Trump’s Venezuela raid is being sold as a clean “win”, but the strategic ledger tells a very different story—and the implications run straight through India.I just broke down how the Maduro operation exposed America’s biggest weaknesses and road‑tested a three‑weapon playbook that’s already live in India’s information space.If you care about India’s strategic autonomy and how power actually operates behind headlines, this is worth a read.👉 Full analysis here:
> One characteristic not clearly identified by Umberto Eco is territorial expansionism
This is included under "obsession with national security". Most historical countries were obsessed with national security for the simple reason that they had to be, in a world were any country could be conquered by its bigger neighbours, and the only thing that could prevent this was being big and powerful oneself. A bit like today's world, really.
Many (probably the vast majority) historical countries would tick most of the boxes. Was the Roman Empire fascist? The Abbasid Caliphate? The Tokugawa Shogunate? Henry VIII? Alfred the Great? IMO it is ahistorical to even ask these questions.
"One possible reason Umberto Eco omitted expansionism from his list of fascism's characteristics is that he considered it an inevitable consequence of the traits he did list. And indeed it is. Supremacy of the military, for example, presupposes something for them to do other than to serve as ceremonial ornamentation. Fighting expansionist wars—or ‘defending the Homeland’—would fit the bill nicely."
My point was that I think expansionism might have deserved a place on the list of its own.
People are either pro-Trump or, mostly, anti, leaving very little impartial analysis, if any. Maduro pretty clearly stole the election and Venezuela was screwed. Trump has already threatened Cuba, Mexico - and Colombia, by the way.
IF he cleans up quickly and organises an internationally observed election quickly (and I don't mean just the Jimmy Carter centre) he'll probably get away with it, including a lot of secret applause and sighs of relief. But he needs to remember the rebuilding of Japan and Germany (West), and you could say, UK and France after WWII; and of course drop the Greenland idiocy. The Venezuelan military are a problem, as loyal to Maduro - at the moment.
Meanwhile the actual operation regardless of morality or Law, was incredibly competent and logistically co-ordinated; a clear shot across the bows of Russia and China. It was only "clinical", if he does the right thing now.
I haven't seen any "future" analysis yet, but it's very clear defence spending plans will not be cut, maybe even increase in Europe. From that point of view the Iwo Jima LHD played a vital role, something similar I've been punting for iscotland's defence navy as THE one big item.
Outrage in the West in the case of Ukraine, but quite another reaction in the case of super oil-rich Venezuela having had its massive oil and gas reserves stolen by the local hegemon, with Starmer, Meloni and Macron registering their immediate support and unquestioning approval of the beyond outrageous act of kidnapping the Maduros. Imperialist thuggery is back amongst us for all to see.
I'd say in theory Macron and Starmer are hoping to use such influence as they have to nudge Trump into doing the right thing now - in hope that the upcoming transition would be democratic - as in general main supporters of the US.
Can you have a democratic transition when you've already violently undermined Venezuelan sovereignty and kidnapped the President and his wife into-the-bargain, before beginning the process of robbing the country's heavy crude? From day-one the "right-thing" never got close to a look-in; imperialism doesn't care about the "right-thing", it's only the maximisation of profits that matters.
The democratic transition is what a lot are hoping for.
My interest is this - if we did a UDI the one person on the planet who could make it a lot easier for us to be recognised is no longer the Pope (700 year ago), it's Trump.
edit: there is of course in theory a UN / International Law getout - restoring democracy (and stability). Human Rights. For obvious reasons the US don't want to go there, publicly at least.
Perhaps Trump and the Americans have just woken up to the consolidation of just under half of the World's population forming BRICS? An organisation containing the manufacturing powerhouses of China and India plus the huge nuclear arms store of the former plus Russia.
That would be overwhelmingly sufficient to trigger the fear and paranoia among such an obvious narcissist as the POTUS and his cronies. Expanding the US' to include the geographic and economic 'padding' of the countries and territories you mention might well be a reaction to feeling threatened by developments which have left them feeling isolated and vulnerable.
In any event the post-WW2 international law and order settlement with the UN as the arbiter seems under threat now as never before.
BRICS is a very loose organisation and some of the countries in it don't like each other (e.g. China and India). It doesn't have a mutual defence treaty and can't really be considered a power bloc.
Loose organisation or not, having half of the World's population as its market place represents serious economic power, especially when the largest nations are either the predominant industrial countries and/or own massive natural resources and minerals.
But they are not a single market either, as brics nations have tariff and non-tariff barriers for each other. Yes they are doing non-trivial things together such as in banking (e.g. an alternative to the swift payment system) but it is important not to make too much of the organisation
Somewhat surprisingly this extensive list still manages to miss two more major drivers of expansionism (Imperialism).
Empire is a business, and it is big business.
A business based on extracting wealth from those unfortunate enough to be subjected to its violence and concentrating it in the hands of the administrators of the Imperial centre.
In the modern era the empire of the dollar supplanted the brutal British empire as the global hegemonic power.
As Paul Krugman once candidly noted, the dollar is backed by men with guns, i.e. The Pentagon.
These drivers have been visible throughout history from the extensive written accounts we have from the Roman empire onwards.
And 'state' spending on militarism is a honeypot for the kleptocracy.
As heavily decorated war hero Smedley Butler [1] once wrote, "War is a racket"
In the modern era of fiat currency created from nothing by the Fedral Reserve the American Oligarchy benefits from more than a Trillion Dollars a year of money creation being transferred to the Military Industrial Complex.
That is over a thousand billion, or if you prefer over a million million dollars per year.
That combined with a perceived need for particular resources such as titanium metal for aerospace (weaponry) and petrochemicals can provide another justification to the regime.
Perhaps European leaders will begin to wise up to what is happening in the world today.
Perhaps they will choose to confront the reality.
I doubt it. They are supine to the American hegemony, whilst continuing to excercise all of the brutish neocolonial control that they can.
Looking on the bright side, Scotland will find many understanding friends in the exploited Global South, now that realisation is slowly dawning as to which side of the geopolitical dividing line the exploited people and terrritory of Scotland has come to recognise itself to be on.
Trump’s Venezuela raid is being sold as a clean “win”, but the strategic ledger tells a very different story—and the implications run straight through India.I just broke down how the Maduro operation exposed America’s biggest weaknesses and road‑tested a three‑weapon playbook that’s already live in India’s information space.If you care about India’s strategic autonomy and how power actually operates behind headlines, this is worth a read.👉 Full analysis here:
https://substack.com/@geopoliticsinplainsight/p-183843075
> One characteristic not clearly identified by Umberto Eco is territorial expansionism
This is included under "obsession with national security". Most historical countries were obsessed with national security for the simple reason that they had to be, in a world were any country could be conquered by its bigger neighbours, and the only thing that could prevent this was being big and powerful oneself. A bit like today's world, really.
Many (probably the vast majority) historical countries would tick most of the boxes. Was the Roman Empire fascist? The Abbasid Caliphate? The Tokugawa Shogunate? Henry VIII? Alfred the Great? IMO it is ahistorical to even ask these questions.
From the article:
"One possible reason Umberto Eco omitted expansionism from his list of fascism's characteristics is that he considered it an inevitable consequence of the traits he did list. And indeed it is. Supremacy of the military, for example, presupposes something for them to do other than to serve as ceremonial ornamentation. Fighting expansionist wars—or ‘defending the Homeland’—would fit the bill nicely."
My point was that I think expansionism might have deserved a place on the list of its own.
People are either pro-Trump or, mostly, anti, leaving very little impartial analysis, if any. Maduro pretty clearly stole the election and Venezuela was screwed. Trump has already threatened Cuba, Mexico - and Colombia, by the way.
IF he cleans up quickly and organises an internationally observed election quickly (and I don't mean just the Jimmy Carter centre) he'll probably get away with it, including a lot of secret applause and sighs of relief. But he needs to remember the rebuilding of Japan and Germany (West), and you could say, UK and France after WWII; and of course drop the Greenland idiocy. The Venezuelan military are a problem, as loyal to Maduro - at the moment.
Meanwhile the actual operation regardless of morality or Law, was incredibly competent and logistically co-ordinated; a clear shot across the bows of Russia and China. It was only "clinical", if he does the right thing now.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/an-update-on-u-s-strikes-in-venezuela/
I haven't seen any "future" analysis yet, but it's very clear defence spending plans will not be cut, maybe even increase in Europe. From that point of view the Iwo Jima LHD played a vital role, something similar I've been punting for iscotland's defence navy as THE one big item.
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/01/03/uss-iwo-jima-ship-transport-nicols-maduro-new-york/88008114007/
The Iwo Jima can carry the F35-B. No idea if any were used in the attack / operation.
Basically, this thing was either bad - or good. History (written by winners) will tell the tale.
Scott Ritter 067: Venezuela
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5KvNpqpYVE
Outrage in the West in the case of Ukraine, but quite another reaction in the case of super oil-rich Venezuela having had its massive oil and gas reserves stolen by the local hegemon, with Starmer, Meloni and Macron registering their immediate support and unquestioning approval of the beyond outrageous act of kidnapping the Maduros. Imperialist thuggery is back amongst us for all to see.
I'd say in theory Macron and Starmer are hoping to use such influence as they have to nudge Trump into doing the right thing now - in hope that the upcoming transition would be democratic - as in general main supporters of the US.
Don't shoot the messenger.
Yes that does appear to be what Macron and Starmer are doing. IMO they look weak and sycophantic, so I doubt if Trump will give them any heed.
Can you have a democratic transition when you've already violently undermined Venezuelan sovereignty and kidnapped the President and his wife into-the-bargain, before beginning the process of robbing the country's heavy crude? From day-one the "right-thing" never got close to a look-in; imperialism doesn't care about the "right-thing", it's only the maximisation of profits that matters.
The democratic transition is what a lot are hoping for.
My interest is this - if we did a UDI the one person on the planet who could make it a lot easier for us to be recognised is no longer the Pope (700 year ago), it's Trump.
edit: there is of course in theory a UN / International Law getout - restoring democracy (and stability). Human Rights. For obvious reasons the US don't want to go there, publicly at least.
"Col Douglas Macgregor: There'll be NO SETTLEMENT in UKRAINE, NOT NOW"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp9RyDZloxo
Perhaps Trump and the Americans have just woken up to the consolidation of just under half of the World's population forming BRICS? An organisation containing the manufacturing powerhouses of China and India plus the huge nuclear arms store of the former plus Russia.
That would be overwhelmingly sufficient to trigger the fear and paranoia among such an obvious narcissist as the POTUS and his cronies. Expanding the US' to include the geographic and economic 'padding' of the countries and territories you mention might well be a reaction to feeling threatened by developments which have left them feeling isolated and vulnerable.
In any event the post-WW2 international law and order settlement with the UN as the arbiter seems under threat now as never before.
BRICS is a very loose organisation and some of the countries in it don't like each other (e.g. China and India). It doesn't have a mutual defence treaty and can't really be considered a power bloc.
Loose organisation or not, having half of the World's population as its market place represents serious economic power, especially when the largest nations are either the predominant industrial countries and/or own massive natural resources and minerals.
They don't have to like one another.
But they are not a single market either, as brics nations have tariff and non-tariff barriers for each other. Yes they are doing non-trivial things together such as in banking (e.g. an alternative to the swift payment system) but it is important not to make too much of the organisation
BRICS is not as trivial as you imagine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRICS
Iran is a BRICS member and was attacked by Israel and USA last year. Which other brics countries came to its aid? None.
Nobody ever claimed BRICS was a military alliance. I'm not sure where you got that idea.
Mind you, that could change.
https://24brussels.online/politics/brics-plus-plans-first-large-scale-naval-drills-off-south-africa/
Your claim was that it is "not as trivial as you imagine". What is the most non-trivial thing they do, IYO?
Somewhat surprisingly this extensive list still manages to miss two more major drivers of expansionism (Imperialism).
Empire is a business, and it is big business.
A business based on extracting wealth from those unfortunate enough to be subjected to its violence and concentrating it in the hands of the administrators of the Imperial centre.
In the modern era the empire of the dollar supplanted the brutal British empire as the global hegemonic power.
As Paul Krugman once candidly noted, the dollar is backed by men with guns, i.e. The Pentagon.
These drivers have been visible throughout history from the extensive written accounts we have from the Roman empire onwards.
And 'state' spending on militarism is a honeypot for the kleptocracy.
As heavily decorated war hero Smedley Butler [1] once wrote, "War is a racket"
In the modern era of fiat currency created from nothing by the Fedral Reserve the American Oligarchy benefits from more than a Trillion Dollars a year of money creation being transferred to the Military Industrial Complex.
That is over a thousand billion, or if you prefer over a million million dollars per year.
That combined with a perceived need for particular resources such as titanium metal for aerospace (weaponry) and petrochemicals can provide another justification to the regime.
Perhaps European leaders will begin to wise up to what is happening in the world today.
Perhaps they will choose to confront the reality.
I doubt it. They are supine to the American hegemony, whilst continuing to excercise all of the brutish neocolonial control that they can.
Looking on the bright side, Scotland will find many understanding friends in the exploited Global South, now that realisation is slowly dawning as to which side of the geopolitical dividing line the exploited people and terrritory of Scotland has come to recognise itself to be on.
;-)
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Is_a_Racket