"Trump’s attack on Venezuela will make the United States and the world less safe. This brazen violation of international law gives a green light to any nation on earth that may wish to attack another country to seize their resources or change their governments. This is the horrific logic of force that Putin used to justify his brutal attack on Ukraine." - Sen. Bernie Sanders, Saturday
Facts and truth are irrelevant to Trump or any of his dummies. His regime change in Venezuela is just practice, preparation for using legal fantasy and armed force to change the regime in our country from democratic government to rule by Donald J. Trump.- WaPo Comment
After Trump’s illegal order to extract a foreign Head of State by military force, combined with air strikes on his capital city, Trump is beyond doubt a war criminal. All members of the US armed forces were cautioned by Democrat Senators not to follow illegal orders from this criminal president. Trump and Hegseth blustered and threatened the Senators with execution: an act unprecedented in US history. - WaPo Comment
How many people now remember the Iraq War? I remember they said people there would be celebrating and giving troops flowers. It would be over in 3 days and would be paid for with the oil there. How many people died because of that war and how much money wasted? Trillions of dollars. God I'm glad I'm no longer in the military. -NY Times comment
"The US has been condemned for breaking international law after it launched airstrikes on the Venezuelan capital and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife.
France, Russia, China and the European Commission were among those who said Donald Trump had broken international rules after US troops carried out the operation on Saturday morning. The move came amid six months of escalating tensions between Washington and the South American country." The Guardian, Jan. 3, p. 1
UK Guardian writer Julian Borger has correctly pegged the U.S. invasion and overthrow of Maduro as the "Putinization" of U.S. Foreign Policy, e.g.
The ‘Putinization’ of US foreign policy has arrived in Venezuela | Venezuela | The Guardian
In which he notes:
Trump is no longer bending the rules – he is demolishing them, with consequences far beyond Caracas.
Adding:
The overnight strikes on Venezuela – and the abduction of its leader, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife – have driven another truck through international law and global norms. But that is not even the most concerning thing about it.
Donald Trump has been driving convoys of bulldozers through that increasingly fragile edifice since taking office nearly a year ago, and now it is mostly wreckage. The events overnight were preceded by airstrikes on small boats in the seas off Central America and the killing of their crews based on unproven allegations of drug trafficking, and the armed seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers on the high seas. It is not yet known how many people were killed in the capture of Maduro in the early hours of Saturday.
In terms of global stability, the worst thing about the Maduro rendition is that it worked.
And the fact it worked now has given license to other rogue states - especially Russia and China to do the same. Russia can now finish taking the rest of Ukraine, while China can grab Taiwan any time it wants. Why not? The Trumpian tyrants have shown there is no longer any moral or international standards or authority to stop them - even before Saturday's aggression. After all, they'd already slaughtered over a hundred fishermen in small boats off the Venezuelan coast claiming without evidence they were drug runners. Hence China's President Xi Jinping can now duplicate this aggression with no serious explanation as can Vladimir Putin in grabbing more of Ukraine outside of the Donetsk region.
The WSJ piece ('Is The West Over?', Dec. 27-28, p. C1) cleared up the issue of the betrayal of the U.S toward Europe when it was evident from months ago. This after Trump fairly gushed over Putin in his red carpet treatment in their Anchorage meet. From then, serious European statesmen who had built an alliance based on thwarting Russian expansion now realized the jig was up. Traitor Trump was in Putin's pocket and there'd be no turning back. After all Trump had broadcast months earlier how enamored he was of snatching nations like Putin, threatening to grab Greenland and its resources from Denmark and making Canada the 51st state.
No one took it as more than Dotard braggadocio and bombast at the time, but now after bombing Caracas and seizing Nicholas Maduro who knows what nation will be next? And no one with an IQ over room temperature can trust anything coming from Trump's mouth - or his Cuban sidekick Rubio's
The WSJ Review piece itself didn't hold back in its assessments, noting:
"The Western Alliance between the U.S. and its European partners has been the pillar of the global order since the end of World War II. Bonded by a common belief in freedom and democracy, it prevented major global conflict, defeated communism and presided over a surge in global prosperity. Now, European leaders are asking whether it's dead..."
Washington is energetically seeking a geopolitical accommodation with Moscow, partly in pursuit of lucrative business deals. In that guise, Trump's envoys are pressuring Ukraine to agree to a string of territorial or other concessions that most European capitals fear could destabilize the region by emboldening Russia rather than punishing it for invading a sovereign neighbor."
Which in itself is an echo of how Neville Chamberlain advocated appeasement of Czechoslovakia to Hitler, only to have him seize most of Europe. Hard to believe? Then take note of the quote from center-right German lawmaker Norbert Rottgen in the same WSJ piece:
"For the U.S. to drop its alliance with Europe and side with Putin, the aggressor, just as Russia threatens us with war, that represents a fundamental break in the U.S. -Europe relationship. Today at best Europe is alone. At worst it faces two enemies: Russia and Trumpism."
But many could see this coming from years ago. Recall the July, 2018 Helsinki meet with Putin when the orange Traitor actually suggested he could turn U.S. spies over to the KGB for interrogations - if Vlad demanded it. Prompting then CIA chief John Brennan to remark:
"Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors.’ It was nothing short of treasonous."
Then in February, 2024, Trump unashamedly called for Russian attacks on NATO countries if any didn't pay up e.g.
And:
Trump says he would 'encourage' Russia to attack Nato allies who do not pay their bills
So is there any doubt we have a Russian agent at the helm? Any? I mean, the fungal roach openly barked at a rally at Carolina Coastal University:
"No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them (Russians) to do whatever the hell they want.”
And yet despite all this accumulated evidence 77 million numbnuts and a gaggle of big tech billionaire apparatchiks saw fit to put this traitor pig back in power. So we're really going to be surprised at anything the rodent does now?
The New York Times reported that at least 40 people were killed in the pre-dawn raid on Maduro's security forces, which involved heavy bombardment of key military and government installations before Maduro and his wife were captured. The latter after 25 men and women in his security detail were "killed in cold blood" by the American invaders.
In the immediate aftermath of the Venezuelan strike, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described bombings and reported capture of Maduro as “a most serious affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community.”
Lula said such attacks violate international law and risk
promoting “a world of violence, chaos, and instability, where the law of the
strongest prevails over multilateralism.”
He said the strikes recalled “the worst moments of interference in the politics of Latin America and the Caribbean” and threatened the region’s status as a Zone of Peace. Lula called on the United Nations and the international community to respond and stressed Brazil’s willingness to promote dialogue and cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Colombian government expressed “deep concern” over
explosions and unusual aerial activity in Venezuela, warning of escalating
regional tensions. It reaffirmed its commitment to UN principles, including
respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the prohibition of the use
of force, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
But clearly this rogue administration respects no territorial integrity of any nation, so no nation - even little Barbados - can consider itself safe from imperialist depredations.
Colombia also rejected unilateral military actions that could put civilians at risk and called for de-escalation, urging all parties to prioritize dialogue and diplomatic channels. The government said it had put measures in place to protect civilians, preserve stability on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, and address humanitarian or migratory needs in coordination with local authorities.
At the same time Saturday, President Gabriel Boric said Chile remains committed to
international law, including the prohibition of the use of force,
non-intervention, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and respect for
territorial integrity. He said the Venezuelan crisis “must be resolved through
dialogue and the support of multilateralism, and not through violence or
foreign interference.”
The government of Uruguay in concert said it was following the situation in Venezuela with “serious concern,” criticizing US air attacks on military and civilian infrastructure. Uruguay reaffirmed Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace and free of nuclear weapons and rejected unilateral military intervention, stressing respect for international law and the UN Charter. The government confirmed that consular and administrative staff in Caracas, as well as Uruguayan nationals, are in good health.
Uruguay called on the United Nations and the Organization of
American States to use their good offices to find a “positive solution” to the
crisis and emphasized that dialogue and multilateral diplomacy must prevail
over force.
Meanwhile, the Défense Board of the Guyana Défense Force, and national security forces have been fully mobilized in accordance with security plans. The president added that the government has been in contact with the Secretary General of CARICOM and promised further updates to the population as information becomes available.
The Cuban government then condemned what it called a “criminal
attack by the United States on Venezuela” and urged the international community
to respond urgently.
Cuba described the strikes as a brutal assault on the region’s
Zone of Peace and an act of state terrorism against the Venezuelan people and
Latin America. The government called on Cubans to gather at Havana’s José Martí
Anti-Imperialist Tribune to publicly denounce the US military aggression.
It is clear, as the Guardian's Julian Borger averred, that: "Trump’s belief in his own global omnipotence, and his desire to grab the territory and natural resources of other countries has been held in check until now by his fear of entanglement in foreign wars."
Adding:
"He claimed (falsely) to have ended eight wars, and his greatest ambition in 2025 seemed to be winning the Nobel Peace prize. Less than a month ago he was brandishing a hastily confected substitute, the Fifa peace prize. That act of self-abasement by world football’s governing body looks even more absurd now than it did when Trump grabbed the gold medal and put it around his own neck.
Trump’s fear of foreign wars seems to be waning. He was clearly thrilled by the drama of the Maduro operation, and the efficiency of the American soldiers who carried it out."
Soldiers, by the way, who ought to have refused an illegal order- but who doubtless were constrained by not being aware of either international or U.S. law. They may also have been seriously gaslit by "legal" poltroons in the Trump administration who cast the attack in legalistic mumbo jumbo. I.e. to suggest that Maduro was being “brought to justice”.
The former U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul provided the best summary of this lawless fiasco in a Saturday night interview on MSNOW:
"It's a lawless world now and anyone can do anything in the name of national security or some other bogus rationale. Putin is now free to finish seizing Ukraine and Xi Jinping can take Taiwan using any pretext they want. This not only leads to a much more anarchic world, but doing this without any legitimacy not only damages our reputation abroad but polarizes American society at home in yet another gift to Vladimir Putin."
A take with which the Wall Street Journal piece concurs. Trump and his cabal now dismantling a world order that had preserved peace through a strong alliance since the end of World War II. But now:
"You have the U.S. and Russia effectively working hand in hand to undermine the project of European unity - a project the U.S. helped create."
But that was when the U.S still had reputable presidents who honored international laws and commitments, not treacherous thugs and felons prepared to give it all away for a "deal", or to grab another nation's oil or other resources.
See Also:
by Thom Hartmann | January 6, 2026 - 6:08am | permalink
When Trump and the buffoons who surround him invaded Venezuela and captured Maduro, they broke with almost a century of American-led respect for the international rule of law and, instead, nakedly embraced the Putin Doctrine.
There was a brief, shining moment when Russia was a democracy; I visited there at the time. The country, starting with Gorbachev and lasting about a decade, embraced the ideals of the European Enlightenment, which itself was inspired by the North American colonists’ contact with Native American tribes who had been practicing democracy for millennia.
Then Putin came along, began suing media outlets and large law firms into bankruptcy so his oligarch buddies could take them over, packed the courts and rigged the elections, and finally outlawed dissent, calling dissenters “the enemy within” and “domestic terrorists.’
And:
by Sarah K. Burris | January 5, 2026 - 6:05am | permalink
Danish leaders are on edge after President Donald Trump invaded Venezuela to capture Nicolás Maduro. A top Trump insider posted on X that Greenland might be next.
Mere hours after Trump's attack on Venezuela, right-wing podcaster Katie Miller, who is married to top Trump advisor Stephen Miller, posted a map of Greenlandon X with the U.S. stars and stripes across the land.
"SOON," she wrote.
The Guardian explained that the territory is "mineral-rich," making it appealing to Trump's ongoing efforts to secure rare-earth minerals and oil from other countries. Greenland is part of the NATO alliance.
And:
Stephen Miller Asserts U.S. Has Right to Take Greenland - The New York Times
Excerpt:
Stephen Miller, a top aide to President Trump, asserted on
Monday that Greenland rightfully belonged to the United States and that the
Trump administration could seize the semiautonomous Danish territory if it
wanted.
“Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over
the future of Greenland,” Mr. Miller told Jake Tapper, the CNN host, after
being asked repeatedly whether he would rule out using military force.
The remarks were part of a vocal push by Mr. Miller, long a
powerful behind-the-scenes player in Trump administration policy, to justify
American imperialism and a vision for a new world order in which the United
States could freely overthrow national governments and take foreign territory
and resources so long as it was in the national interest.
“We live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power,” he said. “These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time.”
And:
Opinion | Trump Is Unleashing Forces Beyond His Control - The New York Times
And:
by Bernie Sanders | January 4, 2026 - 6:07am | permalink
Note: The following statement by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was issued Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 following a press conference in which President Donald Trump confirmed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife, had been kidnapped by US forces and that going forward the US government would be “running” the country and seizing control of its natural resources, including vast oil reserves.
Donald Trump has, once again, shown his contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law. The President of the United States does NOT have the right to unilaterally take this country to war, even against a corrupt and brutal dictator like Maduro. The United States does NOT have the right, as Trump stated this morning, to “run” Venezuela. Congress must immediately pass a War Powers resolution to end this illegal military operation and reassert its constitutional responsibilities.
Trump’s attack on Venezuela will make the United States and the world less safe. This brazen violation of international law gives a green light to any nation on earth that may wish to attack another country to seize their resources or change their governments. This is the horrific logic of force that Putin used to justify his brutal attack on Ukraine.
And:
by Robert Reich | January 4, 2026 - 6:22am | permalink
— from Robert Reich's Substack
Friends,
In the first year of Trump’s second term, he imposed his thuggery on the United States. In the second year, apparently he will impose it on the hemisphere.
America’s takeover of Venezuela — because it’s in our “backyard” and we didn’t like its leader — strengthens Putin’s claim over Ukraine, Xi’s over Taiwan, and Netanyahu’s over the West Bank and Gaza.
Make no mistake: Venezuela’s Maduro was a vicious dictator who harmed Venezuela and its people. But the world is populated by many vicious dictators. We don’t take over their countries.
The postwar order was supposed to stop thugs who use aggression to take over their “backyards,” as Hitler had done in Europe and Japan in East Asia.
And:
by Medea Benjamin | January 4, 2026 - 5:54am | permalink
by Medea Benjamin and Michelle Ellner
Overnight, the United States government bombed civilian and military sites across Venezuela and illegally kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. These are blatant and illegal acts of war by the Trump Administration.
This act of aggression is a continuation of US attempts to seize and plunder Venezuela’s natural resources and undermine Venezuela’s sovereignty as well as the sovereignty of other countries in Latin America.
This war also does not reflect the will of the people. Nearly 70% of Americans oppose another war and reject the endless cycle of military interventions carried out in their name.
In the past months, the United States has:
And:
Opinion | Trump’s Attack on Venezuela Is Illegal and Unwise - The New York Times
Excerpt:
Mr. Trump has not yet offered a coherent explanation for his actions in Venezuela. He is pushing our country toward an international crisis without valid reasons. If Mr. Trump wants to argue otherwise, the Constitution spells out what he must do: Go to Congress. Without congressional approval, his actions violate U.S. law.
The nominal rationale for the administration’s
military adventurism is to destroy “narco-terrorists.” Governments throughout
history have labeled the leaders of rival nations as terrorists, seeking to
justify military incursions as policing operations. The claim is particularly
ludicrous in this case, given that Venezuela is not
a meaningful producer of fentanyl or the other drugs that have
dominated the recent epidemic of overdoses in the United States, and the
cocaine that it does produce flows mostly to Europe. While Mr. Trump has been
attacking Venezuelan boats, he
also pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, who ran a sprawling drug operation
when he was president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022.
A more plausible explanation for the attacks on Venezuela
may instead be found in Mr. Trump’s recently released National Security Strategy. It claimed the
right to dominate Latin America: “After years of neglect, the United States
will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American pre-eminence in
the Western Hemisphere.”
And:
Opinion | Trump Is the Jan. 6 President - The New York Times
Excerpt:
It was a day that should live in infamy. Instead, it was the
day President Trump’s second term began to take shape.
Five years ago, on Jan. 6, 2021, a
pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, hoping to overturn the result of the
2020 presidential election. After the sun set that day, Congress reconvened to
certify Joe Biden’s victory. The rioters lost, and so did Mr. Trump, who had
summoned them to Washington and urged them to march to the Capitol. The Trump
era seemed to have ended in one of the most disgracefully anti-American acts in
the nation’s history.
That day was indeed a turning point, but not the one it
first seemed to be. It was a turning point toward a version of Mr. Trump who is
even more lawless than the one who governed the country in his first term. It
heralded a culture of political unaccountability, in which people who violently
attacked Congress and beat police officers escaped without lasting consequence.
The politicians and pundits who had egged on the attack with their lies
escaped, as well. The aftermath of Jan. 6 made the Republican Party even more
feckless, beholden to one man and willing to pervert reality to serve his
interests. Once Mr. Trump won election again in 2024, despite his role in
encouraging the riot and his many distortions about it, it emboldened him to
govern in defiance of the Constitution, without regard for the truth and with
malice toward those who stand up to his abuses.
Tragically, America is still living in a political era that
began on Jan. 6, 2021. Recognizing as much is necessary to bring this era to an
end before it has many more anniversaries.
Opinion
| To Trump, on Venezuela: You Break It, You Own It - The New York Times
Excerpt:
Wow! Trump did not shrink on Saturday from suggesting that
we are undertaking the biggest nation-building project America has engaged in
since Iraq and Afghanistan.
How the Trump administration is going to run Venezuela is simply not clear. Does it have an arrangement with the remnant of the Maduro regime to step aside? Does Trump plan to pose to Maduro’s rump team an ultimatum to leave and then the U.S. will organize elections? What is clear is that America running Venezuela would be a daunting job, and there will be a significant portion of Trump’s isolationist MAGA base that is not likely to embrace that task.
And:
Russia sees victory as Trump adopts Putin’s approach to ending Ukraine war - The Washington Post
Excerpt:
Russian officials and commentators were especially enamored by Trump’s unusually warm red-carpet greeting to Putin on Friday in which they saw an opening to pull America away from its traditional allies in Europe. ...Trump appeared to have been swayed by the Kremlin’s contention that only a comprehensive peace deal was acceptable — which Putin has so far used to delay efforts to halt the fighting.
Putin also succeeded, to some extent, in deflecting pressure to end the war onto Zelensky — rather than keeping it on Russia as the aggressor — with Trump telling Fox News after the summit that Zelensky should “make a deal” now because “Russia’s a very big power. And they’re not.”
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