then and only then, should the United States of America consider helping. We need the American people to wake up and oust, throw out and Destroy ALL of the left that supports in any way the destruction of this country and what it has, does and always will stand for. FREEDOM.
What about the security of our people why should we allow the Russians to setup misel base in our hemisphere and helicopter base and factory in Venezuela while the people. starve why are the Chinese also in Venezuela why let these Communist take over the URANIUM AND OIL. the gallon of gas is already reaching almost $5.00 in some states and how can we depend on Congress who want the same type of government that Maduro has given his people the Russians and Chinese dont care they just take.this I believe to be a real NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT to our Country.
No Venezuela not our problem,I want my tax money used on us
The U.S. should not intervene in Venezuela. That formerly stable and prosperous nation’s rapid descent into poverty and chaos is a direct consequence of its embrace of socialism/Marxism.
All Americans should learn from Venezuela’s tragedy. We must overwhelmingly and forever reject U.S. politicians and others advocating socialialism/Marxism! This includes all the “Democrats”’aspiring to the 2020 presidential nomination and all others working to subvert our Constitution and the rule of law.
There is an old Polish saying that goes like this: “Not my circus. Not my monkies.” The people of Venezuela slowly bought in to this fiasco, they can find a way out of it (without our interferring). Let them solve it. That way it will mean more to them when they do.
Stay the heck out of Venezuela!!
Stay the heck out of Venezuela!!!
We can’t even take care of our own country!!!!
Arm the people and let them take back their country
All we have to do is set up a Blockade! Land and sea! The Military would lose this clown like a cheap suit! Cuba and Russia would pull out fast as they have no support of the people, and their supply lines are untenable! Send over 3 squadrons of A-10’s and two squadrons of Apache’s and their military would fold like a cheap camera! Kennedy blew it in Cuba! We would have saved a lot of suffering in this hemisphere if he had some GONADS!
We do not owe the world that hates the us nothing. Let them start their own independents movement !
Absolutely not!
If Russia puts anymore troops in there, for any other reason, we should invoke the Monroe doctrine as we did in 1962 that John Kennedy
did and get them out of there.
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.
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 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.
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.
No, we do not need any more conflicts. If they want democracy, let them get rid of this government.
If your lazy,socialism is for you.
I agree wholeheartedly with this article! America should not try to ”save the world!l
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.
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.
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 !
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!
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?
maybe borak and eric holder could send them some guns, ie. fast and furious.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 !
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
We need to mind our own business- we need fixing here- no more sacrificing our soldiers-
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
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.).
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
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.
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.