From: YourName@YourISP.com   
      
   On 2026-01-04 08:17:25 +0000, shawn said:   
   > On Sun, 4 Jan 2026 20:01:41 +1300, Your Name    
   > wrote:   
   >> On 2026-01-03 17:52:29 +0000, shawn said:   
   >>> On Sat, 3 Jan 2026 17:48:35 -0000 (UTC), BTR1701    
   >>> wrote:   
   >>>> On Jan 3, 2026 at 2:53:42 AM PST, "shawn"    
   >>>> wrote:   
   >>>>   
   >>>>> Looks like we went to war last night with Venezuela. Multiple bombs   
   >>>>> were dropped in Caracas centered on the military installations. Then   
   >>>>> there were multiple helicopters sent in, apparently to drop off troops   
   >>>>> to capture Maduro. It's unknown if that was the sole purpose of this   
   >>>>> attack or if there is more to come.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> At least it looks like the bombing has stopped. Trump is supposed to   
   >>>>> hold a press conference at 11AM. That's when we should find out just   
   >>>>> what was the intent of this attack and if removing Maduro is the end   
   >>>>> of it.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> I’m ambivalent about all this. Maduro is a monster who was legitimately   
   >>>> indicted for actual crimes and he deserved to go down. His flirting   
   >>>> with Iran and China just sealed that deal. But I really wish Trump   
   >>>> didn’t spend his entire press conference basically saying, “Now   
   >>>> we’ve got all that oil and now we’re going to make so much   
   >>>> money.” I mean, even if that’s why you did all this, show a little   
   >>>> PR sense and focus on stuff like “Now the people of the Venezuela are   
   >>>> free and we’ll be working on rebuilding the democracy that existed   
   >>>> before Maduro and Chavez and making sure those who are starving get   
   >>>> fed”, etc. etc. ‘Cause right now it just looks like you took over a   
   >>>> sovereign nation to steal their resources.   
   >>>   
   >>> Which is what we did, take over the country for the oil. If there was   
   >>> no oil there Trump would not care enough to send in the troops. Trump   
   >>> is just making it clear why we did it.   
   >>   
   >> If his plan was to go after oil, then Trump the Chump is an even bigger   
   >> idiot than everyone already knows him to be. Venezuela produces less   
   >> than 1% of the world's oil supply, while the USA is already the top   
   >> producer at around 22%.   
   >   
   > He  explicitly said the idea is to heavily invest in their production   
   > capabilities and thus increase the amount of oil they have for sale.   
      
   The moron can waste as much US tax-payer money as he wants (and   
   probably will, unless sane people stop him yet again), but the net   
   result is still going to be next to nothing in the total world   
   production.   
      
   The reality is that Trump the Chump joins a "distinguished" group of   
   moron presidents who stupidly stuck their noses into other countries   
   and simply created even bigger problems.  :-\   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)