Carney misses chance to cut puppet strings

I've noticed a pattern in the response of various countries to Trump's attack on Caracas and the kidnapping of the Venezuelan President. The more dependent a state is on America, the more effusive their praise for Trump's criminal actions. That's why Israel and Ukraine were so blindingly quick off the mark. Israel needs Trump to keep the genocide humming, to maintain the bomb supply and run interference at the UN. Ukraine hopes to convince Trump it is not yet a lost cause, so they see no viable options other than continuing to smother the Orange Ogre's ample arse with kisses. Countries not tied down by bonds of vassalage to American interests, for example the BRICS countries, are more apt to call out US violations of international laws and norms. Even some of our NATO allies are decrying Trump's attack. Spain's PM Sanchez said;"Spain did not recognize the Maduro regime, but neither will it recognize an intervention that violates international law and pushes the region into uncertainty and belligerence." In contrast, Canada "welcomes the opportunity for freedom, democracy, peace and prosperity for the Venezuelan people." Oddly enough, that's pretty much the same buffet of good stuff the American war machine promised Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, and Somalia, to name a few. For some reason it never seems to pan out. At the very least, Carney could have expressed some reservations, but he's super-keen on not pissing off Trump. Mark Carney doesn't want to be the next foreign leader to get a helicopter ride!

Canada promises to flush another $200 millions down the Kyiv commode

Why? If the $22 billion (roughly $500 million every month) we've already sent hasn't moved the needle in Ukraine's favour, why would anyone think another $200 million would do the trick? But such are the delusions of the "coalition of the willing." It's the same flawed logic that demands a 20th round of sanctions because the previous 19 have hurt Europe more than Russia. This latest tranche of boodle willl be sent to Washington, there to be bundled with tribute from other vassals and distributed to American military contractors as Donald Trump sees fit. Yup, we're sending Canadian tax dollars to enrich Boeing and Lockheed! For 200 million I hope PM Carney at least gets a pat on the back and an "attaboy" from the big dog. Speaking of which, what's the Orange Ogre up to in Venezuela? Pack your bags, Maduro! The Free World is about to gift your longsuffering people Human Rights and Democracy! Too bad about those innocent fishermen... to be honest, when I see three or four V-10 Merc Verados hanging off the transom of a thirty footer, I'm pretty sure those aren't fishermen. Which doesn't change the fact that killing them "extrajudicially" is considered a crime against humanity, or at least it would be if anyone other than Uncle Sam did it. I would guess it's beyond Trump and his minions to appreciate the irony of pardoning a man convicted of facilitating the import of 400 tons of coccaine into America while they're busy vaporizing small-time drug runners.

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.

Canada wants to overthrow socialist Maduro, but sends money to fascist Duque

There's a nifty half-pager on A11 of today's Globe and Mail, all about how kindly Canada is sending $30 millions to kindly Colombia to help the millions of refugees fleeing the regime of the evil dictator next door. Writer Natalie Alcoba manages to avoid any mention of America's all-out campaign to destroy the economy of Venezuela, by far the most significant driver of the situation in that country today.

Canada has been a willing junior partner in that manifestly illegal and immoral mission, imposing our own sanctions three years ago, around the time Chrystia Freeland "took charge" of the Lima Group, a smelly concoction brewed up in Washington, as everyone was well aware. We still officially recognize the hand-picked US stooge Juan Gauido as the legitimate president of Venezuela, which is a truly bold stretch of the very concept of democracy.

Alcoba mentions in passing that over 400 human rights defenders have been murdered in Colombia since 2016. That would be folks like union organizers and human rights workers; you know, the usual troublemakers. They seem to die more often in Colombia than anywhere in the world! Too bad she had to leave out the fact that these murders are carried out by right-wing death squads linked to the government.

Probably a good thing. You wouldn't want the public to ask why we'd be sending money to a country that facilitates death squads, while simultaneously sanctioning a country that had a better record of bringing masses of people out of poverty than any other in Latin American. 

Fluffy's false equivalencies

That PM Sunny Daze is one slippery little goober, ain't he? In fact, he's so brazen about it that even the pot-addled hillbilly up here in the backwoods can spot this ruse.

Remember when he was apologizing for that unfortunate MS St. Louis business not too long ago? Did you notice that crafty segue into anti-BDS polemics?

That's a false equivalence. Trudeau is apologizing because we did the wrong thing eighty years ago, yet he's associating our swinery and cowardice with the BDS campaign that's trying to do the right thing today.

Then just the other day I heard him defend our support for the coup in Venezuela by comparing Maduro to Pinochet. Hmm... toss that one over in your mind for a moment.

Allende: elected president of Chile,

Pinochet: US stooge installed after democracy restored,

Maduro: elected president of Venezuela,

Guaido: US stooge about to be installed, and then democracy will have been restored.

No, Justin, you're not on the side of Allende by supporting Guaido over Maduro.

Now, I don't go out of my way looking for stories about the adventures of PM Sunny Daze, and I just happened upon these exemplars of deceit in the course of getting my daily news fix. He could be pulling this stuff multiple times every day... maybe even every time he sees a news camera and a microphone!

Here's an idea. The money-losing Toronto Star has had an official Trump fib-tracker living large in Washington DC for a couple years now. Is that because it's really important for Canadians to know how often Donny J tells a whopper?


The think tank here at Falling Downs figures that Fluffy's sly deceptions are of far more import to Canadians. Why can't the Star use their dwindling resources for the benefit of their readers, pull Danny Dale out of DC, and put him in charge of exposing Trudeau's untruths instead?

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.

After twenty years of relentless hostility from US, Venezuela endgame in play

It's simply amazing to witness how the US, a nation politically paralyzed for the past two years because Putin's minions allegedly interfered in its democracy with hostile Facebook posts, has absolutely no qualms about interfering in Venezuela on a massive scale. Facebook adverts are quite a different matter than having VP Pence openly call for a military coup against the lawful government of Venezuela.

US sanctions have succeeded in "making the economy scream," a turn of phrase coined by Henry Kissinger back when the US was busy overthrowing the democratically elected government of Chile. There is an entire generation in Venezuela that has come of age knowing nothing but US sanctions.

Unfortunately for all concerned, the "end game" is unlikely to be the end of anything, but rather, the beginning of something that should be obvious to the Gods of War in Washington if they weren't blinded by their own propaganda. Namely, any government seen as imposed by the Yanqui is going to face massive popular resistance. Maduro may be deposed, but Chavismo will get a second wind, and not only in Venezuela.

After the successes that US regime-change campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria have enjoyed this century, you'd think that the Exceptional Nation might pause and consider the consequences of its actions, but apparently this is not a requirement when you're exceptional.


And what's truly embarrassing is how keen our Freeland-Trudeau team are to ingratiate themselves with the war-mongers in DC. We used to have a PM Trudeau who charted an independent course for Canada.

Pierre must be spinning in his grave.

Freeland dancing to Trump's tune

There are at this moment two stories on view at the CBC News home page that are intimately related but don't appear to be.

Canada is taking a leading role in proclaiming the illegitimacy of the Maduro government, while simultaneously mounting an "anti-tariff charm offensive."

We're all-in with the US led not-so-charming regime-change offensive against Venezuela. Why, Canadians would never countenance normal relations with any kind of dictatorship, would we? Unless of course they were a significant purchaser of our military hardware or something...

Here's the picture that tells the story.



That's our Foreign Minister making nice with former CIA boss and current Sec of State Mike Pompeo, a man with way more blood on his hands than the hapless Maduro.

Chrystia: Make sure Donald understands we're doing everything we can to isolate the evil dictator Maduro.

Mike: You can count on it, Chrystia! And if you can assure me that Canada is 100% on board with the coalition of the willing when we go in to restore democracy, maybe Donald will see his way clear to undo those pesky steel and aluminum tariffs.


Our hypocrisy knows no bounds.