If Chrystia Freeland is out of politics, why is she making speeches in Taiwan promising we'll protect them from Chinese aggression?

I have two observations about Chrystia's moronic interference in Taiwan-China affairs, and I have to say the only thing stupider than her actual speech is the Globe's coverage thereof. If one were completely ignorant of the last 100 years of China's history with the West, you'd think Chrystia was taking a bold stand for freedom and democracy and all that great stuff, just like when she was schlepping the hapless dumbshit Juan Guaido around the world. What she's really doing is working hard to further the Trump regime's mission to destroy the Trudeau-Nixon era's rapprochement with communist China. That is in itself an unfortunate lapse in good judgement. How is it up to the boss of one of the world's most lavishly funded foundations to pronounce on Taiwan-China relations? But here's where it gets really stupid. I mean, she's telling Taiwan to pick a fight with China, and we, meaning the collective West, will be standing shoulder to shoulder with them, yessiree, with whatever it takes for as long as it takes?... How is that working out for Ukraine?

Two weeks after new NSS promises focus on Western hemisphere, Trump bombs Nigeria

Bombing Nigeria on Christmas day in order to protect Christians probably won't end well for the Christians. There have been tensions between Christian and Muslim tribes for centuries. In essence, Trump is jumping into a Nigerian civil war. But maybe he doesn't realize Nigeria isn't part of the Western Hemisphere? Meanwhile, the showdown with Maduro continues. It must cost a bundle to keep the greatest armada in history idling in the Caribbean for months on end. And to what purpose? A land invasion? Shock and awe and a quick decapitation strike? Installing the recent Nobel Peace Prize winner in the presidential palace? Bringing back Random Guaido from his adjunct professorship in Florida to assume his rightful place as unelected leader of the nation? So many great options, but nothing's happening. Why? I don't want to rain on Trump's parade of retarded policy initiatives, but here's a thought. Why not scrap all sanctions on Venezuela, and prove to the Venezuelan people that America can actually be a force for good. Strike some legit nation-to-nation accords on letting American multinationals participate in the oil industry. Stop interfering in their politics. Why piss away billions in futile attempts to coherce Venezuela when you could be making billions playing nice? What a bunch of hubris-blinded zealots.

Canada still recognizes Juan Guaido as President of Venezuela

Remember him? Uncle Sam didn't have any use for Maduro, on account of his independent attitude, so the Americans decided they'd recognize Random Guy-doh as president instead. A few of the usuall suck-ups bought in, with Canada taking the lead role. Hence Chrystia Freeland's glorious tenure as leader of the "Lima Group." That concept never really caught fire, although for a brief period of time, the same "free world" that now joins American sanctions on Russia, were willing to give it a chance. Alas, the 27 nations of the EU soon enough realized which way the wind was blowing, and have long since given up pretending Guaido is anything other than a US puppet. Eventually they'll come to the same conclusion about the hero-du-jour, the Ukrainian comedian Zelensky. Unfortunately, given the American determination to drag this war out as long as possible, many more Ukrainians will die for nothing before the craven US acolytes in the "free world" get a firm sense of the current wind direction.

Venezuela now has three presidents

Slide over, Juan Guido, and make room for another usurper. It's been almost a year since the "Lima Group" elected Juan Guaido to the presidency in a free and fair election that, unfortunately, didn't involve the voters of Venezuela.

They had already elected the incumbent, Maduro, to the office. That's not the sort of technicality to deter the freedom fighters in the Lima Group, so for the past year the world has seen the spectacle of two presidents claiming to represent the country.

If that's not confusing enough, today a third contender declared himself president. Luis Parra was inspired by Guaido's example. Guaido showed that anyone can rise to president just by declaring themselves so.

It's not that simple, of course. Declaring yourself president won't get any traction unless you can get some big endorsements from Washington and its flunkies. In Guaido's case, not even that was enough. By this time, Washington is probably just as tired of Guaido's posturing as are the Venezuelan people. We'll find out soon enough if DC is willing to swap out Guaido for Parra. If so, look for Juan to land in a cushy think tank role in the US sooner rather than later.

As for the "Lima Group," it's been a rather flat year. Not only have they failed in their goal to overthrow Maduro, the internal human-rights challenges of many of the member states have revealed them to be every bit as corrupt and anti-democratic as Venezuela, if not more so.


Big picture: Uncle Sam's gonna be focused on democracy in the Middle East for the foreseeable future. Venezuela will have to wait.

Quid pro quo: Bolivia for Ukraine?

I can't be the only one mystified by Moscow's apparent acquiescence to the US-sponsored coup in Bolivia. Lavrov's number two, Sergei Ryabkov, announced on Thursday that Russia would recognize Jeanine Anez as the legitimate leader of Bolivia until the next election.

Anez doesn't have any more claim to legitimacy than Juan Guaido, which is to say none. So what's going on here?

Is this a tacit acknowledgement that Bolivia is in America's legitimate sphere of influence? If so, will there be a tacit acknowledgement coming soon from the US side that Ukraine is in Russia's legitimate sphere of influence?

If nothing else, the impeachment circus in DC might get a few more folks asking questions about how "strategic" our strategic ally Ukraine really is. Five years after being gifted "democracy" by the Americans, Ukraine remains a corruption-riddled failed state.

Swapping Ukraine for Bolivia might have some appeal in certain circles.

The four horses' asses of the Apocalypse

I see where the CIA's bum-boy du jour in Caracas called for a military coup yesterday. That elicited a lot of huffing and puffing from the boys above, and an anguished tweet from Chrystia Freeland, but not much by way of support from the Venezuelan military.

Here's Chrystia's tweet from yesterday morning;

Watching events today in Venezuela very closely. The safety and security of @jguaido and @leopoldolopez must be guaranteed. Venezuelans who peacefully support Interim President Guaido must do so without fear of intimidation or violence.

How humanitarian of her to call for the safety of the CIA assets calling for the coup! Alas, the majority of coup supporters already live in Miami or Barcelona, so yesterday's call for revolution ended up something of an embarrassment. From what can be gleaned on news coming out of the region, Guaido's call today for the "biggest march in Venezuela's history" is an even bigger flop.

Chrystia also made an urgent call for an emergency summit of the "Lima Group," that coalition of Trump toadies serving as cover for America's regime change operations, but that was yesterday. I have a hunch that the urgency of the matter has ebbed somewhat in the past twenty-four hours.

I think it's ironic that Chrystia spends so much time fretting about small-time wannabe fascists on the internet when she so obviously delights in the company of genuine big league fascists in real life.

They seem to enjoy her company too... I guess you could say she's broken through the ass ceiling.

Spinning Venezuela

"World leaders back Guaido in a divided Venezuela." That's a headline on page A5 in today's Globe and Mail.

Which world leaders? All of them? Most of them? Some of them? Or the usual gang of Uncle Sam's flunkies who enthusiastically toady to every whim of the Exceptional Nation?

Seems like it's the last of those options. Then why not give us an honest headline, something along the lines of "US and some allies back Guaido in divided Venezuela?" After all, anyone remotely informed knows that Venezuela has been in the cross-hairs of America's military-industrial machine since the election of Chavez twenty years ago, and throughout those twenty years the US has worked tirelessly to undermine the elected government and divide the Venezuelan people.

Stephanie Nolen's article takes pains to emphasize Canada's role in the unfolding drama, because "punching above our weight" sells well here. The reality of our involvement is that we're at every step doing the bidding of the Trump regime, but that's a truth that won't go down well with the Canadian public, so let's bamboozle our readers with loads 'o horseshit about freedom and democracy and standing up to evil dictators.

Funny how the Nations of Virtue can speak with one voice about authoritarianism in a state on Washington's shit list, but when a house pet of the West like Paul Kagame wins 99% of the vote in a "free and fair" (nudge, wink, ahem..) election, we congratulate him on his success!

Canada's official state media take a similar tack on the Venezuela story. Our "quiet diplomacy" is inching that aching land towards freedom, dontcha know! Of course we are! Chrystia Freeland herself takes great pride in her work advancing Washington's agenda, as is obvious when you read the article. Sometimes the only way to advance democracy is by overthrowing the elected leader and putting in someone more amenable to taking direction from Washington, as we saw a few years ago in Ukraine, and in Honduras before that.

Here's a story I haven't seen at CBC or in the Globe; UN special rapporteur Alfred de Zaya says US sanctions are killing people in Venezuela. Not only that, but the international law expert says those sanctions are illegal and a crime against humanity.

You'd think an impartial news service interested in informing its readership would throw that into the mix somewhere, wouldn't you?

When you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow

That quote, attributed to Democratic Congressman Mendel Rivers, reflects the prevailing attitude in Washington in the '60's. The "Gooks" were turning out to be more resilient than we had anticipated, but we had 'em by the balls, so any day now, their hearts and minds would come around.

Or not.

When you've got Venezuela's economy "screaming," it's fair to say you've got them by the balls, and if Mendel was right, it won't be long till their hearts and minds follow.

Yesterday Juan Guaido declared himself the legitimate president of Venezuela. It took Mafia Don about five minutes to tweet out his support for the unelected Guaido, followed five minutes later by rousing endorsements from Canada and a handful of other me-too nations.

The coming civil war in Venezuela South America will eventually prove that Trump, Freeland, et al are just as wrong about Venezuela today as Congressman Rivers was about Viet Nam fifty years ago.

In the short term, people who have been pushed into precarious subsistence will vote for anyone who promises them a sense of security. That's essentially the rise of the Nazis after the Great War. That's also behind the rise of so-called populists who have been experiencing electoral success after decades of neoliberal excess.

But it's only a short term phenomenon.

Venezuela, and South America generally, has a long history of anti-colonialism. Our "free press" avoids mentioning the fact that Maduro continues to enjoy substantial popular support among his people. Installing the unelected Guaido as President will galvanize that support, and I do not believe that Guaido can be maintained in power without outside help.

Even though Trump has said "all options are on the table" with respect to Venezuela, I don't see American boots on the ground there.

But I do see Brazilian and Colombian boots on the ground. Those are two countries almost as eager as Canada to curry favour with the Beltway Bullies. They'll gladly play the role of Uncle Sam's proxy warriors.

Problem is, their "democracies" are at least as flawed as Venezuela's. Both Brazil and Colombia have huge swathes of people who, given a full belly and a roof, would be vehemently against any US sponsored hostility towards the Maduro government.


Outside intervention in Venezuela is doomed, as are the governments of South American countries who agree to do America's bidding there.