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Culture War Roundup for the week of December 29, 2025

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The United States of America is now at war with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Dozens of Venezuelan military targets have been bombed in the last few minutes, including a major army base just outside the capital. American Chinooks have been seen flying across the Caracas skyline.

This could be the most important geopolitical happening since the Ukraine War. We do it yet know if this will be a limited run of bombing like the Kosovo strikes, or a full on Iraq style invasion and regime change. If it is the latter, it will be an important test of America’s military might, and failure could very well be America’s Suez moment. I have speculated here several times that I thought the US would have difficulty conducting a thunder run of a non-peer or near-peer adversary in its current state, and it looks as though my theory may be put to the test. On a geopolitical and moral level though, I have little sympathy for Venezuela, for the same reason I have little sympathy for Ukraine. If you repeatedly antagonize your neighboring superpower, you get what you get.

This will also no doubt further fracture the Republican base in a major way, as interventionist neocons clash with America-First isolationists.

This is also adds to an intensifying pattern of conflict in multiple theaters that could lead to global war. It also increases the likelihood of a Chinese attack on Taiwan as American asserts are entangled in multiple theaters.

I will post more information as I hear it.

source?

A true gentleman scholar post “inb4 source” and is vindicated in the light of history.

Edit:

There are now multiple airstrikes occurring within Caracas. The United States FAA has issued a NOTAM warning that civilian aircraft should avoid overflying the entire territory of Venezuela.

Reuters is now reporting that there are US ground troops active within the capital of Venezuela.

So, from reading the mainstream press this morning (allegedly with sources) the plan now is that Maduro’s deputy (a loyal chavista figure obviously) is in charge, and nothing changes except that the government becomes friendlier to the US state and oil interests? I guess that counts as a win given this was a cheap and successful operation militarily, but for the long suffering Venezuelan people it doesn’t seem to offer much in the way of hope.

I live in Miami. I was thinking about putting together a longer posts where I take a small scale example but extrapolate to how geopolitics work. But the summary of it would have been white guy does shit and it fixes a group issue.

I live in Miami. My gut is America has status here. Trump can just say he’s in charge and the new administration has that backing. Which gives them legitimacy. All we really need to do is let Exxon do what they do. Boost oil production to 4m barrels a day. Let the current admin steal 100-500k barrels a day. And that’s a huge win for Venezuelans.

I guess I’ve lived in Miami. And there was like obvious situations that you could fix. And I did 30s conversation and fixed it. Then did some racists shit and said white guy fixed it. And no one cared. White guy fixed it and everyone was just happy the issue was solved. I think Venezuela is there.

So when people question whether VP will have respect I would counter that Trump says Venezuela is ours.

Where did you say you lived again?

Miami's likely in my top 5 cities to which to fatFIRE (or at least chubbyFIRE if I get all-so-tiresome'd out before getting there). Warm weather, party city, airport with many one-stop destinations. One thing that gives me pause is the frequency by which rachet internet videos come from Miami, that perhaps my impression of Miami is rose-tinted and outdated.

to which to fatFIRE (or at least chubbyFIRE if I get all-so-tiresome'd out before getting there).

To what?

for the record, I dislike you as well.

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