From: no_offline_contact@example.com   
      
   On 2026-01-04 2:30 p.m., BTR1701 wrote:   
   > On Jan 3, 2026 at 7:54:42 PM PST, "moviePig"  wrote:   
   >   
   >> On 1/3/2026 5:51 PM, BTR1701 wrote:   
   >>>   On Jan 3, 2026 at 2:36:28 PM PST, "moviePig"  wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>>   On 1/3/2026 4:31 PM, BTR1701 wrote:   
   >>>>>     On Jan 3, 2026 at 12:24:41 PM PST, ""Adam H. Kerman""    
   ahk@chinet.com>   
   >>>>>   wrote:   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>>     BTR1701  wrote:   
   >>>>>>>     Jan 3, 2026 2:53:42 AM PST, shawn :   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>     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.   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>>     Even if there is a narcotrafficking case to be made, don't the   
   people of   
   >>>>>>     Venezuala deserve the opportunity to prosecute this asshole?   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>     Well, if we're going with what the people of Venezuela want, they   
   were   
   >>>>>   dancing   
   >>>>>     in the streets with joy over the news of Maduro's capture and   
   rendition.   
   >>>>   
   >>>>   Are you sure?  Wasn't the toppling of Saddam's statue staged?   
   >>>   
   >>>   Yes, I'm sure Trump went down to Doral, Florida and all the other places   
   in   
   >>>   the country where Venezuelan ex-pats have gathered and put on staged   
   >>>   celebrations.     
   >>   
   >> I seem to recall, post-conflict, videos of ecstatic Iraqi throngs   
   >> --videos that I naively accepted at face-value.  I'd like to know why   
   >> you're so credulous in this instance, with so many similar circumstances   
   >> in play (not to mention a president demonstrably devoted to lying).   
   >   
   > I've been greatly amused over the last 24 hours watching activists and   
   pundits   
   > claiming to be "standing with the people of Venezuela against imperialist   
   > violence", only to be left sputtering and speechless when shown clip after   
   > clip of the actual people of Venezuela celebrating the actions of the United   
   > States in ridding them of a monster.   
   >   
   > In one memorable instance, a communist activist in Times Square waving the   
   red   
   > hammer-and-sickle banner and shouting "solidarity with the people of   
   > Venezuela!" was informed by an interviewer that the Venezuelan people were   
   > currently about 30 blocks south, gathered around the Manhattan Courthouse,   
   and   
   > praising the arrest and rendition of Maduro. The commie refused to believe it   
   > so the interviewer pulled up live news coverage of it on his phone and showed   
   > it to him, then asked, "So are you still in solidarity with the people of   
   > Venezuela or are you really just in solidarity with a brutal authoritarian   
   > regime?" The commie tried to hit the guy with his flagpole in response.   
   >   
   >   
   His activist brain must be melting down as rhetoric meets reality.   
   Here's hoping it makes a dent on his understanding of reality but I'm   
   not holding my breath. Too many of the activists are just fanatic shills   
   for their cause and incapable of thinking for themselves.   
      
   --   
   Rhino   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)