A small tool to view real-world ActivityPub objects as JSON! Enter a URL
or username from Mastodon or a similar service below, and we'll send a
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the right
Accept
header
to the server to view the underlying object.
{
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"content": "Scientist Jailed After Discovering Deadly Viruses Are Delivered Through Vaccines<br /><a href=\"https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/940347416585609216\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/940347416585609216</a>",
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"published": "2019-02-07T20:44:54+00:00",
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"content": "Scientist Jailed After Discovering Deadly Viruses Are Delivered Through Vaccines\nhttps://www.minds.com/newsfeed/940347416585609216",
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"content": "<a href=\"https://russia-insider.com/en/here-are-two-history-books-get-their-facts-straight/ri25657?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014)&mc_cid=7bea437df6&mc_eid=0d5f1ab5cb\" target=\"_blank\">https://russia-insider.com/en/here-are-two-history-books-get-their-facts-straight/ri25657?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014)&mc_cid=7bea437df6&mc_eid=0d5f1ab5cb</a> ",
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"published": "2019-02-05T19:52:28+00:00",
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"content": "The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) effectively collapsed over the weekend following the US announcing Friday that it's suspending all obligations under the treaty. Predictably Moscow's response was swift with President Vladimir Putin saying in a Saturday meeting with his foreign and defense ministers that Russia will now pursue missile development previously banned under its terms.<br /><br />Putin said \"ours will be a mirror response\" in a tit-for-tat move that the Russian president ultimately blames on Washington's years-long \"systematic\" undermining of the agreement.<br /><br />And now Russia's Defense Ministry is essentially saying \"game on\" — per Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's new orders issued on Tuesday: “From Feb. 2, the United States suspended its obligations under the INF treaty,” Shoigu told a meeting of defense heads. “At the same time they are actively working to create a land-based missile with a range of more than 500 km which is outside the treaty’s limits. President Putin has given the defense ministry the task of taking symmetrical measures.”<br /><br /> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=putin\" title=\"#putin\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#putin</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=inftreatypullout\" title=\"#inftreatypullout\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#inftreatypullout</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=news\" title=\"#news\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#news</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=politics\" title=\"#politics\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#politics</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=journalism\" title=\"#journalism\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#journalism</a><br /><a href=\"https://russia-insider.com/en/military/putin-orders-symmetrical-measures-after-inf-treaty-pullout-new-missile-systems-2021/ri26180?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014\" target=\"_blank\">https://russia-insider.com/en/military/putin-orders-symmetrical-measures-after-inf-treaty-pullout-new-missile-systems-2021/ri26180?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014</a>",
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"published": "2019-02-05T19:50:49+00:00",
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"content": "The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) effectively collapsed over the weekend following the US announcing Friday that it's suspending all obligations under the treaty. Predictably Moscow's response was swift with President Vladimir Putin saying in a Saturday meeting with his foreign and defense ministers that Russia will now pursue missile development previously banned under its terms.\n\nPutin said \"ours will be a mirror response\" in a tit-for-tat move that the Russian president ultimately blames on Washington's years-long \"systematic\" undermining of the agreement.\n\nAnd now Russia's Defense Ministry is essentially saying \"game on\" — per Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's new orders issued on Tuesday: “From Feb. 2, the United States suspended its obligations under the INF treaty,” Shoigu told a meeting of defense heads. “At the same time they are actively working to create a land-based missile with a range of more than 500 km which is outside the treaty’s limits. President Putin has given the defense ministry the task of taking symmetrical measures.”\n\n #putin #inftreatypullout #news #politics #journalism\nhttps://russia-insider.com/en/military/putin-orders-symmetrical-measures-after-inf-treaty-pullout-new-missile-systems-2021/ri26180?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014",
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"content": "Severe natural disasters and peculiar phenomena that often get interpreted as some kind of divine punishment are hardly anything new in human history.<br />And it appears that this year is not going to be any different, as reports of unsettling events trickle in from various corners of the planet.<br /><br />This time, however, nature is about to take things up a notch, as it is the oceans that are going to shift colour by the end of this century due to climate change, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.<br /><br />\"There will be a noticeable difference in the colour of 50% of the ocean by the end of the 21st century,\" study lead Stephanie Dutkiewicz said as quoted by MIT News, noting that the impending change “could be potentially quite serious”. <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=freespeech\" title=\"#freespeech\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#freespeech</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=news\" title=\"#news\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#news</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=journalism\" title=\"#journalism\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#journalism</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=Apocalypse\" title=\"#Apocalypse\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#Apocalypse</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=endtimes\" title=\"#endtimes\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#endtimes</a><br /><a href=\"https://sputniknews.com/world/201902051072149206-disasters-diseases-plagues-resemblance/\" target=\"_blank\">https://sputniknews.com/world/201902051072149206-disasters-diseases-plagues-resemblance/</a>",
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"published": "2019-02-05T18:03:36+00:00",
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"content": "Severe natural disasters and peculiar phenomena that often get interpreted as some kind of divine punishment are hardly anything new in human history.\nAnd it appears that this year is not going to be any different, as reports of unsettling events trickle in from various corners of the planet.\n\nThis time, however, nature is about to take things up a notch, as it is the oceans that are going to shift colour by the end of this century due to climate change, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.\n\n\"There will be a noticeable difference in the colour of 50% of the ocean by the end of the 21st century,\" study lead Stephanie Dutkiewicz said as quoted by MIT News, noting that the impending change “could be potentially quite serious”. #freespeech #news #journalism #Apocalypse #endtimes\nhttps://sputniknews.com/world/201902051072149206-disasters-diseases-plagues-resemblance/",
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"content": "<a href=\"https://sputniknews.com/viral/201902041072121947-weather-girl-man-confrontation/\" target=\"_blank\">https://sputniknews.com/viral/201902041072121947-weather-girl-man-confrontation/</a> ",
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"published": "2019-02-04T19:26:47+00:00",
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"content": "Researchers at the University of Arizona studying the relics of one of the largest volcanic events in the earth’s history may have stumbled upon a discovery that could provide a scientific explanation for certain phenomena described in the Bible. <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=freespeech\" title=\"#freespeech\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#freespeech</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=journalism\" title=\"#journalism\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#journalism</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=news\" title=\"#news\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#news</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=research\" title=\"#research\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#research</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=biblical\" title=\"#biblical\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#biblical</a><br /><a href=\"https://sputniknews.com/world/201901271071868715-thera-eruption-exodus-explanation/?utm_source=adfox_site_41917&utm_medium=adfox_banner_2847297&utm_campaign=adfox_campaign_626010&ues=1\" target=\"_blank\">https://sputniknews.com/world/201901271071868715-thera-eruption-exodus-explanation/?utm_source=adfox_site_41917&utm_medium=adfox_banner_2847297&utm_campaign=adfox_campaign_626010&ues=1</a>",
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"url": "https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/939239391252852736",
"published": "2019-02-04T19:22:01+00:00",
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"content": "Researchers at the University of Arizona studying the relics of one of the largest volcanic events in the earth’s history may have stumbled upon a discovery that could provide a scientific explanation for certain phenomena described in the Bible. #freespeech #journalism #news #research #biblical\nhttps://sputniknews.com/world/201901271071868715-thera-eruption-exodus-explanation/?utm_source=adfox_site_41917&utm_medium=adfox_banner_2847297&utm_campaign=adfox_campaign_626010&ues=1",
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"content": "\"When we go off to war. When we exercise our rights. When we soar to our greatest heights,\" Hanks says. \"When we mourn and pray. When our neighbors are at risk. When our nation is threatened. There's someone to gather the facts. To bring you the story. No matter the cost. Because knowing empowers us. Knowing helps us decide. Knowing keeps us free.\" <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=freespeech\" title=\"#freespeech\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#freespeech</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=journalism\" title=\"#journalism\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#journalism</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=news\" title=\"#news\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#news</a><br /><a href=\"https://youtu.be/ZDjfg8YlKHc\" target=\"_blank\">https://youtu.be/ZDjfg8YlKHc</a>",
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"url": "https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/939238703121268736",
"published": "2019-02-04T19:19:17+00:00",
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"content": "\"When we go off to war. When we exercise our rights. When we soar to our greatest heights,\" Hanks says. \"When we mourn and pray. When our neighbors are at risk. When our nation is threatened. There's someone to gather the facts. To bring you the story. No matter the cost. Because knowing empowers us. Knowing helps us decide. Knowing keeps us free.\" #freespeech #journalism #news\nhttps://youtu.be/ZDjfg8YlKHc",
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"content": "As last night’s Super Bowl reached half time, Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser, took to social media to reveal what kind of feast she prepared for the occasion.<br /><br /> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=journalism\" title=\"#journalism\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#journalism</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=news\" title=\"#news\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#news</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=IvankaTrump\" title=\"#IvankaTrump\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#IvankaTrump</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=Superbowl2019\" title=\"#Superbowl2019\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#Superbowl2019</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=Trump\" title=\"#Trump\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#Trump</a><br /><a href=\"https://sputniknews.com/viral/201902041072119431-ivanka-feast-super-bowl-reaction/\" target=\"_blank\">https://sputniknews.com/viral/201902041072119431-ivanka-feast-super-bowl-reaction/</a>",
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"published": "2019-02-04T19:16:57+00:00",
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"content": "As last night’s Super Bowl reached half time, Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser, took to social media to reveal what kind of feast she prepared for the occasion.\n\n #journalism #news #IvankaTrump #Superbowl2019 #Trump\nhttps://sputniknews.com/viral/201902041072119431-ivanka-feast-super-bowl-reaction/",
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"content": "The Neocons never cease to amaze me and their latest stunt with Venezuela falls into this bizarre category of events which are both absolutely unthinkable and simultaneously absolutely predictable. This apparent logical contradiction is the direct result of a worldview and mindset which is, I believe, unique to the Neocons: a mix of imperial hubris and infinite arrogance, a complete lack of decency, a total contempt for the rest of mankind, crass ignorance, a narcissist/sociopath’s inability to have any kind of empathy or imagine another guy’s reaction and, finally, last but most certainly not least, crass stupidity. There is so much which can be said about the latest US aggression on Venezuela that entire books could be (and will be) written about this, but I want to begin by look at a few specific but nonetheless very symptomatic aspects:<br /><br />“In your face” stupidity or bootcamp-like deliberate public humiliation?<br /><br /><br />Remember the almost universal reaction of horror when Bolton was appointed as National Security Advisor? Well, apparently, either the Neocons completely missed that, which I doubt, or they did what they always do and decided to double-down by retrieving Elliott Abrams from storage and appointing him US Special Envoy to Venezuela.<br /><br />I mean, yes, of course, the Neocons are stupid and sociopathic enough not to ever care about others, but in this case I think that we are dealing with a “Skripal tactic”: do something so ridiculously stupid and offensive that it places all your vassals before a stark choice: either submit and pretend like you did not notice or, alternatively, dare to say something and face with wrath of Uncle Shmuel (the Neocon’s version of Uncle Sam).<br /><br /><br />And it worked, in the name of “solidarity” or whatever else, the most faithful lackeys of the Empire immediate fell in line behind the latest US aggression against a sovereign nation in spite of the self-evident fact that this aggression violates every letter of the most sacred principles of international law. This is exactly the same tactic as when they make you clean toilets with a toothbrush or do push-ups in the mud during basic training: not only to condition you to total obedience, but to make you publicly give up any semblance of dignity.<br /><br /><br />MAGA really?<br />This is not just a case of history repeating itself like a farce, however. It is hard to overstate how totally offensive a character like Elliott Abrams is for every Latin American who remembers the bloody US debacle in Nicaragua. US vassals now have to give up any type of pretend-dignity in front of their own people and act as if Abrams was a respectable and sane human being.<br /><br />I believe that this kind of “obedience conditioning by means of humiliation” is not just a case of the Neocons being idiots, but a deliberate tactic which will, of course, backfire and end up hurting US puppets worldwide (just like the pro-US Russian “liberal” opposition was eviscerated as a result of being associated by the Russian public opinion with the US policies against Russia, especially in the Ukraine).<br /><br />Finally, these appointments also show that the senior-Neocons are frightened and paranoid as there are still plenty of very sharp junior-Neocon folks to chose from in the US, yet they felt the need to get Abrams from conservation and place him in a key position in spite of the strong smell of naphthalene emanating from him. This reminds me of the gerontocrats of the Soviet Politburo in the worst stagnation years who had to appoint the likes of Chernenko to top positions.<br /><br />The one thing the Mr MAGA’s administration has in common with the late Brezhevian Politburo is its total inability to get anything done. My wife refers to the folks in the White House (since Dubya came to power) as the “gang that couldn’t shoot straight” and she is right (she always is!): they just can’t really get anything done anymore – all their half-assed pseudo-successes are inevitably followed by embarrassing failures.<br /><br /><br />As I wrote in my article “The good news about the Trump Presidency: stupid can be good!” these folks will only precipitate the collapse of the AngloZionist Empire, which is a very good thing. The bad thing is, of course, that the Neocons are negating any chance for a gradual, phased, collapse and are, instead, creating a dynamic in which a sudden, catastrophic, collapse becomes much more likely.<br /><br /><br />Now we have all seen the latest antic from Bolton: showing up with a yellow pad with “5,000 troops to Colombia” written on it. Again, this might be a case of Bolton being senile or not giving a damn, but I doubt it. I think that this is just another oh-so-subtle way to threaten Venezuela with a US-led invasion. And, really, why not?<br /><br />If the Empire thinks it has the authority and power to decide who the President of Venezuela should be, it has to logically back up this stance with a threat, especially since there is no US authority, moral or otherwise, left.<br /><br />The obvious question here is how this threat will be received in Venezuela and that largely depends on how credible that threat is. Now, “5,000 troops” could mean anything, ranging from a infantry brigade combat team to the typical US mix of as many putatively “special” forces as possible (to make every service happy and give everybody a piece of the expected (but never achieved) “victory pie” – many careers in the US depend on that kind of stuff). At this point in time, I rather not speculate and get technical about how such a force could be structured. Let’s just assume that it will be an overall credible and well-packaged force and try to speculate how the Venezuelans could react to it.<br /><br />The state of the Venezuelan military<br /><br /><br />Here I am particularly lucky as I have a close and trusted Latin American friend who is now a retired Lt-Colonel who spent many months in Venezuela working with the Venezuelan military in a capacity which I cannot disclose, but which gave him quasi-total access to every unit and military facility in the country and who, just a couple of years ago, shared with me his impression of the Venezuelan military. Here is what he told me:<br /><br />A military, any military, is always the product of the society which produces it and this is also true of Venezuela. It would be silly to admit that the Venezuelan economy is a total mess while expecting the Venezuelan armed forces to be a shining example of professionalism, honesty and patriotism. The sad reality is very different.<br /><br />For one thing, much of the Venezuelan military is hopelessly corrupt, as is the rest of society. In a country whose economy is imploding, this is hardly surprising. Furthermore, for years both Chavez and Maduro have fought an uphill battle to remove as many potential traitors and class enemies (in a Marxist sense of the word) from the Venezuelan military and replace them with “socially close” (a Bolshevik concept) elements from the poorer sections of society.<br /><br />Truth be told, this was a partially successful strategy as seen by the fact that during this latest coup attempt the Venezuelan military overwhelmingly supported the Venezuelan Constitution and the legitimacy of Maduro. And yet that kind of loyalty often comes at the costs of professionalism and at the risk of corruption as seen by the case of the Venezuelan military attache to the US who clearly was a US agent.<br /><br />I am afraid that the current situation in Venezuela might be similar to what it was in Syria in the very early stages of the AngloZionist war against this country when scores of top officials of the Syrian government proved to be traitors and/or US agents. In Syria the government eventually re-took control of the situation, but only with a great deal of help from Iran and Russia and after almost being toppled by the US-run Takfiri forces.<br /><br /><br /><br />The good news here, according to my friend, is that the Venezuelan special forces (army special forces, jungle infantry troops, “Caribe” counter insurgency units, airborne units, etc) are in a much better shape and that they could form the core of a resistance force to the invasion, not unlike what the Republican Guard eventually did in Iraq. But the biggest difference with Iraq is that in Venezuela the majority of the people are still backing Maduro and that any invasion force should expect to meet a lot of resistance of the type which the US encountered in Iraq after the invasion of the country.<br /><br />Also, there was a fragile truce of sorts between Hugo Chavez and various Left-wing guerillas who agreed to stop their military operations, but who also kept all their weapons “just in case”. This “case” has now happened and we can expect that any US invasion will trigger an immediate re-emergence of a Left-wing guerilla force which, combined with popular support and the key role of a core of patriotic Venezuelan special forces could form a very dangerous combination, especially in the mid to long term.<br /><br />Keep in mind that corrupt officers don’t like combat and that while they might aid a US invasion force, they will only do so as long as things seem to go the easy way, but as soon as things go south (which is what always happens to US invasion forces) they will run as fast as they can. So while the endemic corruption now will be a problem for the Maduro government, it will become a problem for the US as soon the legitimate government is toppled.<br /><br />Comparisons are necessarily tricky and crude, but with this caveat in mind, don’t think “Syria” but rather think “Iraq” when considering the possible outcomes of a US invasion.<br /><br />The state of the Venezuelan people<br /><br /><br />This is really crucial. Hugo Chavez’ reforms alienated a lot of Venezuelans, especially those who made their fortunes by servicing US interests and who became your typical Latin American version of a comprador class. Much of the middle-class also got hurt and are angry. However, these same reforms also empowered huge numbers of destitute and poor Venezuelans who, for the first time, felt that the government stood for their interests and who remember what it was like to live in abject poverty under a US-backed regime.<br /><br />These folks probably have no illusion about what the toppling of this government would mean for them and they are likely to fight hard, if not necessarily competently, to keep the little rights and means they acquired during the Chavez years. There is even what is sometimes referred to “Chavistas without Chavez” which some describe as potential back-stabbing traitors while other see them as more pragmatic, less ideological, faction of Chavez supporters who decry Chavez’ mistakes but don’t want their country to turn into a Colombia-style US colony.<br /><br />Whatever may be the case, Hugo Chavez’ pro-popular policies left a very profound mark on the country and you can expect that a lot of Venezuelans will take up arms and resist any US/Colombian invasion.<br /><br />Here I think we can all express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr MAGA whose appointment of Elliott “Iran-Contra” Abrams has done more than any government sponsored propaganda to clearly and bluntly explain to the Venezuelan people who is doing what to them and why.<br /><br />Seriously, Ron Paul or Tulsi Gabbard speaking of democracy is one thing, but having gangsters and psychopathic thugs like Pompeo, Bolton or Abrams in charge really sends a message and that message is that we are dealing with a banal case of highway robbery triggered by two very crude considerations:<br /><br />First, to re-take control of Venezuela’s immense natural resources.<br />Second, to prove to the world that Uncle Shmuel can still, quote, “pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business“, unquote.<br />The obvious problem is that 1) nobody takes the US seriously because 2) the US has not been capable of defeating any country capable of resistance since many decades already. The various US special forces, which would typically spearhead any invasion, have an especially appalling record of abject failures every time they stop posing for cameras and have to engage in real combat. I assure you that nobody in the Venezuelan military cares about movies like “Rambo” or “Delta Force” while they carefully studied US FUBARs in Somalia, Grenada, Iran and elsewhere. You can also bet that the Cubans, who have had many years of experience dealing with the (very competent) South African special forces in Angola and elsewhere will share their experience with their Venezuelan colleagues.<br /><br /><br />President Macrobama?<br />Last but not least, there are a lot of weapons in circulation in Venezuela and which the various popular militias and National Guard would be more than happy to further distribute to the local population if any invasion appears to be successful.<br /><br />The State of the Empire and its puppet-President Macrobama<br /><br />Well, here the famous “insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again expecting different results” is the best possible description of US actions. Just look at this sequence:<br /><br />The AngloZionists leaders of the Empire appoints a hybrid of Obama and Macron named Juan Guaido as “legitimate interim President”<br />US puppets in Europe and Latin America immediately fall in line behind Uncle Shmuel<br />The US promises war (aka “serious consequences“) if Guaido is arrested<br />The AngloZionist Empire robs Venezuela of billions of dollars of assets<br />The Empire gives part of that money to the “moderate opposition” to fund an insurrection,<br />Contra-style Venezuelan “opposition” asks for US weapons<br />The Ziomedia launches strategic PSYOP about Russian airplanes flying Venezuelan gold out of the country<br />The Empire sabotages the biggest Venezuela oil company<br />The Empire delivers an self-evidently unacceptable ultimatum to Venezuela which is self-evidently rejected<br />No western politician in office dares to say a single word about this massive full-spectrum violation of all the most sacred principles of international law. But then, international law has been dead since the US/NATO war on the Serbian people, so this is hardly “news”…<br />Does all this not look boringly familiar?<br /><br />Does this bizarre mix of Neocons, gerontocrats and deepstaters really, sincerely, believe that this time around they will “win” (however you define that)?!<br /><br />More relevantly – has this recipe ever worked in the past? I would say that if we accept, for argument’s sake, that the goal is to “restore democracy” then obviously “no”. But if the goal is to wreck a country, then it has worked, quite a few times indeed.<br /><br />Next, a few misplaced hopes<br /><br />I am getting a lot of emails suggesting that Russia might do in Venezuela what she did in Syria. Let me immediately tell you that this is not going to happen. Yes, there are a lot of Russians in Venezuela, but the “Russians are not coming”. For one thing, I will never cease to repeat that the Russian intervention in Syria was a very small one, and that even if this small force proved formidable, it was really acting primarily as a force multiplier for the Iranians, Hezbollah and the Syrian government forces.<br /><br />And yet, even the deployment of this very small force necessitated a huge logistics effort from Russia whose military (being a purely defensive one) is simply not structured for long-distance power projection. Syria is about 1000km from Russia. Venezuela is about 10 times (!) further.<br /><br />Yes, I know,a few Tu-160 visited the country twice now and there are Russian advisors in the country and the Venezuelans have a few pretty good Russian weapons systems. But here, again, this is a game of numbers. Limited numbers of Russian-made combat aircraft (fixed and rotary wing), air defense missiles or even large numbers of advanced MANPADs or assault rifles won’t do the trick against a determined US-Colombian invasion. Finally, there is no Venezuelan equivalent to Iran or Hezbollah (an outside ally and friend) which would be capable and willing to deploy real combat forces for actual, sustained combat against the invader.<br /><br />Next comes terrain. Yes, much of Venezuela is difficult to access, but not for jungle-experienced forces which both the US military and the Colombians have. Furthermore, there is absolutely no need to invade the entire country to topple the legitimate government. For that all you need is to control is a few key facilities in a few key locations and you are done.<br /><br />For example, I don’t see the USAF or USN wasting any time in air-to-air combat against the (few) Venezuelan Sukhois – they will simply destroy them in their hangars along with their runways and air combat management radars and command posts. So the terrain will not prevent the Empire of suppressing Venezuelan air defenses and as soon as this is done, you can expect the usual mix of bomb and missile strikes which will create chaos, wreck command and control capabilities and, basically, disorganize much of the military. Finally, US forces in Colombia and USN ships off the Venezuelan coast will enjoy a safe harbor from which to launch as many strikes as they want.<br /><br />Next, hopes that Russia and China will somehow resuscitate the Venezuelan economy are also ill-founded. First, neither country is interested in pouring money into a bottomless pit. It is one thing to sign contracts which are likely to eventually produce a return on investment and quite another to dump money into a bottomless pit (as the US and Europe have found out in the Ukraine).<br /><br />Second, the Venezuelan economy is so deeply enmeshed in the US-UK run international financial system that neither China nor Russia can do anything about it. That is not to say that US sanctions, subversion and sabotage did not play a major role in the collapse of the Venezuelan economy, they sure did, but it is equally true (at least to Russian specialists) that many of the Chavista reforms were botched, a lot of them were a case of too little too late, and that it will take years to refloat the Venezuelan economy.<br /><br />Finally, we are comparing apples to oranges here: the task of the AngloZionists is to destroy the Venezuelan economy while the Chinese and Russian task would be, at least in theory, to rescue it. Destroying is so much easier than building, that the entire comparison is logically flawed and fundamentally unfair.<br /><br />I really mean no offense to the supporters of Hugo Chavez and his ideals (I very much include myself in this category) but anybody who has been to, or near, Venezuela will tell you that destitute Venezuelans are not only running out of the country in large numbers, but they also contribute to destabilize the neighboring states. So we should have no Pollyannish notions about all the reports about the economic and social collapse in Venezuela as only “US propaganda”. Sadly, much of it is true even if often exaggerated, lopsided and missing all the very real successes of the Chavez reforms, hence the continuous popular support, in spite of it all, the Maduro government continues to enjoy. Still, the overall picture is very bleak and it will take Venezuela consistent and correct action to recover from the current plight.<br /><br />So is there still hope? Yes, absolutely!<br /><br />I recently replied the following to a friend asking me about a possible Russian intervention in Venezuela “I place my own hopes not in the Venezuelan military, or in Chinese or Russian help, but on the amazing ability of the Americans to f*** up. At the end of the day, that is our biggest ally: the US stupidity, ignorance, arrogance and cowardice“.<br /><br />Think of what currently passes as a “policy” of the US in Venezuela as a diagnostic tool.<br /><br />Not just to diagnose the moral degeneracy and mental pathology of the leaders of the AngloZionist Empire, but also to diagnose the very real state of despair and chaos of the Empire itself. Under Obama, for all his faults and weaknesses, the US succeeded in subverting a list of crucial Latin American countries (like Brazil or Argentina) but now, with Mr MAGA, it can’t even do that.<br /><br />The kind of antics we see from the Pompeo, Bolton & Abrams gang is amazing in its crudeness and, frankly, makes a supposed “indispensable nation” look absolutely ridiculous. These losers already had to fold several times, in spite of equally hyperbolic threats delivered with maximal gravitas (think DPRK here), and yet they still think that crude bullying methods can yield success. They can’t. Immense firepower is not a substitute for brains.<br /><br />In its short and blood-soaked history, the US has pretty much always acted like some criminal enterprise run by brutal gangsters, but in the past some of these gangsters could be extremely well educated and intelligent (think James Baker here). Today, their guns are still lying around (albeit in various states of disrepair), but they are wielded by ignorant retards. Yes, ignorant retards with guns can be very dangerous, but they can never be effective!<br /><br />Conclusion<br /><br />Right now the US, backed by its various colonies and vassal states, appears to be ready to deliver a death blow to Venezuela and, truth be told, they might be able to do just that. But, for whatever it is worth, my gut feeling is that they will fail again, even against the weakest countries of the Axis of Resistance.<br /><br />That is not to say that Venezuela is not in a heap of critical problems. But I believe that in spite of being in a critical condition, Venezuela will be able to bounce back, just like Syria did. After all, the Syrian example proves that it *is* possible to resist a superior invading force while at the same time successfully engaging in critically needed reforms.<br /><br />Yes, today’s Caracas is in very bad shape, but the city of Aleppo was in a much worse shape until it was liberated, and now quasi-normal life has returned to it (in sharp contrast to the US liberated devastated city of Raqqa which still lies in ruins). Yankees (to use the usual Latin-American expression) are just like their Israeli overlords: they are capable of devastating violence but they have no staying power: if things don’t go their way fast, really fast, they run and barricade themselves somewhere faraway from danger.<br /><br />In our case, they might even do what they did in Iraq and Afghanistan: build obscenely huge embassies, create a special zone around them, and sit tight while the country is engulfed in a bloody civil war. This way, they can provide CNN & Co. with footage of a “peaceful neighborhood” while still claiming that the Stars and Strips are still proudly flying high over the enemy’s capital and that “these colors don’t run”. This would be a disastrous outcome for the Venezuelan nation and this is why we all have to try to prevent this, by speaking out before the US further wrecks yet another country.<br /><br />Hopefully the memory of past completely failed, humiliating and bloody invasions will convince the right people at the Pentagon to do whatever it takes to prevent the US from launching yet another stupid and immoral war of choice on behalf of the Neocons.<br /><br /> freespeech journalism <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=politics\" title=\"#politics\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#politics</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=news\" title=\"#news\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#news</a> #5 <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=5000USTroops\" title=\"#5000USTroops\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#5000USTroops</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=Invasionofvenezuela\" title=\"#Invasionofvenezuela\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#Invasionofvenezuela</a><br /><a href=\"https://russia-insider.com/en/how-would-boltons-5000-troops-colombia-fare-invasion-venezuela/ri26143?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014\" target=\"_blank\">https://russia-insider.com/en/how-would-boltons-5000-troops-colombia-fare-invasion-venezuela/ri26143?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014</a>",
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"published": "2019-02-03T23:20:23+00:00",
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"content": "The Neocons never cease to amaze me and their latest stunt with Venezuela falls into this bizarre category of events which are both absolutely unthinkable and simultaneously absolutely predictable. This apparent logical contradiction is the direct result of a worldview and mindset which is, I believe, unique to the Neocons: a mix of imperial hubris and infinite arrogance, a complete lack of decency, a total contempt for the rest of mankind, crass ignorance, a narcissist/sociopath’s inability to have any kind of empathy or imagine another guy’s reaction and, finally, last but most certainly not least, crass stupidity. There is so much which can be said about the latest US aggression on Venezuela that entire books could be (and will be) written about this, but I want to begin by look at a few specific but nonetheless very symptomatic aspects:\n\n“In your face” stupidity or bootcamp-like deliberate public humiliation?\n\n\nRemember the almost universal reaction of horror when Bolton was appointed as National Security Advisor? Well, apparently, either the Neocons completely missed that, which I doubt, or they did what they always do and decided to double-down by retrieving Elliott Abrams from storage and appointing him US Special Envoy to Venezuela.\n\nI mean, yes, of course, the Neocons are stupid and sociopathic enough not to ever care about others, but in this case I think that we are dealing with a “Skripal tactic”: do something so ridiculously stupid and offensive that it places all your vassals before a stark choice: either submit and pretend like you did not notice or, alternatively, dare to say something and face with wrath of Uncle Shmuel (the Neocon’s version of Uncle Sam).\n\n\nAnd it worked, in the name of “solidarity” or whatever else, the most faithful lackeys of the Empire immediate fell in line behind the latest US aggression against a sovereign nation in spite of the self-evident fact that this aggression violates every letter of the most sacred principles of international law. This is exactly the same tactic as when they make you clean toilets with a toothbrush or do push-ups in the mud during basic training: not only to condition you to total obedience, but to make you publicly give up any semblance of dignity.\n\n\nMAGA really?\nThis is not just a case of history repeating itself like a farce, however. It is hard to overstate how totally offensive a character like Elliott Abrams is for every Latin American who remembers the bloody US debacle in Nicaragua. US vassals now have to give up any type of pretend-dignity in front of their own people and act as if Abrams was a respectable and sane human being.\n\nI believe that this kind of “obedience conditioning by means of humiliation” is not just a case of the Neocons being idiots, but a deliberate tactic which will, of course, backfire and end up hurting US puppets worldwide (just like the pro-US Russian “liberal” opposition was eviscerated as a result of being associated by the Russian public opinion with the US policies against Russia, especially in the Ukraine).\n\nFinally, these appointments also show that the senior-Neocons are frightened and paranoid as there are still plenty of very sharp junior-Neocon folks to chose from in the US, yet they felt the need to get Abrams from conservation and place him in a key position in spite of the strong smell of naphthalene emanating from him. This reminds me of the gerontocrats of the Soviet Politburo in the worst stagnation years who had to appoint the likes of Chernenko to top positions.\n\nThe one thing the Mr MAGA’s administration has in common with the late Brezhevian Politburo is its total inability to get anything done. My wife refers to the folks in the White House (since Dubya came to power) as the “gang that couldn’t shoot straight” and she is right (she always is!): they just can’t really get anything done anymore – all their half-assed pseudo-successes are inevitably followed by embarrassing failures.\n\n\nAs I wrote in my article “The good news about the Trump Presidency: stupid can be good!” these folks will only precipitate the collapse of the AngloZionist Empire, which is a very good thing. The bad thing is, of course, that the Neocons are negating any chance for a gradual, phased, collapse and are, instead, creating a dynamic in which a sudden, catastrophic, collapse becomes much more likely.\n\n\nNow we have all seen the latest antic from Bolton: showing up with a yellow pad with “5,000 troops to Colombia” written on it. Again, this might be a case of Bolton being senile or not giving a damn, but I doubt it. I think that this is just another oh-so-subtle way to threaten Venezuela with a US-led invasion. And, really, why not?\n\nIf the Empire thinks it has the authority and power to decide who the President of Venezuela should be, it has to logically back up this stance with a threat, especially since there is no US authority, moral or otherwise, left.\n\nThe obvious question here is how this threat will be received in Venezuela and that largely depends on how credible that threat is. Now, “5,000 troops” could mean anything, ranging from a infantry brigade combat team to the typical US mix of as many putatively “special” forces as possible (to make every service happy and give everybody a piece of the expected (but never achieved) “victory pie” – many careers in the US depend on that kind of stuff). At this point in time, I rather not speculate and get technical about how such a force could be structured. Let’s just assume that it will be an overall credible and well-packaged force and try to speculate how the Venezuelans could react to it.\n\nThe state of the Venezuelan military\n\n\nHere I am particularly lucky as I have a close and trusted Latin American friend who is now a retired Lt-Colonel who spent many months in Venezuela working with the Venezuelan military in a capacity which I cannot disclose, but which gave him quasi-total access to every unit and military facility in the country and who, just a couple of years ago, shared with me his impression of the Venezuelan military. Here is what he told me:\n\nA military, any military, is always the product of the society which produces it and this is also true of Venezuela. It would be silly to admit that the Venezuelan economy is a total mess while expecting the Venezuelan armed forces to be a shining example of professionalism, honesty and patriotism. The sad reality is very different.\n\nFor one thing, much of the Venezuelan military is hopelessly corrupt, as is the rest of society. In a country whose economy is imploding, this is hardly surprising. Furthermore, for years both Chavez and Maduro have fought an uphill battle to remove as many potential traitors and class enemies (in a Marxist sense of the word) from the Venezuelan military and replace them with “socially close” (a Bolshevik concept) elements from the poorer sections of society.\n\nTruth be told, this was a partially successful strategy as seen by the fact that during this latest coup attempt the Venezuelan military overwhelmingly supported the Venezuelan Constitution and the legitimacy of Maduro. And yet that kind of loyalty often comes at the costs of professionalism and at the risk of corruption as seen by the case of the Venezuelan military attache to the US who clearly was a US agent.\n\nI am afraid that the current situation in Venezuela might be similar to what it was in Syria in the very early stages of the AngloZionist war against this country when scores of top officials of the Syrian government proved to be traitors and/or US agents. In Syria the government eventually re-took control of the situation, but only with a great deal of help from Iran and Russia and after almost being toppled by the US-run Takfiri forces.\n\n\n\nThe good news here, according to my friend, is that the Venezuelan special forces (army special forces, jungle infantry troops, “Caribe” counter insurgency units, airborne units, etc) are in a much better shape and that they could form the core of a resistance force to the invasion, not unlike what the Republican Guard eventually did in Iraq. But the biggest difference with Iraq is that in Venezuela the majority of the people are still backing Maduro and that any invasion force should expect to meet a lot of resistance of the type which the US encountered in Iraq after the invasion of the country.\n\nAlso, there was a fragile truce of sorts between Hugo Chavez and various Left-wing guerillas who agreed to stop their military operations, but who also kept all their weapons “just in case”. This “case” has now happened and we can expect that any US invasion will trigger an immediate re-emergence of a Left-wing guerilla force which, combined with popular support and the key role of a core of patriotic Venezuelan special forces could form a very dangerous combination, especially in the mid to long term.\n\nKeep in mind that corrupt officers don’t like combat and that while they might aid a US invasion force, they will only do so as long as things seem to go the easy way, but as soon as things go south (which is what always happens to US invasion forces) they will run as fast as they can. So while the endemic corruption now will be a problem for the Maduro government, it will become a problem for the US as soon the legitimate government is toppled.\n\nComparisons are necessarily tricky and crude, but with this caveat in mind, don’t think “Syria” but rather think “Iraq” when considering the possible outcomes of a US invasion.\n\nThe state of the Venezuelan people\n\n\nThis is really crucial. Hugo Chavez’ reforms alienated a lot of Venezuelans, especially those who made their fortunes by servicing US interests and who became your typical Latin American version of a comprador class. Much of the middle-class also got hurt and are angry. However, these same reforms also empowered huge numbers of destitute and poor Venezuelans who, for the first time, felt that the government stood for their interests and who remember what it was like to live in abject poverty under a US-backed regime.\n\nThese folks probably have no illusion about what the toppling of this government would mean for them and they are likely to fight hard, if not necessarily competently, to keep the little rights and means they acquired during the Chavez years. There is even what is sometimes referred to “Chavistas without Chavez” which some describe as potential back-stabbing traitors while other see them as more pragmatic, less ideological, faction of Chavez supporters who decry Chavez’ mistakes but don’t want their country to turn into a Colombia-style US colony.\n\nWhatever may be the case, Hugo Chavez’ pro-popular policies left a very profound mark on the country and you can expect that a lot of Venezuelans will take up arms and resist any US/Colombian invasion.\n\nHere I think we can all express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr MAGA whose appointment of Elliott “Iran-Contra” Abrams has done more than any government sponsored propaganda to clearly and bluntly explain to the Venezuelan people who is doing what to them and why.\n\nSeriously, Ron Paul or Tulsi Gabbard speaking of democracy is one thing, but having gangsters and psychopathic thugs like Pompeo, Bolton or Abrams in charge really sends a message and that message is that we are dealing with a banal case of highway robbery triggered by two very crude considerations:\n\nFirst, to re-take control of Venezuela’s immense natural resources.\nSecond, to prove to the world that Uncle Shmuel can still, quote, “pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business“, unquote.\nThe obvious problem is that 1) nobody takes the US seriously because 2) the US has not been capable of defeating any country capable of resistance since many decades already. The various US special forces, which would typically spearhead any invasion, have an especially appalling record of abject failures every time they stop posing for cameras and have to engage in real combat. I assure you that nobody in the Venezuelan military cares about movies like “Rambo” or “Delta Force” while they carefully studied US FUBARs in Somalia, Grenada, Iran and elsewhere. You can also bet that the Cubans, who have had many years of experience dealing with the (very competent) South African special forces in Angola and elsewhere will share their experience with their Venezuelan colleagues.\n\n\nPresident Macrobama?\nLast but not least, there are a lot of weapons in circulation in Venezuela and which the various popular militias and National Guard would be more than happy to further distribute to the local population if any invasion appears to be successful.\n\nThe State of the Empire and its puppet-President Macrobama\n\nWell, here the famous “insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again expecting different results” is the best possible description of US actions. Just look at this sequence:\n\nThe AngloZionists leaders of the Empire appoints a hybrid of Obama and Macron named Juan Guaido as “legitimate interim President”\nUS puppets in Europe and Latin America immediately fall in line behind Uncle Shmuel\nThe US promises war (aka “serious consequences“) if Guaido is arrested\nThe AngloZionist Empire robs Venezuela of billions of dollars of assets\nThe Empire gives part of that money to the “moderate opposition” to fund an insurrection,\nContra-style Venezuelan “opposition” asks for US weapons\nThe Ziomedia launches strategic PSYOP about Russian airplanes flying Venezuelan gold out of the country\nThe Empire sabotages the biggest Venezuela oil company\nThe Empire delivers an self-evidently unacceptable ultimatum to Venezuela which is self-evidently rejected\nNo western politician in office dares to say a single word about this massive full-spectrum violation of all the most sacred principles of international law. But then, international law has been dead since the US/NATO war on the Serbian people, so this is hardly “news”…\nDoes all this not look boringly familiar?\n\nDoes this bizarre mix of Neocons, gerontocrats and deepstaters really, sincerely, believe that this time around they will “win” (however you define that)?!\n\nMore relevantly – has this recipe ever worked in the past? I would say that if we accept, for argument’s sake, that the goal is to “restore democracy” then obviously “no”. But if the goal is to wreck a country, then it has worked, quite a few times indeed.\n\nNext, a few misplaced hopes\n\nI am getting a lot of emails suggesting that Russia might do in Venezuela what she did in Syria. Let me immediately tell you that this is not going to happen. Yes, there are a lot of Russians in Venezuela, but the “Russians are not coming”. For one thing, I will never cease to repeat that the Russian intervention in Syria was a very small one, and that even if this small force proved formidable, it was really acting primarily as a force multiplier for the Iranians, Hezbollah and the Syrian government forces.\n\nAnd yet, even the deployment of this very small force necessitated a huge logistics effort from Russia whose military (being a purely defensive one) is simply not structured for long-distance power projection. Syria is about 1000km from Russia. Venezuela is about 10 times (!) further.\n\nYes, I know,a few Tu-160 visited the country twice now and there are Russian advisors in the country and the Venezuelans have a few pretty good Russian weapons systems. But here, again, this is a game of numbers. Limited numbers of Russian-made combat aircraft (fixed and rotary wing), air defense missiles or even large numbers of advanced MANPADs or assault rifles won’t do the trick against a determined US-Colombian invasion. Finally, there is no Venezuelan equivalent to Iran or Hezbollah (an outside ally and friend) which would be capable and willing to deploy real combat forces for actual, sustained combat against the invader.\n\nNext comes terrain. Yes, much of Venezuela is difficult to access, but not for jungle-experienced forces which both the US military and the Colombians have. Furthermore, there is absolutely no need to invade the entire country to topple the legitimate government. For that all you need is to control is a few key facilities in a few key locations and you are done.\n\nFor example, I don’t see the USAF or USN wasting any time in air-to-air combat against the (few) Venezuelan Sukhois – they will simply destroy them in their hangars along with their runways and air combat management radars and command posts. So the terrain will not prevent the Empire of suppressing Venezuelan air defenses and as soon as this is done, you can expect the usual mix of bomb and missile strikes which will create chaos, wreck command and control capabilities and, basically, disorganize much of the military. Finally, US forces in Colombia and USN ships off the Venezuelan coast will enjoy a safe harbor from which to launch as many strikes as they want.\n\nNext, hopes that Russia and China will somehow resuscitate the Venezuelan economy are also ill-founded. First, neither country is interested in pouring money into a bottomless pit. It is one thing to sign contracts which are likely to eventually produce a return on investment and quite another to dump money into a bottomless pit (as the US and Europe have found out in the Ukraine).\n\nSecond, the Venezuelan economy is so deeply enmeshed in the US-UK run international financial system that neither China nor Russia can do anything about it. That is not to say that US sanctions, subversion and sabotage did not play a major role in the collapse of the Venezuelan economy, they sure did, but it is equally true (at least to Russian specialists) that many of the Chavista reforms were botched, a lot of them were a case of too little too late, and that it will take years to refloat the Venezuelan economy.\n\nFinally, we are comparing apples to oranges here: the task of the AngloZionists is to destroy the Venezuelan economy while the Chinese and Russian task would be, at least in theory, to rescue it. Destroying is so much easier than building, that the entire comparison is logically flawed and fundamentally unfair.\n\nI really mean no offense to the supporters of Hugo Chavez and his ideals (I very much include myself in this category) but anybody who has been to, or near, Venezuela will tell you that destitute Venezuelans are not only running out of the country in large numbers, but they also contribute to destabilize the neighboring states. So we should have no Pollyannish notions about all the reports about the economic and social collapse in Venezuela as only “US propaganda”. Sadly, much of it is true even if often exaggerated, lopsided and missing all the very real successes of the Chavez reforms, hence the continuous popular support, in spite of it all, the Maduro government continues to enjoy. Still, the overall picture is very bleak and it will take Venezuela consistent and correct action to recover from the current plight.\n\nSo is there still hope? Yes, absolutely!\n\nI recently replied the following to a friend asking me about a possible Russian intervention in Venezuela “I place my own hopes not in the Venezuelan military, or in Chinese or Russian help, but on the amazing ability of the Americans to f*** up. At the end of the day, that is our biggest ally: the US stupidity, ignorance, arrogance and cowardice“.\n\nThink of what currently passes as a “policy” of the US in Venezuela as a diagnostic tool.\n\nNot just to diagnose the moral degeneracy and mental pathology of the leaders of the AngloZionist Empire, but also to diagnose the very real state of despair and chaos of the Empire itself. Under Obama, for all his faults and weaknesses, the US succeeded in subverting a list of crucial Latin American countries (like Brazil or Argentina) but now, with Mr MAGA, it can’t even do that.\n\nThe kind of antics we see from the Pompeo, Bolton & Abrams gang is amazing in its crudeness and, frankly, makes a supposed “indispensable nation” look absolutely ridiculous. These losers already had to fold several times, in spite of equally hyperbolic threats delivered with maximal gravitas (think DPRK here), and yet they still think that crude bullying methods can yield success. They can’t. Immense firepower is not a substitute for brains.\n\nIn its short and blood-soaked history, the US has pretty much always acted like some criminal enterprise run by brutal gangsters, but in the past some of these gangsters could be extremely well educated and intelligent (think James Baker here). Today, their guns are still lying around (albeit in various states of disrepair), but they are wielded by ignorant retards. Yes, ignorant retards with guns can be very dangerous, but they can never be effective!\n\nConclusion\n\nRight now the US, backed by its various colonies and vassal states, appears to be ready to deliver a death blow to Venezuela and, truth be told, they might be able to do just that. But, for whatever it is worth, my gut feeling is that they will fail again, even against the weakest countries of the Axis of Resistance.\n\nThat is not to say that Venezuela is not in a heap of critical problems. But I believe that in spite of being in a critical condition, Venezuela will be able to bounce back, just like Syria did. After all, the Syrian example proves that it *is* possible to resist a superior invading force while at the same time successfully engaging in critically needed reforms.\n\nYes, today’s Caracas is in very bad shape, but the city of Aleppo was in a much worse shape until it was liberated, and now quasi-normal life has returned to it (in sharp contrast to the US liberated devastated city of Raqqa which still lies in ruins). Yankees (to use the usual Latin-American expression) are just like their Israeli overlords: they are capable of devastating violence but they have no staying power: if things don’t go their way fast, really fast, they run and barricade themselves somewhere faraway from danger.\n\nIn our case, they might even do what they did in Iraq and Afghanistan: build obscenely huge embassies, create a special zone around them, and sit tight while the country is engulfed in a bloody civil war. This way, they can provide CNN & Co. with footage of a “peaceful neighborhood” while still claiming that the Stars and Strips are still proudly flying high over the enemy’s capital and that “these colors don’t run”. This would be a disastrous outcome for the Venezuelan nation and this is why we all have to try to prevent this, by speaking out before the US further wrecks yet another country.\n\nHopefully the memory of past completely failed, humiliating and bloody invasions will convince the right people at the Pentagon to do whatever it takes to prevent the US from launching yet another stupid and immoral war of choice on behalf of the Neocons.\n\n freespeech journalism #politics #news #5 #5000USTroops #Invasionofvenezuela\nhttps://russia-insider.com/en/how-would-boltons-5000-troops-colombia-fare-invasion-venezuela/ri26143?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014",
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"content": "Russia pipes gas to Armenia via Georgia, until now the latter received ten percent of the gas from the pipe as compensation for transit rights. Now the transit fee will be instead paid out by Russia in money which is a bad deal for Georgia (which has a thing against paying for Russian gas) as it can't get gas as cheaply from Azerbaijan as Armenia gets from Russia. <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=journalism\" title=\"#journalism\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#journalism</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=news\" title=\"#news\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#news</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=freegas\" title=\"#freegas\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#freegas</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=freespeech\" title=\"#freespeech\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#freespeech</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=politics\" title=\"#politics\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#politics</a><br /><a href=\"https://russia-insider.com/en/russia-ends-free-gas-pro-nato-georgia/ri26144?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014\" target=\"_blank\">https://russia-insider.com/en/russia-ends-free-gas-pro-nato-georgia/ri26144?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014</a>",
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"content": "Russia pipes gas to Armenia via Georgia, until now the latter received ten percent of the gas from the pipe as compensation for transit rights. Now the transit fee will be instead paid out by Russia in money which is a bad deal for Georgia (which has a thing against paying for Russian gas) as it can't get gas as cheaply from Azerbaijan as Armenia gets from Russia. #journalism #news #freegas #freespeech #politics\nhttps://russia-insider.com/en/russia-ends-free-gas-pro-nato-georgia/ri26144?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014",
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"content": "China won't give up on embattled Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro anytime soon even as the US-led international noose of \"delegitimizing\" hangs around the socialist strongman, according to government statements released on Friday. Beijing reaffirmed it maintains “normal state-to-state relations” and cooperation between the two sides “shouldn’t be undermined no matter how the situation evolves,” according to press briefing by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Or rather, we could more simply translate: with billions of dollars in credit on the line, \"non-interference\" is simply not an option for China. <br /><br />“China has maintained close communication with all parties through different ways,” a ministry spokesperson said in response to question about whether China has had contact with National Assembly leader Juan Guaido. “We are ready to work with all parties to promote peace talks, and create favorable conditions for the proper settlement of the Venezuelan issue,” the ministry added. <br /><br />But then there's the not so minor issue of China over the past decade lending over $50 billion to Caracas as part of an oil-for-loan agreements program. It underscores just how quickly what appears a new White House full court press for regime change could bring Washington again into indirect conflict with both China and Russia. And in total Venezuela owes \"more than $120 billion just to China and Russia\" FOX reported this week. <br /><br />A new Wall Street Journal report outlines what's at stake, and the mounting costs for Beijing:<br /><br />When China hatched the first of a series of oil-for-loans agreements with Venezuela in 2007, it seemed like a perfect match. Venezuela had the world’s biggest oil reserves; China was poised to become the biggest energy consumer.<br /><br />Twelve years and more than $50 billion in loans later, a political crisis in Venezuela is threatening China’s payout and drawing Beijing into a proxy standoff as it supports a Venezuelan leader the U.S. is intent on toppling. It is a conflict with Washington that Beijing could do without, amid efforts to resolve a trade dispute that is weighing on the Chinese economy.<br /><br />And what remains of that loan which could potentially disappear with the stroke of an anti-Maduro coup?<br /><br />According to estimates by China’s Commerce Ministry, Venezuela still owes around $20 billion, the WSJ reports. <br /><br /><br />Both China and Russia further remain the Latin American country's biggest arms suppliers and Beijing had an additional $3.2 in direct investments in Venezuela in 2017, not to mention at least three joint ventures between between China National Petroleum Corp and Venezuela’s now US-sanctioned state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela SA, or PdVSA.<br /><br />Though Venezuelan repayments to China reportedly began slowing to a \"trickle\" by 2015, current political unrest and Washington's regime change efforts could prove devastating for Chinese investment:<br /><br />China’s investments are now at risk under Mr. Maduro—and Beijing also recognizes that a U.S.-backed Guaidó administration might refuse to honor outstanding debts.<br /><br />China’s Commerce Ministry spelled out this concern on Tuesday. “If the opposition party holds power in the future, a new Venezuelan government could use ‘protecting national interests’ as a reason to renegotiate contract terms with China and even just refuse to repay remaining debts,” the ministry said in its latest investment guidance report on Venezuela.<br /><br /> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=China\" title=\"#China\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#China</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=Venezuela\" title=\"#Venezuela\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#Venezuela</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=War\" title=\"#War\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#War</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=Proxywar\" title=\"#Proxywar\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#Proxywar</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=news\" title=\"#news\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#news</a> <br /><a href=\"https://russia-insider.com/en/coming-us-china-proxy-war-venezuela/ri26145?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014\" target=\"_blank\">https://russia-insider.com/en/coming-us-china-proxy-war-venezuela/ri26145?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014</a>",
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"content": "China won't give up on embattled Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro anytime soon even as the US-led international noose of \"delegitimizing\" hangs around the socialist strongman, according to government statements released on Friday. Beijing reaffirmed it maintains “normal state-to-state relations” and cooperation between the two sides “shouldn’t be undermined no matter how the situation evolves,” according to press briefing by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Or rather, we could more simply translate: with billions of dollars in credit on the line, \"non-interference\" is simply not an option for China. \n\n“China has maintained close communication with all parties through different ways,” a ministry spokesperson said in response to question about whether China has had contact with National Assembly leader Juan Guaido. “We are ready to work with all parties to promote peace talks, and create favorable conditions for the proper settlement of the Venezuelan issue,” the ministry added. \n\nBut then there's the not so minor issue of China over the past decade lending over $50 billion to Caracas as part of an oil-for-loan agreements program. It underscores just how quickly what appears a new White House full court press for regime change could bring Washington again into indirect conflict with both China and Russia. And in total Venezuela owes \"more than $120 billion just to China and Russia\" FOX reported this week. \n\nA new Wall Street Journal report outlines what's at stake, and the mounting costs for Beijing:\n\nWhen China hatched the first of a series of oil-for-loans agreements with Venezuela in 2007, it seemed like a perfect match. Venezuela had the world’s biggest oil reserves; China was poised to become the biggest energy consumer.\n\nTwelve years and more than $50 billion in loans later, a political crisis in Venezuela is threatening China’s payout and drawing Beijing into a proxy standoff as it supports a Venezuelan leader the U.S. is intent on toppling. It is a conflict with Washington that Beijing could do without, amid efforts to resolve a trade dispute that is weighing on the Chinese economy.\n\nAnd what remains of that loan which could potentially disappear with the stroke of an anti-Maduro coup?\n\nAccording to estimates by China’s Commerce Ministry, Venezuela still owes around $20 billion, the WSJ reports. \n\n\nBoth China and Russia further remain the Latin American country's biggest arms suppliers and Beijing had an additional $3.2 in direct investments in Venezuela in 2017, not to mention at least three joint ventures between between China National Petroleum Corp and Venezuela’s now US-sanctioned state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela SA, or PdVSA.\n\nThough Venezuelan repayments to China reportedly began slowing to a \"trickle\" by 2015, current political unrest and Washington's regime change efforts could prove devastating for Chinese investment:\n\nChina’s investments are now at risk under Mr. Maduro—and Beijing also recognizes that a U.S.-backed Guaidó administration might refuse to honor outstanding debts.\n\nChina’s Commerce Ministry spelled out this concern on Tuesday. “If the opposition party holds power in the future, a new Venezuelan government could use ‘protecting national interests’ as a reason to renegotiate contract terms with China and even just refuse to repay remaining debts,” the ministry said in its latest investment guidance report on Venezuela.\n\n #China #Venezuela #War #Proxywar #news \nhttps://russia-insider.com/en/coming-us-china-proxy-war-venezuela/ri26145?ct=t(Russia_Insider_Daily_Headlines11_21_2014",
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"content": "The move will lead to a rise in the number of active US forces providing support for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, to approximately 4,350, Reuters reported.<br /><br /> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=Borderwall\" title=\"#Borderwall\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#Borderwall</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=Thewall\" title=\"#Thewall\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#Thewall</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=Mexico\" title=\"#Mexico\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#Mexico</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=news\" title=\"#news\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#news</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=politics\" title=\"#politics\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#politics</a><br /><a href=\"https://sputniknews.com/us/201902031072089483-pentagon-deploy-additional-us-forces-border-with-mexico/\" target=\"_blank\">https://sputniknews.com/us/201902031072089483-pentagon-deploy-additional-us-forces-border-with-mexico/</a>",
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"published": "2019-02-03T22:14:07+00:00",
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"content": "The move will lead to a rise in the number of active US forces providing support for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, to approximately 4,350, Reuters reported.\n\n #Borderwall #Thewall #Mexico #news #politics\nhttps://sputniknews.com/us/201902031072089483-pentagon-deploy-additional-us-forces-border-with-mexico/",
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"content": "Doing Their Part: Pakistan to Plant 10 Billion Trees to Counter Global Warming<br /><br />Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, launched a “10 Billion Tree Tsunami” project last month in an effort to plant a minimum of 10 billion trees within a five-year period as a means of rehabilitating the country’s forests to counter the effects of global warming due to human-induced climate change.<br /><br />In addition to releasing more oxygen into the environment, the trees will safeguard the Pakistani landscape by decreasing the risk of floods from melting glaciers in the nation's famous mountain ranges. <br /><br />Following his party's July victory in the National Assembly, Khan, who founded the centrist PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] party in 1996, pledged that he would tackle unemployment, poverty and corruption in the country, as well as introduce police reforms and focus on health and educational issues, Sputnik previously reported.<br /><br />Although the environment was not a significant election topic, Pakistan is the seventh-most vulnerable country to climate change, the Sustainable Development Policy institute, a Pakistani think tank, has reported.<br /><br />According to Khan's PTI party, rising temperatures, flooding, droughts and unpredictable rainfall has cost Pakistan between $6 billion and $14 billion in relief aid and economic recovery, NBC said, citing a report published by the party.<br /><br />\"It is now imperative to tackle climate change and reverse environmental degradation as Pakistan's situation will only worsen as the economy grows,\" the party wrote.<br /><br />Khan's party has taken steps previously to restore trees in the country. Between 2014-2017, Khan led a ‘Billion Tree' restoration project which planted some 865,000 acres in the Kyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.<br /><br />\"The project is naturally restoring a previously deforested landscape, which will assist in meeting present and future needs and offers multiple benefits for climate adaptation and mitigation in a very climate-vulnerable province,\" Muhammad Tehmasip, the project director for the Billion Tree Tsunami, said in 2017. <br /><br />In June 2013, an estimated 300 volunteers planted about 847,275 trees in the city of Thatta during the course of a single day, setting a Guinness World Record for the most trees planted in a 24-hour period.<br /><br />\"We have been consumed for so long by so many other challenges such as the war on terror that has engulfed our cities, suicide bombings, public health, that kind of thing,\" Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, the founder and CEO of LEAD Pakistan, an environmental think tank, recently told NBC News.<br /><br />\"But it is extremely important also that we ensure we have enough fresh water and that our development does not destroy our own coastline. We have one of the largest deltas in the world, but it is dying because of climate change.\"<br /><br /> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=journalism\" title=\"#journalism\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#journalism</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=photography\" title=\"#photography\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#photography</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=politics\" title=\"#politics\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#politics</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=ClimateChange\" title=\"#ClimateChange\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#ClimateChange</a> <a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=freespeech\" title=\"#freespeech\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#freespeech</a>",
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"published": "2019-02-03T22:09:36+00:00",
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"content": "Doing Their Part: Pakistan to Plant 10 Billion Trees to Counter Global Warming\n\nImran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, launched a “10 Billion Tree Tsunami” project last month in an effort to plant a minimum of 10 billion trees within a five-year period as a means of rehabilitating the country’s forests to counter the effects of global warming due to human-induced climate change.\n\nIn addition to releasing more oxygen into the environment, the trees will safeguard the Pakistani landscape by decreasing the risk of floods from melting glaciers in the nation's famous mountain ranges. \n\nFollowing his party's July victory in the National Assembly, Khan, who founded the centrist PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] party in 1996, pledged that he would tackle unemployment, poverty and corruption in the country, as well as introduce police reforms and focus on health and educational issues, Sputnik previously reported.\n\nAlthough the environment was not a significant election topic, Pakistan is the seventh-most vulnerable country to climate change, the Sustainable Development Policy institute, a Pakistani think tank, has reported.\n\nAccording to Khan's PTI party, rising temperatures, flooding, droughts and unpredictable rainfall has cost Pakistan between $6 billion and $14 billion in relief aid and economic recovery, NBC said, citing a report published by the party.\n\n\"It is now imperative to tackle climate change and reverse environmental degradation as Pakistan's situation will only worsen as the economy grows,\" the party wrote.\n\nKhan's party has taken steps previously to restore trees in the country. Between 2014-2017, Khan led a ‘Billion Tree' restoration project which planted some 865,000 acres in the Kyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.\n\n\"The project is naturally restoring a previously deforested landscape, which will assist in meeting present and future needs and offers multiple benefits for climate adaptation and mitigation in a very climate-vulnerable province,\" Muhammad Tehmasip, the project director for the Billion Tree Tsunami, said in 2017. \n\nIn June 2013, an estimated 300 volunteers planted about 847,275 trees in the city of Thatta during the course of a single day, setting a Guinness World Record for the most trees planted in a 24-hour period.\n\n\"We have been consumed for so long by so many other challenges such as the war on terror that has engulfed our cities, suicide bombings, public health, that kind of thing,\" Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, the founder and CEO of LEAD Pakistan, an environmental think tank, recently told NBC News.\n\n\"But it is extremely important also that we ensure we have enough fresh water and that our development does not destroy our own coastline. We have one of the largest deltas in the world, but it is dying because of climate change.\"\n\n #journalism #photography #politics #ClimateChange #freespeech",
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