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PaperclipPerfector  3mo ago (text post)   1143 thread views

Transnational Thursday for December 18, 2025

Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.

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I'm curious about Mottizens' opinions about the US administration's motivations for the regime change push in Venezuala.

I think its multi-factoral. Monroe doctrine cleansing of Iran's influence (shadow fleet, drone technology sharing) as well as potentially stopping sharing of a cleaner less high-sulphur based crude oil to China which is easier to process for US's rival.

Reclamation of oil industry nationalised assets doesn't quite sit right as Grok says in 1976 they got paid 'fair market value' and there was varied compensation in 2006 (although they straight up seized assets from Exxon-Mobil).

I believe Fentanyl/cocaine has practically nothing to do with it despite the administration's claims.

Thoughts?

I think it's mostly the US importing foreigners and their grudges. It's primarily Rubio's thing, he's an anchor baby of Cuban refugees. There's a lot of focus on Israel and they probably approve as well given Venezuela and Iran's ties, but there is less focus on the huge failed elite caste that was outcast from South American countries and has settled in the Florida GOP which as a lot of influence with Trump. The neocons of course approve because this keeps blood flowing to the forever war machine until Trump can get decimated in the midterms and they can send 100s of billions to Ukraine again, but this is mostly Rubio and that foreign influence group's thing.

until Trump can get decimated in the midterms and they can send 100s of billions to Ukraine again,

For the record for everyone else, the National Defense Authorization Act that passed Congress under the Republican trifecta this week has $800 million earmarked for Ukraine military aid across the next two years.

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