From: dtravel@sonic.net   
      
   On 1/4/2026 1:56 PM, Your Name wrote:   
   > 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,   
   â€œNow   
   >>>>> 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.  :-\   
   >   
   I expect a lot a "donations" to Trump "causes" will be happening as   
   companies jostle to get pieces of the de-nationalized Venezuela oil   
   company with Trump "helpfully" accepts a percentage of the winning joint   
   ventures' "on behalf" of the American People.   
      
   --   
   I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky   
   dirty old man.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)