Col. Larry Wilkerson: America’s Biggest Foreign Policy Mistake Just Blew Up in Venezuela
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The Venezuela operation, despite tactical success, sets a 'horrible precedent' for international law, justifying future interventions by other powers.
- ❖President Trump's foreign policy decisions are driven by a mix of political distraction (Epstein, Israel) and resource acquisition (oil).
- ❖The US is actively destroying the post-WWII rule-based international order, replacing it with chaos dictated by military power.
- ❖Marco Rubio is criticized for being a 'sycophant' to Trump, failing his National Security Advisor role, and making incoherent arguments.
- ❖A 'deep state' of powerful financial entities, likened to the Rothschilds, is seen as orchestrating global events for profit.
- ❖Russia and China are carefully observing US actions, with Russia likely to retaliate against NATO assets within Ukraine, and China potentially escalating its nuclear arsenal.
- ❖Europe's silence on Venezuela reflects its own deep economic and security troubles, making it unwilling to challenge the US.
- ❖The US faces imminent domestic peril from its enormous national debt, leading to cuts in social programs and a potential 'bloody revolution'.
- ❖The idea that future wars will restore US wealth is a fallacy, as the US is now the 'broken empire', not the ascendant power.
Insights
1Venezuela Operation Sets Dangerous Precedent for Global Order
The US's intervention in Venezuela, regardless of its tactical execution, establishes a 'horrible precedent' for international relations. This action undermines the post-WWII rule-based order, signaling that powerful nations can act with impunity based on 'might makes right,' a philosophy that Colonel Wilkerson warns will be adopted by other powers like China regarding Taiwan.
Wilkerson states, 'He just set the precedent for that. He laid down the precedent for Xi Jinping to by whatever means necessary Taiwan because any fool... knows that Taiwan presents a bigger threat to China... than Greenland presents to the United States.' ()
2US Foreign Policy Driven by Political Distraction and Deep State Influence
President Trump's foreign policy decisions, including the Venezuela operation, are not solely about geopolitical strategy but also serve as political distractions from domestic issues (e.g., Epstein case, Israel policy) and are influenced by a 'deep state' of financial elites seeking profit. This suggests a cynical, self-serving approach to international affairs.
Wilkerson links Trump's actions to 'get the people's attention off Monica Lewinsky' (referencing Bill Clinton) and specifically mentions 'this business of Epstein' and 'Israel's attention away from that' (). He also discusses 'the people who own the banks, own the money' orchestrating events ().
3US Economic Peril Threatens Domestic Stability
The United States faces an 'incredible financial crisis' due to its enormous national debt and unsustainable interest payments. This economic duress is driving attempts to dismantle social programs (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security), which Wilkerson predicts will create 'incredible animosity' and potentially lead to a 'bloody revolution' within the country.
Wilkerson highlights the inability to pay '$2 trillion in annual interest payments' and states, 'There's no federal money left. Now you know why Johnson and others are trying to destroy social programs.' ()
4Global Powers React to US Actions by Strengthening Military and Nuclear Capabilities
The US's assertive and precedent-setting foreign policy is prompting other global powers, specifically Russia and China, to bolster their military and nuclear arsenals. Russia views the US as 'untrustworthy' and is considering retaliation against NATO assets, while China is increasing its nuclear weapons, potentially aiming to match both the US and Russia combined.
Wilkerson notes Putin now understands the US is 'untrustworthy, deceitful' () and discusses Medvedev's statement that 'any state must strengthen its armed forces to the maximum' including a 'nuclear arsenal' (). He also mentions Xi Jinping 'building more nuclear weapons' ().
Bottom Line
The tactical success of special operations in Venezuela, while praised by some military figures, is seen by Wilkerson as a dangerous glorification of 'criminality' and 'destroying international law,' potentially emboldening the military to pursue similar interventions without considering broader consequences.
This internal military pride in 'beautiful operations' without ethical or geopolitical consideration creates a significant risk of future, potentially larger, interventions (e.g., Iran) based on perceived invincibility, leading to prolonged conflicts and further global destabilization.
For policymakers, the opportunity lies in re-establishing civilian oversight and ethical frameworks for special operations, ensuring that tactical successes do not overshadow strategic and legal implications, thereby preventing the military from becoming an unchecked instrument of foreign policy.
Europe's silence on the US intervention in Venezuela is not a sign of agreement but rather a symptom of its own 'existential trouble' and deep economic/security crises, making it unwilling to challenge the US empire.
This indicates a weakened, self-preoccupied Europe that cannot act as a counter-balance or moral voice against US foreign policy overreach, further consolidating US unilateralism and reducing global accountability for its actions.
For non-Western powers or emerging blocs (like BRICS), this presents an opportunity to fill the void in international leadership and moral authority, potentially attracting nations disillusioned with both US unilateralism and Europe's inaction.
Key Concepts
The Melian Dialogue (Might Makes Right)
Colonel Wilkerson references the Athenian Empire's justification for destroying Milos ('we can do it, you are weak, we are strong') to describe the US's current foreign policy approach, particularly in Venezuela. This model highlights the abandonment of international law in favor of raw power.
Deep State / Predatory Capitalism
The concept that powerful, shadowy financial elites ('the people who own the banks') control state monies and orchestrate global events for profit, operating behind the scenes of major countries. This 'predatory capitalism' is seen as a corrupting force, even influencing humanitarian efforts for personal gain.
Broken Empire
The US is characterized as a 'broken empire' facing economic collapse due to massive debt, unable to sustain its global dominance or benefit from wars as it did in the past. This model suggests a decline in power and influence, leading to isolation and internal strife.
Quotes
"We're not just destroying the so-called rule space order. We're replacing it with chaos."
"He [Trump] just set the precedent for that. He laid down the precedent for Xi Jinping to by whatever means necessary Taiwan because any fool, even an idiot, knows that Taiwan presents a bigger threat to China... than Greenland presents to the United States."
"This is as crass a reversal of 70 plus years of reasonable success in managing humanity's plight on this planet as anything could be other than a nuclear war. And Nema, we are headed for that."
"You're praising criminality. You're praising breaking international law. You're praising destroying the post-World War II system."
"We're going to be lucky, Nemo, if we don't fall apart. Actually, domestically fall apart."
Q&A
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