Chavez just seized some American owned companies at military gunpoint. What says his good friend Obama? Dare we use violence against violence? Will Obama pull out a daisy or a knife or . . .
Is a "pay for the company or we bomb you" policy wrong? They just stole our stuff. Would you use a knife on a mugger if you had it? Or do you just let him have your wallet and let it be his karma? No blood for oil! Does non-action invite copycats? Who?
What does history teach us? Walk softly and carry a big stick? He kept us out of war? Munich? What would the Greeks do? I can tell you what the Roman's would do! Would you follow the turn the other cheek method, my Christian friends?
8 comments:
Culturist John,
Will Obama at least condemn what Chavez has done or will he ignore it, and act like it didn't happen? Or even worse, will he try to justify it?
What the Hell happened? What did I miss?
Sorry, here is a link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8041366.stm
Damien, the book Chavez gave Obama probably justifies the act. It probably tells Obama exactly what he's going to do. He may try to justify it.
There must be precedent in law. When Guatemala seized the UFC plants in 1954, they paid them the value based on their tax returns from the year prior. This supposedly punished them for cheating on taxes while being robbed. But there was compensation.
We watched with weapons off shore as Arbenz did a military coup friendlier to us, (if I'm not mistaken). But I cannot imagine us doing that in this climate.
I would hope that Obama at least condemns it. I do not think going to war over "two US-owned facilities" would be justified. KIlling for such assets would be rude. Do we go to the UN? Someone should do something as to avoid precedent.
Anyhow, the market will punish Venezuela. I would not invest there. Perhaps financial concerns will bring him in line.
Would you follow the turn the other cheek method, my Christian friends?When Jesus spoke of that matter, he was speaking of interpersonal relationships, not of international affairs.
AOW,
Nice reply!
The international situation makes me think war over this could be justified. This situation is a lot like the pirate situation. People have got to know that stealing American goods will not fly. If they want to hijack something, they can take another nation's stuff. NOT OURS.
The problem is the exit strategy. Venezuela would never return ownership under duress. I mean it isn't practical.
SO I would get as many nations as possible to apply the weenie solution of sanctions. I would also freeze their assets in the US. Then we'd talk.
Of course, Obama would not do this as it would discourage other nations from pilfering the goods of our capitalist class.
Um, Venezuela has been nationalizing industries for at least two or three years now. Gas distribution companies, pipelines, telephone companies, etc. have already been grabbed. Sometimes for just compensation, sometimes not. Why is this latest grab such a surprise?
The Bush administration,to my knowledge, didn't do much, if anything. Why should the internationalist / socialist government of Obama do or say anything?
Ro
Ro,
Good point Ro, and we're in the middle of the War on Terror, so people who might other wise think it would be justified, may not think invading Venezuela would be worth the cost right now. To tell the truth, I kind of wonder if they may have a point. The war against Islamic terrorism, is our number one military priority right now.
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