Sanctions Are Acts of War

Modern-day "sanctions" should be thought of as essentially the same as laying siege to a major city in the distant past.  They are acts of war.  Our Fed Government's sanctions relative to Venezuela and Iran are nothing but Empire Building...egregious interference for the purpose of maintaining "American Primacy" in the world.

When a government interferes with another country's economy and finance, and even threatens allies who might not agree with that approach, the whole thing becomes a de facto declaration of war.  In the cases cited above, it's interventionism of the worst kind--- strictly to advance "American Primacy and its geostrategic imperatives".  It's the main reason our Gov't keeps sticking its big nose into the affairs of the Middle East, Central Asia, South America, and Central America.

It appears that both Neoconservatives and Neoliberals look upon Brzezinski's book, The Grand Chessboard (1997), as the Bible in terms of geopolitics and our Neocolonial Empire.  In this Neocolonial Age, our Gov't doesn't have to directly control a country via politics or military force (as in the old colonial times).  Now it can do so indirectly by means of economics, finance, and propaganda.  No matter who is in power in DC, that's the game.  It's wrong, and except for a fairly brief time around the turn of the Twentieth Century (1898-1906 or thereabouts), it's un-American.  [Perhaps I should, but I'm not counting our very early history of so-called "Manifest Destiny", when the Powers-That-Be simply assumed that this whole continent belonged to us...because "God" was on "our side".]

Sanctions can lead to a shooting war.  Here's a message for our Warmongers; it's taken from the Bobby Darin song, "Simple Song of Freedom".
Let it fill the air
Tell the people everywhere
We the People here don't want a war

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Most Democrats Support NeoCons, re Venezuela

The clip is less than 3 minutes.

https://www.democracynow.org/2019/2/11/greenwald_how_can_democrats_support_trumps

Pure hypocrisy & self-righteousness on the part of most Dems.  They bray about Russian interference in our politics, but Regime Change in Venezuela is okay.  Then, too, there was Libya.  As long as perceived Bad Guys are the target, it's okay to interfere in the politics of other lands.  NeoCons such as Bolton, Abrams, Pence, & Pompeo must be really pleased!  Go Corporate Dems---get access to that oil.  That will really help Climate Change...and hasten our transition to clean energy.  

Venezuela is no threat to us, but they do have the world's largest reserves of oil.  Hmmm.

No, I'm not in favor of Maduro (or any dictator), but neither do I favor butting into the politics of a sovereign country that is no threat to us.  Look what happened in Honduras recently.  The country is in chaos, & run by thugs that we (especially Hillary) supported.  Never mind our shabby history going way back in South & Central America...supporting Death Squad regimes.

Regime Change worked out so well in Iraq, eh?  Never mind Afghanistan.  You'd think we would learn, but the Corporatist Propaganda rolls on.  Good grief.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

On What Legitimate, Ethical Authority?

What legitimate, ethical authority do the highest levels of our Fed Gov't have to...

1.  launch a pre-emptive war?  [as in the case of the 2003 Iraq invasion by the USA];

2.  tell Iran that it can't have a nuclear program?  [when Israel has ~ 200 nuclear weapons, and the USA is developing or upgrading so-called "tactical" nukes];

3.  impose sanctions on Russia for intervening in a civil war?  [when the highest levels of our Fed Gov't do the same thing on an almost regular basis];

4.  develop (paraphrased) "tools to guide Venezuela in the direction it needs to go"?  [Venezuela is a sovereign nation...it can go in any direction it so desires];

5.  insist (via the IMF and/or World Bank) that any particular country undergo "austerity"?  [when the USA is the largest debtor nation in the world...and there's no visible austerity imposed by our Gov't];

6.  spy on our allies?  [and then condemn other nations for doing the same to us];

7.  act as the world's Police Force?  [without any U.N. authorization];

8.  refuse to return Guantanamo (which essentially was stolen by us) to Cuba?;

9.  refuse to recognize the sovereignty of Native American Indian Nations?  [said sovereignty being guaranteed by numerous Treaties...all of which have been broken by the Feds];

10.  launch weaponized drone strikes into countries (e.g., Pakistan), killing both SUSPECTS and innocent civilians, when the "intelligence" identifying the suspects largely is from cell phone meta-data?  [Pakistan has told our Gov't to cease and desist more than once.]
..................................................................................

The answer to all of the above is...NONE.  There is no legitimate, ethical authority for those actions.  Every patriot (as opposed to nationalist) should point that out... loudly and repeatedly.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well