Wednesday, 9 January 2019

Defending Venezuela

Here's a belated offering to the 2019 predictions party.  A friend who is well up on the Americas suggests that both the Donald and Brazil's Bolsonaro will be in dire need of foreign-policy distractions in the months to come.  Fitting the bill nicely would be an invasion of Venezuela.  This, he predicts, will be conducted by Brazil and Columbia, with US topcover if not actual regular military engagement.

While we have our tin hats on (proper ones, not the tinfoil variety, you understand); that would sit well with cross-border interventions by both Russia and China.  There is of course a history of countries with itchy trigger-fingers taking their cue from events several thousand miles away.  Busy times ahead at the UN?  Well what's the point of having a veto if you don't use it from time to time.  

Getting ahead of ourselves a bit, here: but perhaps Jezza could raise an International Brigade for Venezuelan deployment?  I am sure that Momentum members would shape up into effective troops:  Corbyn Companies and Snowflake Battalions for the defence of socialism in foreign parts.   It'll all be over by Christmas, boys and girls.

ND

14 comments:

DJK said...

Maybe. The invasion is the easy bit; fixing the economy and getting out is much harder. Do you accompany the invasion with debt writeoff?

CityUnslicker said...

crazed to invade a jungle country, on the other hand, there won't be much resistance to get rid of the corrupt commies in charge.

dearieme said...

Anyone intellectually serious should prefer to let Venezuela fester as an example to the world. Alas.

Roderick said...

You are pre-supposing a strong sense of altruism (focussing on the interests of people other than themselves) in the millennial generation. I'd be delighted to see it.

andrew said...


you will never guess what I got up to in my gap year

... yes, I provided wholesome vegan cake and grief counselling to the hard - pressed Venezuelan security forces.

no, I did not like the coffee - no-one had hazelnut milk.

Anonymous said...

It'll all be over by Christmas, boys and girls.

Just like an antifascist Paintball session, really. Nobody gets hurt.

James Higham said...

We are indeed getting ahead of ourselves. Best not to speculate about 2019, the Lord will provide, so they say.

L fairfax said...

I very much doubt Trump would invade Venezuela - he is an isolationist.

Elby the Beserk said...

Maybe dark forces from the USA could assassinate Bercow?

Just a thought.

GridBot said...

Can any of you older, wiser chaps explain what's going on re Bercow? What has he done to warrant calls for his removal? apart from of course offering signed pictures of himself on request...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/12153582/John-Bercow-spends-thousands-of-pounds-on-photos-of-himself-tuning-a-grand-piano-and-meals-with-MPs.html

Elby the Beserk said...

@Gridbot

Take your time...

https://order-order.com/?s=BERCOW#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=BERCOW&gsc.page=1

Elby the Beserk said...

@Gridbot and this...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2019/01/10/parliament-wants-take-brexit-mps-need-decide-want?playlist=structure%3Aopinion%2Ftelegraph-view

andrew said...


Bercow does not stand on the side of light, he was being very naughty
but
May has a long history of can kicking
and at a time like this it is very much against the nations interest to let her do that again.
Imo on this small narrow point, he was acting in the national interest.

This may be the first evidence of 'adults taking over from children' as posted by ND? a few weeks ago.
Which is odd as he is a child size.

GridBot said...

thanks folks - will take a read over the weekend.